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DoD to Award Grants to Bolster Natl Security Industrial Base
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DoD to Award Grants to Bolster Natl Security Industrial Base

The Department of Defense (DoD) has earmarked $25 million in grants to support six projects that aim to augment the national security industrial base. DoD said Monday that it seeks to enhance research, development and small business efforts through the funding initiative.

The Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development will receive $1.4 million to modernize in-state defense prime vertical supply chains, while the University of Alabama will secure $3.7 million to conduct workforce training and adopt manufacturing technologies in the region.

DoD awarded the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development $5 million to drive workforce development activities across the state, while the California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research will receive $4.9 million to update defense manufacturing capabilities and establish the California Advanced Defense Ecosystems and National Consortia.

Catalyst Connection will secure $5 million to employ an industrial production ecosystem to reinforce defense manufacturing capabilities, while the department will allot the same amount to the Ohio Development Services Agency to offer technical assistance and workforce training for small and medium-sized businesses.

DoD picked the awardees through a competitive acquisition and will provide funding from fiscal year 2020 funds. 

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Updated CISA Federal Cybersecurity Strategy Directs Improved CDM Scores Through FY 2021
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Updated CISA Federal Cybersecurity Strategy Directs Improved CDM Scores Through FY 2021

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has released an update to its action plan for strengthening federal cybersecurity in fiscal years 2020 through 2021. The initiative was led by Matthew Travis, the deputy director of CISA.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) component said in the report that it seeks to prevent 75 percent of identified “critical and high configuration-based vulnerabilities” across federal agencies by Sept. 30th, 2021.

CISA is also directing agencies to have “reliable” scores on the adaptive risk enumeration (AWARE) algorithm under the Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) program by the end of the fourth quarter of FY 2020.

Kevin Cox, program manager for the CDM effort, previously said at an industry event that the program’s AWARE assessment is meant to “quantify the aggregate number of opportunities for an adversary” and help agencies identify priorities for reducing their attack surface.

The updated action plan includes strategies such as increasing enterprise-wide risk posture awareness, providing tools and assistance for CDM compliance, managing malicious incidents and detecting malicious traffic for incident response.

CISA also cited evolving threat landscapes and limitations in cloud, network and encryption capabilities as challenges that agencies face in strengthening their security postures.

The agency has prevented 77 percent of known vulnerabilities through approaches like cyber hygiene scanning. However, the agency needs to focus on mitigating high value asset risks, according to the report.

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NASA Lays Down Detailed Plan for Artemis Program
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NASA Lays Down Detailed Plan for Artemis Program

NASA has formed plans that would guide activities composing Artemis, an effort to revive manned space exploration. The space agency said Tuesday its updated Artemis plans lay down current progress, key missions and partnerships essential to the program.

“As we’ve solidified more of our exploration plans in recent months, we’ve continued to refine our budget and architecture,” said Jim Bridenstine, NASA administrator and 2019 Wash100 Award recipient.

The document highlights efforts leading up to NASA's planned return of humans to the moon in 2024. The space agency will launch an Orion spacecraft with the Space Launch System rocket in 2021 for an uncrewed test, and in 2023 for the program's first manned lunar flyby.

NASA will also send demonstrations to the moon semiannually from 2021.

Gateway, a lunar outpost for the program, is also exhibiting rapid progress. The agency plans to integrate the lunar outpost's main power-propulsion and logistics segments in 2023 to support autonomous lunar missions.

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NGA’s David Gauthier on Plans to Deploy Commercial GEOINT Data Concepts
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NGA’s David Gauthier on Plans to Deploy Commercial GEOINT Data Concepts

David Gauthier, director of the commercial and business operations group at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), has said the agency plans to coordinate with industry on using nontraditional data sources for geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) efforts.

Gauthier told SapceNews in an interview published Monday that NGA wants to leverage “anything that provides a location of activities, objects or events” as well as approaches like radio-frequency mapping to address emerging GEOINT and analytics requirements.

“We want commercial industry to develop automated imagery exploitation algorithms, and to bring multiple sources together so that we can get a stream of information or daily feeds, and activity updates that feed our national security algorithm,” he noted.

According to Gauthier, NGA is specifically interested in nontraditional imaging approaches such as hyperspectral imagery and synthetic aperture radar-based (SAR) small satellite imagery.

He added that he envisions data collation methods that “wouldn’t normally be attainable from imagery alone” in the long run.

“We want companies to be vibrant and in a competitive market that sells to a lot of sectors,” said Gauthier. “SAR will be an interesting one. There’s a lot of demand but also a lot of supply and we’ll see what happens.”

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Bipartisan Legislation to Drive Quantum Network Dev’t; Rep. Lee Zeldin Quoted
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Bipartisan Legislation to Drive Quantum Network Dev’t; Rep. Lee Zeldin Quoted

Reps. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., and Bill Foster, D-Ill., have unveiled a bipartisan bill that seeks to drive the establishment of a quantum network in the U.S.

The Quantum Network Infrastructure Act of 2020 will launch a national research and development effort that will speed up the implementation of quantum technology, the office of Lee Zeldin said Wednesday.

"This bipartisan legislation continues to invest in the implementation of this revolutionary technology, including right here at Brookhaven National Lab," said Zeldin.

Brookhaven National Laboratory received $115 million in funds to build a quantum information science research hub. The facility also worked with Stony Brook University to lay out an 80-mile quantum network testbed in New York.

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PSC Comments on CARES Act Section 3610; David Berteau Quoted
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PSC Comments on CARES Act Section 3610; David Berteau Quoted

The Professional Services Council (PSC) has commented on the extension of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Section 3610, Continuing Appropriations Act 2021 and Other Extensions Act that was released on Sept. 21, 2020.   

“It is crucial that the House and Senate extend this vital provision to ensure that federal agencies retain the contractor workforce they need to meet their mission needs,” said David Berteau, PSC president and CEO, and Wash100 Award recipient. “Retaining skilled employees is strategically sound and financially smart. This extension will help companies preserve key talent that has taken many years to recruit, train, and clear.”

PSC recently requested that Congress extend Section 3610, noting its success during the COVID-19 pandemic. The section was set to expire on Sept. 30, 2020. If Congress enacts H.R. 8319, Section 3610 will remain available through Dec. 11th, 2020. 

“This extension requires no additional funding and is applicable government-wide, not just for national security. It is critical to have it if we need it to maintain essential contractor support while work plans continue to change in response to COVID-19,” added Berteau. "We look forward to the passage of the Continuing Resolution followed quickly by the president's signature to enact it into law."

About PSC

PSC is the voice of the government technology and professional services industry. PSC’s more than 400 member companies represent small, medium and large businesses that provide federal agencies with services of all kinds, including information technology, engineering, logistics, facilities management, operations and maintenance, consulting, international development, scientific, social, environmental services, and more. Together, the trade association’s members employ hundreds of thousands of Americans in all 50 states.

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SAIC Names Sarjoo Shah as Program Management Director; Vishal Tulsian Quoted
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SAIC Names Sarjoo Shah as Program Management Director; Vishal Tulsian Quoted

Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) has appointed Sarjoo Shah as program management director for the state and local health IT market, the company reported on Tuesday.

“Sarjoo has a tremendous understanding of the unique challenges facing state and local health agencies,” said Vishal Tulsian, vice president of operations. “As the demands on health agencies continue to grow, it will be more important than ever to ensure they have access to outstanding IT systems and practices.”

Shah brings more than 25 years of experience in government healthcare. He most recently served as chief information officer (CIO) for the Oklahoma Department of Health and Human Services., and previously served as the chief information security officer (CISO).

With the state, Shah provided leadership for IT pertaining to human services agencies within the executive branch of Oklahoma Government. He was responsible for the IT Budget, totaling $144 million, as well as supervising the development of the first ever 5-year IT Strategic Plan.

“Adding Sarjoo’s expertise to our team will ensure that we deliver what they need to achieve their critical missions,” added Tulsian.

Prior to his work with the State of Oklahoma, Shah worked in the private sector for NTT Data as a senior director for State and Local Government and as a senior consultant for Deloitte Consulting.

“I’m very excited to join SAIC’s rapidly growing state and local team,” said Shah. “I look forward to helping bring the breadth of SAIC’s solutions to support state and local government health missions across the country.”

About SAIC

SAIC is a premier Fortune 500® technology integrator driving our nation’s digital transformation. Our robust portfolio of offerings across the defense, space, civilian, and intelligence markets includes secure high-end solutions in engineering, IT modernization, and mission solutions.

Using our expertise and understanding of existing and emerging technologies, we integrate the best components from our own portfolio and our partner ecosystem to deliver innovative, effective, and efficient solutions that are critical to achieving our customers’ missions.

We are 25,500 strong; driven by mission, united by purpose, and inspired by opportunities. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, SAIC has pro forma annual revenues of approximately $7.1 billion.

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Leanne Caret, President & CEO of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, Receives Fourth Consecutive Wash100 Award
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Leanne Caret, President & CEO of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, Receives Fourth Consecutive Wash100 Award

Leanne Caret, president and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS), accepted her fourth consecutive Wash100 Award from Jim Garrettson, founder and CEO of Executive Mosaic on Monday. 

Caret received her fourth Wash100 Award for her continued leadership in the development of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, winning major defense contracts for the company and accelerating influential aerospace technology. 

Most recently, Caret discussed the company’s investment in advanced manufacturing and digital engineering technologies to support its work on the Navy MQ-25 unmanned tanker and the Air Force T-7 trainer. Caret expressed her confidence in those investments 

“I actually remain very confident in the investments we made on both the MQ-25 and the T-7. … We had already redesigned, reimagined, how are we going to use advanced modeling and simulation and digital twins,” Caret said. 

Leanne Caret, President & CEO of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, Receives Fourth Consecutive Wash100 AwardLeanne Caret accepts her Wash100 Award

In addition, Caret’s efforts have continued to advance the company’s presence in the defense sector in 2019, and she has added space exploration as a central initiative. 

Most notably, Caret supervised Boeing’s first spacecraft launch: the CST-100 Starliner. Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner capsule landed at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico on Dec. 22, 2019. 

“It was an absolute bullseye, better than I think anybody anticipated,” NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine and fellow 2019 Wash100 Award recipient said of the landing. “That’s good for the agency, it’s good for Boeing; that’s good for the United States of America.”

In addition to Boeing’s space development, Caret has also made advancements in the company’s aerospace defense. Caret supervised and secured Boeing a potential 10-year, $14.3 billion contract to modernize weapons systems used on the U.S. Air Force’s B-1 Lancer and B-52 Stratofortress bomber platforms in April 2019.

Executive Mosaic congratulates Boeing and Leanne Caret for her 2020 Wash100 Award selection. Caret’s dedication to space innovation and the progression of aerospace technology is a clear indication of her eye for innovation and a vision for the future.

About Wash100 

The Wash100 award, now in its seventh year, recognizes the most influential executives in the GovCon industry as selected by the Executive Mosaic team in tandem with online nominations from the GovCon community. Representing the best of the private and public sector, the winners demonstrate superior leadership, innovation, reliability, achievement and vision.

Visit the Wash100 site to learn about the other 99 winners of the 2020 Wash100 Award. On the site, you can submit your 10 votes for the GovCon executives of consequence that you believe will have the most significant impact in 2020.

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1901 Group Completes EITOC to Advance IT Services; Sonu Singh, James Christopher Quoted
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1901 Group Completes EITOC to Advance IT Services; Sonu Singh, James Christopher Quoted

1901 Group has completed its Enterprise Information Technology Operations Center (EITOC) expansion in Blacksburg, VA, which will provide managed services for cloud migration and operations such as IT service management, IT operations management, cybersecurity, data intelligence and automation services, the company reported on Tuesday.

“Our service delivery model is based upon our In3Sight Platform, which includes an integrated suite of tools and technologies within a FedRAMP authorized security boundary that allows us to provide secure remote support to our customers, regardless of customer location or the location of our employees, to include teleworking from home,” said James Christopher, EVP Operations and Engineering of 1901 Group.

1901 Group has collaborated with the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center (VTCRC) to build the EITOC. The center has featured customer-facing development, security and operations teams providing IT “as a service” models that leverage cloud technology and process automation to deliver outcome-based IT services.

The EITOC also includes the 1901 Group’s Cloud Factory and Innovation Engineering Labs focused on the use of automation to accelerate digital transformation.

1901 Group’s FedRAMP authorized Enterprise Managed Services has been integrated into the EITOC. The services will monitor, manage and optimize applications across on premise, private and multi-cloud environments, which will help federal agencies leverage cloud and modern technologies to improve performance and security.

“Automation coupled with the re-skilling of the workforce will provide unprecedented productivity gains and performance improvement across public and private sector organizations,” said Sonu Singh, CEO of 1901 Group. “This impending productivity jump will build true operational resilience into the workforce changing where we work, how we work, and who does the work. Very exciting times!”

About 1901 Group, LLC

1901 Group develops innovative IT services and solutions for the public and private sector. We improve service delivery with our recently expanded FedRAMP authorized Enterprise IT Operations Center (EITOC) for 24×7 user, complex IT infrastructure, and mission-critical systems support.

Our capabilities include cloud, cybersecurity, and enterprise-scale managed services to transition customers from traditional on-premise IT infrastructure models to hybrid cloud solutions that improve performance and reduce costs. We proudly serve customers in federal, state, and local governments, including law enforcement agencies and commercial markets. Customers benefit from our 24×7 Cloud Factory with FedRAMP authorization, ISO 9001 certification, and CMMI Maturity Level 3 appraisals.

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Accenture Acquires N3 to Expand AI/ML Capabilities; Manish Sharma, Jeff Laue Quoted
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Accenture Acquires N3 to Expand AI/ML Capabilities; Manish Sharma, Jeff Laue Quoted

Accenture has entered an agreement to acquire N3, a tech-driven sales and demand-generation firm, which will add approximately 2,200 employees to Accenture globally, as well as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) capabilities, Accenture reported on Tuesday. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

“N3 provides the perfect combination of skilled talent and technology to remove barriers and better influence purchasing decisions at critical stages, ”said Manish Sharma, group chief executive of Accenture Operations.

With the purchase of N3, Accenture will acquire the company’s model of specialized sales talent across complex areas such as cloud, software platforms and 5G networks. N3’s platform is supported by cloud-based, AI/ML technology that has provided smarter, more efficient customer interactions and sales conversions. 

Accenture has planned to integrate N3’s model with its SynOps platform to aggregate millions of interaction points into actionable insights that drive sales growth. N3 serves leading brands, including Microsoft, Cisco and SAP. The company is headquartered in Atlanta, GA with locations in Brazil, Costa Rica, Ireland, Germany, Japan, Singapore and the U.K.

“We were drawn to Accenture, in large part, due to the growth opportunity– as far as developing talent, advancing capabilities and joining a company with strengths and values that complement our own,” said Jeff Laue, founder and chief executive officer of N3. “Together, our capabilities provide a differentiated, data-driven approach that companies can use to sharpen their sales focus and deliver on the ambition of sustainable growth.”

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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