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Accenture Acquires Myrtle Consulting to Advance Digital Manufacturing; Nigel Stacey, Edwin Bosso Quoted
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Accenture Acquires Myrtle Consulting to Advance Digital Manufacturing; Nigel Stacey, Edwin Bosso Quoted

Accenture has entered an agreement to acquire Myrtle Consulting Group, an industrial operations consulting firm, to expand Accenture’s manufacturing and supply chain capabilities, Accenture reported on Tuesday. 

“Manufacturing and operations leaders… need to free untapped value across production sites and distribution centers, so they can invest in resilient and responsible operating models for manufacturing and supply chains that are future-proof and digital-enabled. This is what the combined skills of Accenture and Myrtle will help them achieve,” Nigel Stacey, global lead of Accenture Industry X, said. 

Myrtle has partnered with companies across consumer products, life sciences, chemicals, mining and heavy manufacturing industries to deliver products efficiently and sustainably. Accenture’s acquisition will expand the company’s ability to transform manufacturing for clients.

Accenture’s purchase will also expand initial value assessments, operating model strategies, new business processes and technology solutions. Myrtle’s team will merge with Accenture Industry X to improve how clients operate factories and plants.

Myrtle has focused on optimizing clients’ sourcing, production, supply chain operations and execution. The company also has experience in change management methodology, organization design and implementation, leadership development and frontline coaching. 

Edwin Bosso, CEO and founder of Myrtle, will join Accenture as managing director.  “Becoming part of Accenture Industry X will allow us to pair our frontline operational expertise with Accenture’s global reach and digital capabilities to bring solutions to clients that will transform their operations from the ground up,” Bosso said. 

Completion of the acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

About Accenture

Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services in strategy and consulting, interactive, technology and operations, with digital capabilities across all of these services. We combine unmatched experience and specialized capabilities across more than 40 industries — powered by the world’s largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. With 506,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture brings continuous innovation to help clients improve their performance and create lasting value across their enterprises. 

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GSA, DoE Launch RFI for Resource-Efficient Technologies
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GSA, DoE Launch RFI for Resource-Efficient Technologies

The General Services Administration (GSA) has partnered with the Department of Energy (DoE) to issue a Request for Information (RFI), GSA reported on Wednesday. The agencies seek to receive responses from vendors on resource-efficient technologies that improve commercial building health and resilience.

The RFI will look for vendors that offer technologies that are nearly ready for commercial use, or in the early stages of commercial application. The RFI will be a part of the GSA Proving Ground (GPG) program for federally-owned facilities, or voluntary partnership programs facilitated by DOE for privately-owned facilities. The RFI will be open for submissions until Friday, Dec. 4, 2020. 

Vendors will support the technical and operational characteristics of the technology and its future deployment. The RFI has called upon three divisions of technologies, including integrated solutions, survivability and U.S. manufactured technologies. 

GSA will look to procure integrated solutions that manage indoor air quality without compromising energy efficiency, such as multi-zonal sensing and control, higher performance filtration and improved air sealing in ducts.

Of interest, the agencies will seek technologies that extend passive survivability and support continuity of operations during grid disruption, including advanced opaque retrofit envelope technologies that support passive heating, cooling and ventilation; window retrofit approaches; phased control or load coordination, among others. 

The RFI has announced interest in U.S. manufactured technologies that support the production of electrical energy through photovoltaics (PV), such as high-efficiency PV with improved materials construction, fabrication process and installation methods, building-integrated photovoltaics and innovative PV and storage systems.

About GSA

The mission of GSA is to deliver value and savings in real estate, acquisition, technology, and other mission support services across the government. One of GSA’s four strategic goals is to save taxpayer money through better management of federal real estate.

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Pavilion Data Systems Expands HFA to Federal Agency; Michael Tanner Quoted
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Pavilion Data Systems Expands HFA to Federal Agency; Michael Tanner Quoted

Pavilion Data Systems has announced that a federal agency customer has expanded its deployment of the Pavilion Hyperparallel Flash Array (HFA) to accelerate workflows throughout IBM Spectrum Scale environment, the company reported on Wednesday.

“The Pavilion Hyperparallel Flash Array enabled the organization to meet its stringent performance requirements, while simultaneously reducing the cost and complexity of its storage deployment,” said Michael Tanner, regional vice president and head of the Federal Business for Pavilion Data Systems.

Pavilion HFA has enabled the agency to safeguard American lives and property through the use of advanced analytics technology, while reducing the cost and complexity of their Spectrum Scale environment.

Pavilion has utilized Apache Spark and Nvidia GPUs to rapidly analyze vast amounts of data, using advanced AI-based algorithms to detect and eliminate threats. The Pavilion HFA has also allowed the agency to reduce the cost and footprint of other solutions.

In addition, the company’s solution has also reduced the management overhead associated with complex storage environments and opened compute resources that can be applied to critical application processing. “Our client’s workflows are critical to our nation’s security and they have demanding performance requirements,” Tanner added. 

About Pavilion

Pavilion Data Systems is the leader in the third wave of storage, delivering unmatched performance, density, and ultra-low latency at scale, without the cost and complexity of traditional storage. 

Pavilion enables global customers to shatter expectations today, tomorrow, and beyond by deploying storage solutions that scale linearly utilizing NVMe and NVMe-oF technology.

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Navy Eyes Army’s Ground-Based Sense and Avoid Tech for MQ-25 Tanker Drone
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Navy Eyes Army’s Ground-Based Sense and Avoid Tech for MQ-25 Tanker Drone

The U.S. Navy intends to use the U.S. Army’s Ground Based Sense and Avoid system aboard the Boeing-built MQ-25 Stingray unmanned aerial tanker, Inside Defense reported Tuesday.

Capt. Chad Reed, MQ-25 program manager, told the publication in a statement the service is eyeing the GBSAA platform to “support MQ-25 fleet operations in the national air space under federal aviation regulations.”

GBSAA has been used by the Army on the General Atomics-built Gray Eagle unmanned aircraft system since 2016 and works to provide situational awareness to UAS operators, according to an inactive solicitation by the service branch.

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DHS Issues Homeland Threat Assessment; Chad Wolf Quoted
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DHS Issues Homeland Threat Assessment; Chad Wolf Quoted

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a report about national security threats facing the country based on insights collected from DHS’ operational and intelligence components.

“When the American people read this [Homeland Threat Assessment] they will be more aware of the traditional threats facing the Homeland like terrorism and organized crime,” said Chad Wolf, acting DHS secretary. “However, I think they will also realize that we face a significant threat in the Homeland from nation-states like China, Russia, and Iran,” he added.

Key findings of the HTA include the potential use of cyber capabilities by Russia, China and Iran to attack critical infrastructure that will be used during the 2020 elections and possible attempts by the three countries to influence U.S. voters’ perceptions and preferences.

The report also covers information on transnational criminal organizations, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on migration and threats posed by natural disasters to citizens and national and local economies.

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Three Lawmakers Suggest Ways for Federal Gov’t to Advance AI Development
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Three Lawmakers Suggest Ways for Federal Gov’t to Advance AI Development

Reps. Will Hurd, R-Texas, Robin Kelly, D-Ill., and Jerry McNerney, D-Calif., said they believe the federal government will play a key role in pushing the development of artificial intelligence by ensuring access to data and education, Nextgov reported Tuesday.

“Let’s also make sure that whenever the federal government is doing research and has data, that that information is available for everybody to use so that you don’t have to be a large business or corporation … to take advantage of artificial intelligence and the data you need in order to do that,” said Hurd, a two-time Wash100 Award recipient.

McNerney called on the government to promote ethical AI development by establishing national standards for data used for training AI algorithms. 

“We need to have a test facility to test algorithms so that we can understand what bias is going into artificial intelligence,” McNerney added.

Kelly recommended that the government provide historically black colleges and universities more access to opportunities when it comes to AI research.

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Army Research Lab Funds University Study on Rechargeable UAVs
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Army Research Lab Funds University Study on Rechargeable UAVs

Army Research Laboratory has invested $8M in the University of Illinois Chicago for research that would explore recharging technologies for unmanned air vehicles. 

The cooperative agreement, issued in August, would support the design of ground vehicles where UAVs would mount on to autonomously recharge, the U.S. Army said Monday. The university will create and provide algorithms that would shape route planning for the battery-powered UAVs and corresponding ground vehicles.

“With this research project, we’re operationalizing scientific endeavors to increase Soldier readiness on the battlefields of tomorrow," said Mike Kweon, who manages ARL’s Versatile Tactical Power and Propulsion Essential Research Program.

The Army also seeks to develop small fuel sensors that would support hybrid-electric propulsion systems for larger UAVs. Work under the ARL-funded research begins this fall and aligns with the Army's Future Vertical Lift modernization program.

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USAF Concludes Tinker AFB Modernization Project; Joseph Cecrle Quoted
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USAF Concludes Tinker AFB Modernization Project; Joseph Cecrle Quoted

The U.S. Air Force wrapped up a $243 million modernization project that sought to augment energy efficiency and resiliency at Tinker AF Base in Oklahoma.

Honeywell implemented 25 energy conservation measure updates into 57 buildings while Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex (OC-ALC) worked to modernize Tinker AFB's industrial infrastructure to obtain ISO-50001 certification from the International Organization of Standardization, the Defense Logistics Agency said Monday.

"The ISO 50001 Energy Management System certification also satisfies the Air Force Sustainment Center’s Art of the Possible for continuous energy improvements," said Joseph Cecrle, energy manager at OC-ALC.

The accreditation reflects that Tinker AFB achieved a "sustained program structure" and met ISO's stringent energy management requirements. USAF awarded Honeywell a contract in 2016 to update various facilities at Tinker AFB.

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DHS Unveils Cybersecurity Tool for Mobile, IoT Devices; Vincent Sritapan Quoted
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DHS Unveils Cybersecurity Tool for Mobile, IoT Devices; Vincent Sritapan Quoted

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has launched a software security tool that works to monitor, detect and eliminate attacks to internet of things devices without modifying source codes.

DHS said Monday its Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate partnered with Rockville, Maryland-based company Intelligent Automation to pilot the Trusted Mobile System (TrustMS) intended for protecting agency systems against known and “zero-day” cyber attacks.

TrustMS includes features for preventing the manipulation of information technology stacks, buffer flows and application codes. The tool also automatically monitors attacks and issues customized responses to prevent the infiltration of malicious actors.

“It will give mobile and embedded device owners and users peace of mind that their devices are safeguarded against zero-day attacks,” said Vincent Sritapan, program manager for mobile security research and development at S&T.

“It also will significantly strengthen the entire mobile ecosystem—from mobile devices to the software that provides functionality to the backend systems that empower mobility,” he added.

DHS envisions TrustMS to support a range of applications such as national defense systems, power and gas utilities and other infrastructure for critical sectors.

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DOE Allots Funds to Help NIST Bolster Energy, Maritime Cybersecurity; Sean Plankey Quoted
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DOE Allots Funds to Help NIST Bolster Energy, Maritime Cybersecurity; Sean Plankey Quoted

The Department of Energy (DOE) has agreed to invest $3 million in research and development of tools and methods that support energy and maritime cybersecurity. 

DOE said Monday its Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security and Emergency Response (CESER) partnered with the National Institute of Standards and Technology to bolster cybersecurity in maritime transportation and energy grids.

“Approximately forty percent of all maritime traffic is transporting an energy product, making U.S. energy security inland a linked partner with the maritime market,” said Sean Plankey, CESER's principal deputy assistant secretary.

The CESER-NIST partnership will work over two years to update and sustain the Cybersecurity Capability Maturity Model that energy organizations use to evaluate and augment cybersecurity.

The effort will also develop a cybersecurity framework profile for maritime transportation systems.

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