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IRS Stands Up New Office for Digital Modernization
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IRS Stands Up New Office for Digital Modernization

The Internal Revenue Service has launched (IRS) a new office to focus on digital transformation and streamlining efforts. Hampden Smith, IRS' deputy chief procurement officer, and Justin Lewis Abold-LaBreche, the agency's director of enterprise case management, will jointly lead the new office.

IRS said Tuesday that its new Enterprise Digitalization and Case Management office will work to deliver a streamlined digital environment through which the agency's customers and personnel may efficiently address issues.

 "To help this effort, we turned to Harrison and Justin, who bring a variety of skills and expertise to help us navigate this challenging area that holds promise for improved service and efficiency for both taxpayers and the IRS," said Sunita Lough, IRS' deputy commissioner for services and enforcement.

Smith and Abold-LaBreche will report directly to Lough and Jeff Tribiano, deputy commissioner for operations support at IRS. The office's establishment aligns with the Taxpayer First Act that aims to refine IRS in a way that focuses on taxpayer rights.

User-centric ideas will help the office determine technology and business pursuits that favor both the employees and customers of the agency. The office will also launch a series of pilot programs to augment IRS' digital technology environment and business processes.

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Army Creates Expanded Cyber Unit for Multidomain, Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations
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Army Creates Expanded Cyber Unit for Multidomain, Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations

The U.S. Army has established a strategic operations unit as part of a reorganization effort to expand the former cyber office's functions to include joint all-domain operations.

The Army said Tuesday that the Department of the Army Management Office-Strategic Operations (DAMO-SO) repurposes the DAMO-Cyber unit’s operations and works to integrate electromagnetic spectrum elements into multidomain and data-enabled warfighting technologies.

DAMO-SO will also serve as the G-3/5/7 lead for the service branch’s warfighting transformation activities and oversee mission areas such as enterprise systems, command, space and information dominance.

According to a FedScoop report, DAMO-SO is currently focusing on deploying cloud-agnostic software to support enterprise-wide, all-domain operations. DAMO-SO’s creation comes as part of the Army’s efforts to meet modernization objectives under the Army Campaign Plan, the service noted.

Martin Klein, director of DAMO-SO, said at a media roundtable that his office will comply with the Department of Defense (DoD) chief information officer’s decision on a service provider for the unit as well as the planned DoD Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI).

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Rear Adm. Michelle Skubic Confirmed as DLA Director
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Rear Adm. Michelle Skubic Confirmed as DLA Director

The Senate has confirmed U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Michelle Skubic to receive the rank of vice admiral and serve as director of the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). Skubic has succeeded U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Darrell Williams, who is slated to retire in August, DLA said Tuesday.

Skubic currently serves as commander at the Naval Supply Systems Command and leads the Navy Supply Corps as chief.

Prior to her current capacity, she held the role of commander at DLA Land and Maritime. She also performed operational assignments aboard USS Acadia and led a DLA support team in Kuwait.

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NASA Vet Susan Motil Appointed Glenn Research Center Director
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NASA Vet Susan Motil Appointed Glenn Research Center Director

Susan Motil, a 31-year NASA veteran, has been named deputy director at Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. Motil has succeeded Marla Perez-Davis, who assumed the role of director in January 2020, the agency said Wednesday.

Motil will help Perez-Davis plan, organize and oversee the center's agency-level initiatives and projects under her new role.

Prior to her appointment, Motil supervised the European Service Module Integration Office for NASA's Orion program. She also led Glenn Research Center's various projects including the Space Environmental Test and Altair efforts.

Motil obtained her bachelor's degree at Cleveland State University.

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NSF, OSTP Invest $75M for Quantum Science R&D Institutes; Michael Kratsios Quoted
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NSF, OSTP Invest $75M for Quantum Science R&D Institutes; Michael Kratsios Quoted

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has partnered with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to allocate $75 million for the creation of three institutes focused on quantum science research and development.

NSF said Tuesday that the Quantum Leap Challenges Institutes include 16 academic institutions, eight national laboratories and 22 industry partners that will work to accelerate studies on quantum information science (QIS) and report results over a five-year period.

The three centers will also develop training and education programs including online and in-person curricula to support the development of a “quantum-ready U.S. workforce”, the agency noted.

The first Quantum Leap institute will focus on sensing and distribution concepts and will be led by the University of Colorado. The second, headed by the University of Illinois, will conduct studies on hybrid quantum architectures and networks. The University of California will lead the third institute which will cover quantum computing efforts.

"America's future depends on our continued leadership in the most cutting-edge industries of tomorrow,” said Michael Kratsios, U.S. CTO and a 2020 Wash100 Award winner. “With the announcement of three new quantum institutes, the Trump Administration is making a bold statement that the United States will remain the global home for QIS research.”

The institutes’ creation comes as part of efforts to meet goals under the National Quantum Initiative Act of 2018, according to NSF.

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Ball Signs Two VPPAs to Expand Renewable Energy in Europe; Kathleen Pitre, John Powers Quoted
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Ball Signs Two VPPAs to Expand Renewable Energy in Europe; Kathleen Pitre, John Powers Quoted

Ball Corporation has successfully completed two virtual power purchase agreements (VPPAs) in Europe to expand its total wind energy by 93.4 megawatts (MW) and add to the company’s commitment to achieve and maintain 100 percent renewable energy in Europe, Ball announced on Wednesday. 

"These milestone renewable energy deals in Europe affirm Ball's steadfast commitment to reduce absolute carbon emissions within our operations and through our value chain," said Kathleen Pitre, chief commercial and sustainability officer.  "Both projects will allow us to address a substantial portion of our European electricity use with new wind energy and accelerate progress toward our recently approved science-based targets."

The VPPAs, consisting of Corral Nuevo project with wpd and one for the Brattmyrliden project with Falck Renewables, will allow Ball to address approximately 63 percent of the European electricity load utilized in its aluminum beverage packaging plants with renewable energy. 

The wind developments in Spain and Sweden will enable Ball to reduce its Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions generated in Europe by approximately 60 percent compared to 2019. To meet Ball’s renewable energy initiative, the company's regional strategy is to pursue PPAs when they are available and attractive. 

Ball has purchased Energy Attribute Certificates (EACs) to align with its commitment. The company has scheduled to launch the VPPAs online in 2021. The company’s share of the Corral Nuevo and Brattmyrliden wind projects will generate nearly 308 thousand megawatt hours (MWh) of renewable electricity in Europe each year. 

"By taking a portfolio approach and executing two wind deals simultaneously in two different countries, Ball is diversifying across geographies and advancing innovation in the industry. We want to congratulate Ball on this sustainability milestone and for furthering its commitment to accelerate the global renewable energy transition," said John Powers, vice president of strategic renewables for Schneider Electric. 

About Ball Corporation

Ball Corporation supplies innovative, sustainable aluminum packaging solutions for beverage, personal care and household products customers, as well as aerospace and other technologies and services primarily for the U.S. government. Ball Corporation and its subsidiaries employ more than 18,300 people worldwide and reported 2019 net sales of $11.5 billion.

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Amentum Extends UCOR Environmental Cleanup Contract with DoE; John Vollmer, Mark Whitney Quoted
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Amentum Extends UCOR Environmental Cleanup Contract with DoE; John Vollmer, Mark Whitney Quoted

Amentum has announced that the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DoE’s) Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) has extended its UCOR, Amentum-led partnership with Jacobs, environmental cleanup contract at the Oak Ridge Reservation, Amentum reported on Wednesday. 

“In partnership with the DOE, UCOR has done a superb job in safely cleaning-up the Oak Ridge reservation,” said John Vollmer, Amentum CEO and 2020 Wash100 Award recipient. “The historic milestones achieved by our team in nuclear deactivation and decommissioning provides DOE the confidence in UCOR to safely complete environmental remediation at ETTP and begin major cleanup at ORNL and Y-12.”

Under the extension, UCOR will remove facilities and environmental risks from East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP) and supervise waste management operations across the Oak Ridge reservation. 

UCOR has recently advanced work to address risks and stabilize a portion of the excess, contaminated facilities located at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12).

OREM and UCOR will complete cleanup at ETTP later this year. UCOR will be responsible for transitioning the trained, experienced workforce from ETTP to new deactivation and demolition projects at ORNL and Y-12.

“UCOR accelerated cleanup at ETTP by four years, finishing projects ahead of schedule and under budget and saving taxpayers nearly $500 million. Its work will continue to reduce the environmental risk at ETTP and transform the Oak Ridge reservation for future use,” said Mark Whitney, Amentum Executive Vice President for Nuclear and Environment.

Amentum’s extension will include an initial one-year term from Aug. 1, 2020 until July 2021 and two-six-month option periods. UCOR will serve as the primary cleanup contractor for DoE’s OREM.

About Amentum

Amentum is a premier global technical and engineering services partner supporting critical programs of national significance across defense, security, intelligence, energy, and environment. We draw from a century-old heritage of operational excellence, mission focus, and successful execution underpinned by a strong culture of safety and ethics. 

Headquartered in Germantown, Md., we employ more than 20,000 people in 48 states and 28 foreign countries and territories. Visit us at amentum.com to explore how we deliver excellence for our customers’ most vital missions.

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Joint Military Team Demos VTOL-Based Logistics Concept; Thomas Smith Quoted
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Joint Military Team Demos VTOL-Based Logistics Concept; Thomas Smith Quoted

A joint group of U.S. military organizations has demonstrated vertical take-off and landing with REALL, a new technology designed to provide low-cost maritime logistics. An MH-60M Blackhawk helicopter landed on the Improved Navy Lighterage System during the demonstration.

The event took place July 13th at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek in Virginia, with the goal to demonstrate VTOL aircraft landing on a barge platform that stored fuel, the U.S Navy said Tuesday.

Naval Facilities Engineering Command's Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center (EXWC), U.S. Central Command, U.S. Transportation Command and Army Engineer Research and Development Center worked together to perform the demonstration.

“As the lead combatant command sponsor and warfighter representative for the REALL project, USCENTCOM’s goal was to demonstrate a littoral logistics sustainment capability for fuel distribution and logistics nodes in support of emerging operational concepts,” said Thomas Smith, J8-ST chief science advisor for advanced concepts at CENTCOM.

The team will further assess REALL's capacity to facilitate maritime logistics via VTOL aircraft.

 

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ManTech Secures $87M Task Order to Provide IT Enterprise Solutions; Andy Twomey Quoted
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ManTech Secures $87M Task Order to Provide IT Enterprise Solutions; Andy Twomey Quoted

ManTech has been awarded a five-year, $87 million task order to provide advanced IT Software Research, Development and Engineering for the Navy Maritime Maintenance Enterprise Solution (NMMES) for the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) ship maintenance mission, the company reported on Wednesday.

“ManTech has supported NAVSEA for 35 years across the full spectrum of engineering requirements, with more than 10 years of direct support to the public shipyards and ship maintenance organizations where NMMES is employed,” said Andy Twomey, ManTech executive vice president and general manager of the Defense Sector.

The NMMES is the IT tool used in the Navy’s ship maintenance and repair at its four public Naval shipyards. ManTech will leverage AI-generated automation and DevSecOps to accelerate software development cycle times. 

The company’s work will advance maintenance activity access with high-technology solutions with greater leverage on an expansive data library. ManTech’s experience in full-spectrum cybersecurity for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) will help ensure that all solutions developed and deployed are protected by military grade cyber.

“By Bringing Digital to the Mission® with innovative solutions ranging from Robotic Process Automation to Agile DevSecOps software modeling and AI-automated cybersecurity, ManTech will improve the quality, integration and efficiency of the NMMES architecture to enhance ship maintenance operations and improve readiness for the Navy’s most critical surface and submarine platforms,” Twomey added. 

ManTech was awarded this contract under the Department of Defense Information Analysis Center’s (DoD IAC) Multiple Award Contract (MAC). DoD IAC MAC task orders are competitively awarded by the U.S. Air Force Installation Contracting Center (AFICC) for work at various U.S. military organizations.

About ManTech

ManTech provides mission-focused technology solutions and services for U.S. defense, intelligence community and federal civilian agencies. In business more than 52 years, we excel in full-spectrum cyber, data collection & analytics, enterprise IT, systems engineering and software application development solutions that support national and homeland security.

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IBM Reports Second Quarter 2020 Results; Arvind Krishna, James Kavanaugh Quoted
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IBM Reports Second Quarter 2020 Results; Arvind Krishna, James Kavanaugh Quoted

IBM has announced the company’s second quarter 2020 results on Tuesday, noting a GAAP EPS from continuing operations of $1.52, operating (non-GAAP) EPS of $2.18 and revenue of $18.1 billion, down 5.4 percent. 

“Our clients see the value of IBM’s hybrid cloud platform, based on open technologies, at a time of unprecedented business disruption," said Arvind Krishna, IBM chief executive officer. "We are committed to building, with a growing ecosystem of partners, an enduring hybrid cloud platform that will serve as a powerful catalyst for innovation for our clients and the world.”

IBM reported that its Cloud and Cognitive Software revenue up 3 percent and the systems revenue was up 6 percent. The company’s total cloud revenue of $6.3 billion, up 30 percent. IBM’s noted a total cloud revenue of $23.5 billion over the past year, up 20 percent. 

The company’s Red Hat revenue up 17 percent and GAAP gross profit margin of 48 percent, up 100 basis points; Operating (non-GAAP) gross profit margin of 49 percent up 160 basis points

Net cash from operating activities of $15.1 billion and free cash flow of $11.5 billion, over the last 12 months. 

In the second quarter, the company generated net cash from operating activities of $3.6 billion, or $3.0 billion excluding Global Financing receivables. IBM’s free cash flow was $2.3 billion. The company returned $1.5 billion to shareholders in dividends.

IBM ended the second quarter with $14.3 billion of cash on hand which includes marketable securities, up $5.2 billion from year-end 2019. Debt, including Global Financing debt of $21.9 billion, totaled $64.7 billion.

Segment results reflect growing adoption of IBM's hybrid cloud platform while clients continue to shift priorities to preserve cash and maintain operational stability.

Consolidated diluted earnings per share was $2.83 compared to $4.58, down 38 percent year to year. Consolidated net income was $2.5 billion, down 38 percent year to year. Revenues for the six-month period ended June 30, 2020 totaled $35.7 billion, a decrease of 4 percent year to year (down 1 percent adjusting for divested businesses and currency) compared with $37.3 billion for the first six months of 2019.

“Our prudent financial management in these turbulent times enabled us to expand our gross profit margin, generate strong free cash flow and improve our liquidity position," said James Kavanaugh, IBM senior vice president and chief financial officer. "We have the financial flexibility to continue to invest in our business and return value to our shareholders through our dividend policy.”

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