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DoD’s Platform One Announces Official Adoption of Work-From-Home Model
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DoD’s Platform One Announces Official Adoption of Work-From-Home Model

The Department of Defense’s (DoD) Platform One, a team of software developers advancing the use of DevSecOps practices, will continue to work remotely to protect its workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rob Slaughter, director of Platform One, announced the move to the team’s more than 180 employees during a recent video conference, according to a blog post published Wednesday on Platform One’s Medium site.

“Platform One is now the first federal office to go to a formal work-from-home model in the face of changing times,” Slaughter said during the call. “We’ve proven that our productivity has not been negatively impacted. In fact, we’re better than before.”

Nicolas Chaillan, chief software officer at the Air Force and co-lead for the DoD's enterprise DevSecOps initiative, expressed in his memo his support to telework arrangement to protect employees and improve productivity.

The Platform One team said office facilities will now operate under a 50 percent capacity rule and that it will provide updates in the next several months as it pilots the work-from-home model.

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inContext.ai Secures NSF Funds for AI-Based Healthcare Tech Dev’t
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inContext.ai Secures NSF Funds for AI-Based Healthcare Tech Dev’t

Texas-based healthcare information technology company inContext.ai has received $225,000 in funds from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to build artificial intelligence-based healthcare tools.

Robert Grzeszczuk, CEO of inContext.ai, said in a statement published Wednesday the funds will potentially allow the company to update the efficiency of its offerings through collaborative efforts.

"Our goal is to make ‘dark clinical data’ which is buried in diagnostic reports, accessible and actionable anytime, anywhere," said Grzeszczuk.

Grzeszczuk added inContext.ai plans to compete for NSF's $1 million Phase II funding. The company has developed a platform that works to optimize and support physicians' workflow by augmenting their interaction with counter-intuitive software tools.

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Joint INDOPACOM Exercise Last Year Used New Simulation Tech
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Joint INDOPACOM Exercise Last Year Used New Simulation Tech

U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) used a modern simulation tool to administer a wargame exercise that took place in August 2019. USINDOPACOM leveraged the Standard Wargame Integration Facilitation Toolkit to conduct the Joint Forces Energy Wargame (JFEW) and perform associated analyses, the U.S. Air Force said Wednesday.

Participants also used SWIFT to quickly address fuel logistics issues at the four-day event in Camp Smith, Honolulu. The Office of the Secretary of Defense's Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation group developed SWIFT in a matter of 12 weeks.

“The tool helped us identify a few critical energy challenges for the Air Force and joint operations, and provided decision-makers with data-driven insight on how we can improve operational plans for increased readiness," said Dominick Wright, team lead for JFEW.

CAPE engineers plan to use SWIFT with continuous updates for more joint exercises in the future.

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MIT Haystack Observatory to Support NASA Very-Long-Baseline Interferometry Systems
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MIT Haystack Observatory to Support NASA Very-Long-Baseline Interferometry Systems

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Haystack Observatory has received a potential five-year, $14.8 million follow-on contract to help NASA update and maintain very-long-baseline interferometry systems. The MIT Haystack Observatory team will field personnel, equipment, materials and facilities to support NASA's VLBI stations and data processing activities, the agency said Wednesday.

The research center will also support the International VLBI Service for Geodesy and Astrometry as well as associated services for the Space Geodesy Project. The cost-no-fee contract has a base value of one year and could extend to four more years if all options are exercised.

The Space Geodesy Project is a collaborative effort between NASA, MIT Haystack Observatory and other partners that seeks to build and deploy geodetic stations.

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OMB Seeks ‘Detailees’ to Support Federal Data Strategy Implementation
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OMB Seeks ‘Detailees’ to Support Federal Data Strategy Implementation

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is looking to appoint government personnel to help their own agencies achieve goals under the Federal Data Strategy (FDS), FedScoop reported Wednesday.

The “detailees” will complete 20 objectives meant to support FDS action plans, solicit agency input, coordinate with chief data officers, evaluate agency performance, share case studies and establish resources through interagency groups.

Detailees will also develop the 2021 Action Plan and conduct outreach programs with agencies as well as working groups to drive FDS implementation.

In December, OMB released the final draft version of the 2020 FDS which details goals that agencies must achieve by the year's end. Objectives include establishing data standards, developing quality metrics and updating data repositories.

OMB will accept applications through July 17 ahead of expected onboarding on Sept. 1.

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NAVWAR Demos Alternative Connectivity for USS Gabrielle Giffords
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NAVWAR Demos Alternative Connectivity for USS Gabrielle Giffords

Naval Information Warfare (NAVWAR) Systems Command has tested a technology made to equip the USS Gabrielle Giffords littoral combat ship with bolstered cybersecurity and backup connectivity. The Commercial Cellular as a Transport (CCaaT) test aims to demonstrate the ship's cyber readiness outside the continental U.S., the U.S. Navy said Wednesday.

CCaaT provides the Independence-variant ship connectivity via 4G LTE technology to establish an alternative connection in the event of satellite communications failure. The technology also allows technical personnel to remotely address issues amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The initial results from OCONUS testing are positive in showing how we can leverage commercial technology to get the fleet important cyber software updates quicker and more reliably,” said Nick Freije, technical director of NAVWAR's Fleet Readiness Directorate (FRD). 

NAVWAR FRD is working with Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Pacific to further implement CCaaT technology across piers where a higher bandwidth still isn't available.

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Jose Arrieta: Commercial Tech Helped Secure ‘HHS Protect’ COVID-19 Analysis Tool
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Jose Arrieta: Commercial Tech Helped Secure ‘HHS Protect’ COVID-19 Analysis Tool

Jose Arrieta, chief information officer of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), said the use of commercial-off-the-shelf technologies resulted in a more flexible approach to gathering data on the COVID-19 pandemic, FedScoop reported Wednesday.

Arrieta told attendees during a recent webinar that the department’s HHS Protect data analytics tool was able to establish fortified identity, credential and access management (ICAM) defenses while securing the transmission of data.

He noted that foreign adversaries can easily exploit ICAM layers and render existing government security protocols obsolete. The ICAM capability can help agencies other than HHS fortify their network defenses amid the ongoing health crisis, according to Arrieta.

“The way that you actually deliver and the way that you actually contract for a business outcome related to digitizing a process is totally different than it was a few years ago, maybe even a few months ago,” he said. “I think the pandemic has changed that.”

HHS Protect was launched in April 2020 and has collected over 200 health data sets across 6,146 hospitals and 80 percent of private labs to date, the report states.

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CISA’s Christopher Krebs on Cloud Security, Workforce Diversity Issues Amid COVID-19
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CISA’s Christopher Krebs on Cloud Security, Workforce Diversity Issues Amid COVID-19

Christopher Krebs, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and 2020 Wash100 Award recipient, said the agency is addressing operational challenges as the pandemic continues to require telework settings, Nextgov reported Wednesday.

Krebs told attendees during a recent virtual event that CISA seeks to ensure visibility in server management as agencies utilize cloud migration to handle remote work operations. CISA also seeks to apply Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) approaches and utilize tools to temporarily fill gaps resulting from disrupted timelines, he noted.

“I think of the visibility we have through CDM,” said Krebs. “How can we take and extract value and insights from a single agency, and deploy that insight across a broader set of agencies, and then how do I repackage that and make it publicly available to anyone out there to show these are the sorts of trends we’re seeing? These are the best practices and successful implementations.”

He added that despite unanticipated issues, implementing remote work setups has helped CISA diversify its cybersecurity workforce beyond the D.C. area. The federal information technology will continue to benefit as hiring practices renew focus on ensuring a "more inclusive, diverse community," according to Krebs.

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Leidos Wins Contract to Help Disinfect Edinburgh Airport Security Tray Return Systems; Maria Hedden Quoted
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Leidos Wins Contract to Help Disinfect Edinburgh Airport Security Tray Return Systems; Maria Hedden Quoted

Leidos has been awarded a prime contract by Edinburgh Airport Limited to upgrade the airport's security tray return systems with antimicrobial tray technology. The company reported on Tuesday.

"Edinburgh Airport's leadership recognizes the increased risk of the virus spreading from the number of travelers and staff handling security trays every day, and I commend them for implementing antimicrobial security tray technology," said Maria Hedden, senior vice president and operation manager for Leidos' Security Detection and Automation Operation. 

Leidos will implement antimicrobial technology at Edinburgh Airport to minimize the spread of bacteria in the airport and mitigate the spread of bacteria from person-to-surface contact. Leidos will provide new antimicrobial security trays that prevent reproduction of a broad spectrum of bacteria. 

The company’s efforts will help prevent staphylococcus aureus (staph), E. coli, and antibiotic-resistant bacteria like MRSA and VRE, by 99.99 percent. The antimicrobial technology is built into the security tray during Leidos' tray manufacturing process and continuously minimizes the presence of microbes throughout the security tray's lifecycle.  

Edinburgh Airport has remained operational during the coronavirus pandemic. The airport’s officials have continued to enact plans to safeguard the health of its staff and the traveling public while preparing for global travel recovery. 

The antimicrobial security trays will be cleaned according to normal hygiene procedures, but the additive will not wash off or wear away. The use of antimicrobial technology will help kill microbes that can survive on surfaces for up to eight weeks.

Working with Leidos since 2012, Edinburgh Airport utilizes the company's intelligent automated tray return systems as well as desktop real-time explosives detection systems. "Leidos is proud to support the place where Scotland meets the world with security detection and automation technology solutions that are fast, frictionless and fully integrated," Hedden.

About Leidos

Leidos is a Fortune 500 information technology, engineering, and science solutions and services leader working to solve the world's toughest challenges in the defense, intelligence, homeland security, civil, and health markets. The company's 37,000 employees support vital missions for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Reston, Va., Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $11.09 billion for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2020.

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Quantum Reports Q4, FY 2020 Results; Jamie Lerner Quoted
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Quantum Reports Q4, FY 2020 Results; Jamie Lerner Quoted

Quantum Corporation has announced financial results for its fiscal fourth quarter and year ended March 31, 2020, noting revenue of $402.9 million, increased gross margins by 42.8 percent, decrease of total operating expenses by 12 percent and narrowed GAAP Net loss to $5.2 million, the company reported on Thursday. 

"Quantum delivered significantly improved performance in fiscal 2020, particularly in terms of profitability, despite a marked slowdown in revenue in mid-March when the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic halted professional sporting events and many of our customers in the media and entertainment sectors temporarily ceased filming operations," commented Jamie Lerner, chairman and CEO, Quantum. 

Quantum’s adjusted Net Income increased by $10.6 million to $15.4 million and its adjusted EBITDA increased by $13.3 million to $45.9 million. Revenue was driven by a 3 percent increase in product revenue with growth in primary storage and devices and media partially offset by a decline in secondary storage systems. 

Strength in products was offset by modest declines in services primarily due to reduced support renewals from our legacy backup customers, and royalty driven by overall declines in market unit volumes as the primary use of tape transitions from backup to archive implementations.

Quantum’s gross profit for fiscal 2020 was $172.5 million, or 42.8 percent gross margin, compared to $167.6 million, or 41.6 percent gross margin, in fiscal 2019. Gross margins improved year over year across a wide range of products, primarily due to reductions in cost of service and a sales mix weighted towards more profitable product lines.

The company’s total operating expenses for fiscal 2020 were $151.3 million, or 37.5 percent of revenue, compared to $172.4 million, or 42.8 percent of revenue, in fiscal 2019. Research and development expenses increased 13 percent to $36.3 million for fiscal 2020 compared to $32.1 million in fiscal 2019. 

Selling, general and administrative expenses declined 15 percent to $114.0 million for fiscal 2020 compared to $134.7 million for fiscal 2019 due to lower costs associated with the financial restatement and related activities, as well as lower operating expenses overall as a result of our efforts to streamline processes and reduce our facilities footprint. 

Net loss was $5.2 million compared to a net loss of $42.8 million. Excluding non-recurring charges, stock compensation and restructuring charges, adjusted Net Income was $15.4 million, or $0.34 per diluted share for fiscal 2020, compared to $4.8 million, or $0.12 per diluted share, in fiscal 2019.

“The acquisition of the ActiveScale object storage business from Western Digital and the integration of Atavium software into our organization, has strategically bolstered our technology portfolio to strengthen our capabilities in each of these markets. As a result, our position in the industry continues to improve," Lerner added. 

Quantum completed its acquisition of the ActiveScale object storage business from Western Digital Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Western Digital Corp., to expand  Quantum's leadership role in storing and managing video, in March 2020.

Quantum will acquire the ActiveScale product line, adding object storage software and erasure coding technology to the company’s portfolio. With the addition, Quantum will expand its product offerings in the object storage market. Object storage has emerged as a response to the exponential growth of video and other forms of unstructured data. 

The emerging content has required high-speed capture and processing, then retained for years or decades, including entertainment video and images, surveillance and security, and marketing and training. Prior to this acquisition Quantum successfully delivered and supported the ActiveScale object storage product line for over five years.  

About Quantum

Quantum technology and services help customers capture, create and share digital content – and preserve and protect it for decades.  With solutions built for every stage of the data lifecycle, Quantum's platforms provide the fastest performance for high-resolution video, images, and industrial IoT. That's why the world's leading entertainment companies, sports franchises, researchers, government agencies, enterprises, and cloud providers are making the world happier, safer, and smarter on Quantum.

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