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NASA Announces New James Webb Space Telescope Target Launch Date
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NASA Announces New James Webb Space Telescope Target Launch Date

NASA has moved the James Webb Space Telescope's launch date from March 2021 to Oct. 31, 2021 due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The space agency said Friday it based this decision on a risk assessment of the program's remaining pre-launch activities.

"The team continues to be focused on reaching milestones and arriving at the technical solutions that will see us through to this new launch date next year," said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.

Impacts related to safety, workforce, shift disruptions and various technical matters contributed to the launch's delay. Northrop Grumman continues to perform tests as the program's prime contractor. NASA intends to keep costs within the $8.8 billion budget as activities continue.

The observatory is set to undergo environmental tests before its shipment to the French Guiana-based launch site. James Webb Space Telescope will use infrared technology to help scientists further study the formation of planets.

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USAF Retires First KC-10 Extender for Replacement
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USAF Retires First KC-10 Extender for Replacement

The U.S. Air Force held a ceremony to recognize a KC-10 Extender refueling aircraft decommissioned from operational service. The ceremony took place at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey and honored the tanker's three decades of USAF service, USAF Expeditionary Center said Tuesday.

USAF's 305th and 514th Air Mobility Wings retired the first of 59 KC-10 aircraft scheduled for replacement. The service branch plans to have the newer KC-46A Pegasus succeed KC-10.

“Today, we solemnly, and with an immense amount of pride, say ‘farewell’ to the first KC-10 in the McGuire fleet to make its journey to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group – more commonly known as the ‘Boneyard,’” said Col. Scott Wiederholt, commander of the 305th Air Mobility Wing.

Retired KC-10 units will provide spare parts for Extender units still being operated. McDonnell Douglas, a Boeing legacy company, manufactured KC-10 aircraft.

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Space Force to Begin Transitioning More Than 2.4K USAF Personnel in September; David Thompson Quoted
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Space Force to Begin Transitioning More Than 2.4K USAF Personnel in September; David Thompson Quoted

The U.S. Space Force has chosen 2,410 space operations personnel from the U.S. Air Force to transfer to the new military branch starting Sept. 1. Space Force said Thursday that the selected personnel will assume space systems operations (1C6) and space operations (13S) duties as part of the transition.

The service received over 8,500 applications for transfer and will also select personnel for “common career fields” or duties common to the Air Force and Space Force including cyberspace operations, geospatial intelligence, developmental engineer and targeting analyst. Transfers for such positions are scheduled to commence by Feb. 1, 2021.

“This is an exciting and historic time for these space operators who will be some of the first members to join the Space Force,” said Lt. Gen. David Thompson, vice commander of Space Force. “Each one of them has an important responsibility to contribute bold ideas to shape the Space Force into a 21st century service.”

According to Space Force, the space operators that declined transfer may be absorbed into other career fields, transition into reserve services, apply for separation or request for retirement.

Space Force expects to conclude transition operations by 2022 before facilitating transfer activities for the U.S. Army and Navy. Transition plans for the Space Force’s sister services are slated for release in fiscal 2021.

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James McPherson: Army Seeks Industry Partnerships for Early-Stage JADC2 Dev’t
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James McPherson: Army Seeks Industry Partnerships for Early-Stage JADC2 Dev’t

James McPherson, undersecretary of the U.S. Army, has said the service branch is “looking to really partner with industry” on the development of a Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) capability, C4ISRnet reported Thursday.

McPherson told attendees at an AFCEA-hosted webcast that the Army will seek feedback from industry on the early stages of development for JADC2, which will include a sensor network to support joint forces.

“‘Here’s the characteristics that we’re looking for with regard to JADC2. Industry, how can you meet some of those characteristics? What other great ideas do you have, industry, to meet those characteristics? How do we turn those into requirements?'” McPhearson said regarding the service’s intended dialogue with the private sector. “Then, we turn that into a procurement document.”

McPherson noted that the Army is working on ways to integrate coalition partners including "Five Eyes" intelligence allies into the JADC2 network to support battlefield operations beyond 2040.

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USPTO’s Jamie Holcombe on Agency Goals for IT Modernization, AI Deployment
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USPTO’s Jamie Holcombe on Agency Goals for IT Modernization, AI Deployment

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is working on six artificial intelligence-focused programs including an effort to deploy algorithms and a neural network to automate patent classification, Nextgov reported Thursday.

Jamie Holcombe, chief information officer of USPTO, said at a virtual ACT-IAC event that the agency is also looking to deploy AI and machine learning for fraud detection and automated image searching capabilities.

The move comes after USPTO launched its Patents 4 Partnerships data repository for licensing and tech commercialization opportunities. According to Holcombe, USPTO seeks to "provide more data services to the public" over the next six months.

Other initiatives that Holcombe cited include information technology modernization efforts to  “eliminate technical debt” and increase the capacity of agency systems to handle over 1,200 sessions through WebEx.

“We did have slight problems in the beginning, but what we did to combat that was to ensure that we scaled up both software licenses and hardware licenses to ensure that we could manage and respond to the demand,” he noted.

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CISA’s Christopher Krebs Issues Emergency Directive on Windows Server Security Updates
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CISA’s Christopher Krebs Issues Emergency Directive on Windows Server Security Updates

Christopher Krebs, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and a 2020 Wash100 Award recipient, is mandating agencies to update their Domain Name System-based (DNS) Windows servers following reports of new cyber threats.

Krebs wrote in a blog post published Thursday that agencies must implement the July 2020 security update for Windows servers running DNS. Agencies may enact interim registry-based approaches if patching cannot be done within 24 hours.

The emergency directive comes as part of CISA’s efforts to address “wormable" vulnerabilities in Windows servers, which are commonly used among civilian agencies under the Executive Branch. According to Krebs, remote attackers could exploit Windows servers and control affected systems through Local System Account codes. 

He added that agencies should also implement CISA’s recommendations for cyber hygiene including web application and vulnerability scanning as well as phishing and campaign analysis. CISA also “strongly recommends our partners in the private sector” to take the necessary precautions, Krebs noted.

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Army Modernizes IT Workforce Under People Strategy; Bryan Shone, Greg Garcia Quoted
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Army Modernizes IT Workforce Under People Strategy; Bryan Shone, Greg Garcia Quoted

The U.S. Army has announced a new workforce strategy, “People Strategy,” the to transform the service branch’s approach to its civilian workforce by focusing on talent management, the Army reported on Friday.

“We’ve faced the fact that that workforce is currently not skilled to meet the emerging requirements of the future, and we’re going to need different skills five, eight, ten years from now,” said Bryan Shone, the director for policy and resources in the Army CIO’s office. “It’s not just a realization that we have the wrong set of skills for what we’ll need in the future, it’s about what can we do to get there.”

The Army has reported new plans to recode thousands of positions and invest in its workforce’s skill under the project, Quantum Leap. The project will focus on the employees within the cyber and IT management workforce. The Army’s initial goal is to retrain about a thousand employees by 2023. Quantum Leap will begin by gaining a better understanding of the current skills of its employees and which of those are underutilized.

“We’re going to prioritize the skills that we’re lacking the most, which are very much in that information age area — things like data managers, systems analysts, application software developers,” Shone added.

The Army stated that formal IT certification programs will still play a role in the future IT and cyber workforce, but the service branch is more interested in real-world skills. The Army will leverage innovative ways that industry and academia have trained the workforce, including training courses, certifications and technical and leadership skills.

“There’s been an emergence of the chief data officer, there’s been the emergence of Army Cyber Command as an organization. These all will drive the need to improve mission outcomes with the application of cloud and data analytics, AI, machine learning. So we’ll be allocating individuals to the functions that are decided in the reorganization of the CIO and the G-6, but we’re looking not only to move them, but to upskill and reskill them,” Greg Garcia, the deputy CIO.

Army Modernizes IT Workforce Under People Strategy; Bryan Shone, Greg Garcia Quoted

Potomac Officers Club will host its 5th Annual Army Forum on August 6th. Click here to register for the event.

Bruce Jette, assistant secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology (ASA(ALT)) will serve as the keynote speaker to address the latest initiatives and modernization plans for the U.S. Army.

Join the event to hear from notable federal and industry leaders will discuss the progress, innovations and accomplishments of the Army’s modernization renaissance over the last year, what challenges remain, and how industry can help in 2021 and beyond.

Don’t miss out on this must see event! Click here to register 5th Annual Army Forum on August 6th.

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Accenture Partners with Microsoft to Advance Halliburton’s Digital Capabilities; Julie Sweet Quoted
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Accenture Partners with Microsoft to Advance Halliburton’s Digital Capabilities; Julie Sweet Quoted

Accenture has partnered with Microsoft under a five-year strategic agreement with Halliburton to advance Halliburton’s digital capabilities in Microsoft Azure, Accenture reported on Friday. The companies expect to complete the staged migration by 2022.

 “The strategic agreement with Microsoft and Accenture is an important step in our adoption of new technology and applications to enhance our digital capabilities, drive additional business agility and reduce capital expenditures,” said Jeff Miller, Halliburton chairman, president & CEO. 

Under the agreement, Halliburton will transfer its data to cloud-based digital platforms and strengthen its customer offerings by enhancing its platforms for expanded remote operations. 

Additionally, Halliburton will improve its analytics capability with the Halliburton Data Lake utilizing machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI), and accelerate technology and applications to enhance system reliability and security.

“Moving to the cloud allows companies to create market-shaping customer offerings and drive tangible business outcomes,” said Judson Althoff, executive vice president, Microsoft’s Worldwide Commercial Business. “Through this alliance with Halliburton and Accenture, we will apply the power of the cloud to unlock digital capabilities that deliver benefits for Halliburton and its customers.”

The agreement will support the migration of all Halliburton physical data centers to Azure to deliver cloud services at global scale and offer sustainability benefits. Accenture will work with Microsoft to help transfer Halliburton’s digital capabilities and business-critical applications to Azure. 

Accenture will leverage its cloud migration framework to integrate industrialized capabilities with exclusive tools, methods and automation. Accenture’s support will accelerate Halliburton’s data center migration and provide for additional transformation opportunities.

“Building a digital core and scaling it quickly across a business is only possible with a strong foundation in the cloud,” said Julie Sweet, chief executive officer, Accenture. “Halliburton recognizes that this essential foundation will provide the innovation, efficiency and talent advantages to do things differently and fast. We are proud to be part of driving this transformational change, which builds on our long history of working with Halliburton and Microsoft.”

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 513,000 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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Booz Allen Recognized as NVIDIA Partner Network Global Consulting Partner; Steve Escaravage, Craig Weinstein Quoted
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Booz Allen Recognized as NVIDIA Partner Network Global Consulting Partner; Steve Escaravage, Craig Weinstein Quoted

Booz Allen Hamilton has been selected by the NVIDIA Partner Network (NPN) as the 2019 Global Consulting Partner of the Year for the Americas, marking the third year Booz Allen has secured the recognition, the company reported on Friday.

“Booz Allen stands uniquely capable and dedicated to advance the mission of the U.S. government through integration and adoption of AI solutions,” said senior vice president, and head of Booz Allen’s AI division, Steve Escaravage. “Booz Allen’s partnership with NVIDIA has been a key differentiating factor, empowering our firm to capitalize on incredible advances in machine learning and high-performance computing to support our clients’ most complex needs.”

NVIDIA selected Booz Allen based on the company’s efforts toward AI adoption within the federal government. Booz Allen has developed talent, innovative acquisitions of AI services, software and hardware and new solutions to address the technology challenges within the public sector.

Booz Allen has become the leading provider of AI services to the several government agencies through its partnership with NVIDIA. The companies’ partnership has served as a catalyst for transforming Booz Allen’s business and integrating AI capabilities for its clients.

“The work Booz Allen is doing to help build the federal government’s AI solutions is critical to the safety of our troops and our nation,” said Craig Weinstein, vice president of the Americas Partner Organization at NVIDIA. “Booz Allen’s strong AI practice and their commitment to spreading AI adoption through the industry is a huge undertaking and we cannot think of any company more deserving than them to receive this award.”

About Booz Allen Hamilton

For more than 100 years, military, government, and business leaders have turned to Booz Allen Hamilton to solve their most complex problems. As a consulting firm with experts in analytics, digital, engineering, and cyber, we help organizations transform.

We are a key partner on some of the most innovative programs for governments worldwide and trusted by their most sensitive agencies. We work shoulder to shoulder with clients, using a mission-first approach to choose the right strategy and technology to help them realize their vision. With global headquarters in McLean, Virginia and offices worldwide, our firm employs nearly 27,200 people and had revenue of $7.5 billion for the 12 months ending March 31, 2020.

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Anil Cheriyan Discusses Challenges, Priorities, Developments within Technology Sector
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Anil Cheriyan Discusses Challenges, Priorities, Developments within Technology Sector

Anil Cheriyan recently discussed the challenges, priorities and innovations within the technology sector on Friday. He announced that he would leave his role as deputy commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) deputy commissioner and director of Technology Transformation Services (TTS) at the General Services Administration (GSA) in June 2020.

In regards to his former position, Cheriyan said, “It really has highlighted the need for more and more agencies to drive better digital transformation, digital adoption of all of their services… So all the things that TTS provides, we just need to amplify those and really build those out.”

As he discussed his departure, Cheriyan discussed what he’s learned during his time in government, the impact of government tours of duty and the future of TTS. One of the accomplishments of the GSA has been the development of its artificial intelligence (AI) center.

“We established an AI center of competency, we established an RPA center of competency. Our [Presidential Innovation Fellows program] grew to about 40 fellows, which was about 17 when I got here, which really showed that the demand was really there for the Presidential Innovation Fellows,” Cheriyan said.

The administration has also improved its FedRAMP, focusing on cycle times, agency reuse, the number of cloud service providers that GSA works with, and cost reductions. While there have been notable improvements during his tenure at GSA, he also addressed the challenges within the government modernization efforts.

“The challenges are still very much there. When you think about it, we spend over $100 billion on technology. There’s a significant portion of that just in terms of keeping the lights on. The amount of change that we have as an opportunity in the federal government to make is still large. We still have a lot to do in terms of catching up with the private sector,” Cheriyan noted.

Julie Dunne
Julie Dunne

Cheriyan will return to the private sector for a new career opportunity. He joined GSA in Jan. 2019, where he was responsible for the expansion of the IT Modernization Centers of Excellence (CoE) program. Cheriyan grew the program from two agency partnerships to 12 in a span of 18 months.

“He guided TTS to sharpen its vision, strategy, and focus on the key elements vital to the future of federal IT modernization. I am thankful for his steady leadership and passion for public service that inspired our team to work together to create innovative solutions for our customers,” said Julie Dunne, commissioner of FAS.

About GSA

The mission of GSA is to deliver value and savings in real estate, acquisition, technology, and other mission-support services across government. One of GSA’s four strategic goals is to improve the way agencies buy, build and use technology.

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