/
SBA Recognizes Most Notable Surety Organizations of 2019; Peter Gribbs Quoted
Published on
SBA Recognizes Most Notable Surety Organizations of 2019; Peter Gribbs Quoted
SBA Recognizes Most Notable Surety Organizations of 2019; Peter Gribbs Quoted

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has announced its most active surety companies and agencies for fiscal year 2019, the company announced on Thursday. The awardees contributed to increases in the Surety Bond Guarantee (SBG) Program's activity.

"The SBA is very fortunate to partner with sureties and agents with a shared vision of assisting small and emerging businesses," said Peter C. Gibbs, Director, SBA's Office of Surety Guarantees. "Every year I am amazed by the level of commitment from our partners to increase opportunities for the small business community."

The Surety Bond Guarantee Program has provided surety bond guarantees for small businesses on federal, state, local and private projects. Additionally, commercial construction, service and supply contracts and subcontracts are eligible if the contract requires a surety bond.

The SBA's guaranteed bid and final bonds were more than $6.4 billion in total contract value.  With the work of the SBA's top-performing surety partners and bond agencies, over 1,900 small businesses were assisted and over 30,000 jobs were supported.

The standing of each surety partner and agent was determined by the number of bond guarantees they wrote through the SBG Program.

SBA has announced the top five top-performing surety partners for 2019, including American Contractors Indemnity Company, United States Fire Insurance Company, U. S. Specialty Insurance Company, Travelers Casualty & Surety Company and United States Surety Company.

The top-performing bond agencies for 2019 feature CI Surety, Inc., KOG International, Inc., Nielson, Hoover and Company,  The Fedeli Group, Valley Surety Insurance Agency. 

About the U.S. Small Business Administration

The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations.

//
CGI Announces New CGI OpenGrid360 to Make Utilities More Sustainable; Tara McGeehan, Dave Henderson Quoted
Published on
CGI Announces New CGI OpenGrid360 to Make Utilities More Sustainable; Tara McGeehan, Dave Henderson Quoted
CGI Announces New CGI OpenGrid360 to Make Utilities More Sustainable; Tara McGeehan, Dave Henderson Quoted

CGI has launched its new technology, CGI OpenGrid360 solution, to provide utility network owners and operators with data to address the demands of decarbonized, decentralized and digitized energy market, the company announced on Thursday. 

"CGI OpenGrid360 reflects CGI's vision of an insight-driven, digitally integrated electricity grid," said Dave Henderson, President of CGI’s commercial and state government operations. "Our unique network data model provides an integrated view of quality data that supports operational needs to help utilities accelerate modernization and innovation in an evolving energy landscape."

The solution will advance utilities' efforts to transform their power grids. CGI will provide more unified, accurate and real-time data to enhance optimization operations, improve customer and workforce experiences and create new revenue opportunities. 

CGI will strengthen business operations and supply more applications, including strategic consulting, systems integration and managed IT services. With CGI OpenGrid360, the company will provide a more innovative data management approach, combining an integrated network data model, master data management, integration layer and automation to enable a single view across a utility's disparate enterprise systems.

With the new technology, network owners and operators will be able to deploy in-house or third-party applications to launch new services for consumers, prosumers and traditional producers. The owner will be able to use new network assets, provide network flexibility services and work more collaboratively in managing consumer-generated electricity.

"Access to accurate data is a critical challenge for network owners and operators," said Tara McGeehan, President of CGI's UK and Australia operations. "CGI OpenGrid360 was developed collaboratively with our clients to solve their data challenges with an innovative, comprehensive approach for data governance, management and integration."

CGI teams developed CGI OpenGrid360 based on expertise acquired from work on smart grid innovation programs, such as solving data challenges with Western Power Distribution (WPD). The solution can be delivered globally from North America and Europe, with onsite, onshore and offshore implementation options available.

About CGI 

Founded in 1976, CGI is among the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world. With 77,500 consultants and other professionals across the globe, CGI delivers an end-to-end portfolio of capabilities, from strategic IT and business consulting to systems integration, managed IT and business process services and intellectual property solutions. CGI works with clients through a local relationship model complemented by a global delivery network that helps clients digitally transform their organizations and accelerate results. With Fiscal 2019 reported revenue of C$12.1 billion, CGI shares are listed on the TSX (GIB.A) and the NYSE (GIB).

//
Queensland Government Selects Jacobs To Transform Brisbane’s Rail Network; Patrick Hill, Graeme Newton Quoted
Published on
Queensland Government Selects Jacobs To Transform Brisbane’s Rail Network; Patrick Hill, Graeme Newton Quoted
Queensland Government Selects Jacobs To Transform Brisbane's Rail Network; Patrick Hill, Graeme Newton Quoted

Jacobs has been selected by Queensland Government to join Unity Alliance, the company announced on Thursday. Under the agreement, Jacobs, in conjunction with UGL and AECOM, will deliver the rail, integration and systems work package for the Cross River Rail project in Brisbane, Australia.

"This project creates the capacity needed in the future to meet increased demand and ensure public transport becomes a more viable and popular mode of travel. It will unlock the bottleneck at the core of our network, allowing more trains to run more often, enabling a turn-up-and-go-transport system for the whole region," said CEO  of Cross River Rail Delivery Authority, Graeme Newton.

Jacobs will supply the design and reconfiguration of the rail network at either end of the new cross city tunnels, provide and install supporting rail systems and integrate Cross River Rail into Queensland Rail's existing network. The company will complete seven station upgrades.

The new rail line is estimated to be 6.3 miles and will run from Dutton Park in Brisbane's inner south to Bowen Hills in the inner north. The agreement will also include 3.6 miles of tunnel under the Brisbane River and Central Business District. 

"The project will provide a vital second river crossing for the rail network, significantly easing existing capacity constraints across the network, facilitating social and economic growth and development in the region, further positioning Brisbane as a city for the future," added Jacobs People & Places Solutions Senior Vice President of Operations Patrick Hill.

Jacobs has already completed the preliminary planning and work with construction now underway. The Queensland Government has invested $3.8 billion toward the delivery of the project.

The company, in addition to the rail construction contract, will provide global contingency construction services for the Department of Defense, Jacobs reported in Nov. 2019. With AECOM and KBR, Jacobs received $92 million from the U.S. Navy in additional funds under a multiple-award global contingency construction contract subsidiary.

About Jacobs

At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good. With $13 billion in revenue and a talent force of approximately 52,000, Jacobs provides a full spectrum of professional services including consulting, technical, scientific and project delivery for the government and private sector.

//
Secret Service to Form Cyber Investigations Advisory Board
Published on
Secret Service to Form Cyber Investigations Advisory Board
Secret Service to Form Cyber Investigations Advisory Board

The Secret Service has initiated efforts to launch a new council to provide its office of investigations with insights on current trends in cyber crime, technology and financial crime, CyberScoop reported Wednesday.

Jonah Hill, a senior cyber policy adviser at the Secret Service, will serve as executive director of the 16-member Cyber Investigations Advisory Board.

“What we’re trying to do is get a diverse set of viewpoints and experience and expertise from industry, from academia, from state and local government, really to kind of get a holistic picture of some of the threats we face and some of the approaches the Secret Service can take to combat those threats,” Hill said.

The agency has started inviting cybersecurity professionals from the private sector to join the board and advise the investigations unit on how to counter cyber crimes.

Hill said the board is expected to convene its first meeting by summer.

//
GSA Introduces Web Design Standards
Published on
GSA Introduces Web Design Standards

GSA Introduces Web Design Standards

The General Services Administration issued new standards to guide federal agencies as they develop public-facing websites and help them comply with the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act.

The website standards call for agencies to use the maturity model to incrementally adopt the U.S. Web Design System and deliver better digital experiences, GSA said Wednesday.

The maturity model comes in three levels: integrate design principles; follow user experience guidance; and use USWDS code.

There are five USWDS design principles that support the guidance codified in 21st Century IDEA and those are starting with real user needs; earning trust; embracing accessibility; promoting continuity; and listening.

/
USAF and Mass Virtual Form VR Maintenance Training Suite Dev’t Partnership
Published on
USAF and Mass Virtual Form VR Maintenance Training Suite Dev’t Partnership
USAF and Mass Virtual Form VR Maintenance Training Suite Dev't Partnership

The U.S. Air Force has partnered with Mass Virtual to develop a virtual reality tool that will accommodate maintenance training for the C-130 aircraft, DVIDS reported Tuesday.

The planned VR system will employ a virtual hangar that will require trainees to accomplish various tasks such as tire and brake replacement activities. USAF eyes to integrate the unit at the 19th Maintenance Group's training section and expects around 230 airmen to secure maintenance training through the platform.

“We could potentially see this in the work centers, providing Airmen who are feeling a bit rusty with an opportunity to run through the program a couple times before going out to perform the job,” said  Master Sgt. Nicholas Massingili, 19th Maintenance Group development and instructor section chief.

Massingili noted the service branch anticipates the system to be completed in the summer.

/
USAF Promotes New Theme for AFWERX Program
Published on
USAF Promotes New Theme for AFWERX Program
USAF Promotes New Theme for AFWERX Program

The U.S. Air Force is inviting industry to explore a number of opportunities under the AFWERX Challenge program that aims to promote technological innovation in support of the service branch.

The program's Fusion/Showcase segment will revolve around the theme "Base of the Future" this year, tackling the areas of installation security and resiliency, operational technology, innovation culture and construction logistics, USAF said Sunday in a SAM notice.

USAF is interested in a range of technologies including operational artificial intelligence and 3D printing. The service branch is also concerned with the issue that airmen aren't always receiving the best technology experience.

AFWERX will also host challenge definition workshops that tackle issues affecting USAF stakeholders and mission performance.

Interested parties may submit responses through March 15.

Navy to Designate Expeditionary Sea Bases as Battle-Ready USS Ships
Published on
Navy to Designate Expeditionary Sea Bases as Battle-Ready USS Ships
Navy to Designate Expeditionary Sea Bases as Battle-Ready USS Ships

The U.S. Navy has decided to commission all expeditionary sea base vessels as USS warships for the capacity to pursue a wider range of missions, USNI News reported Tuesday.

The USS designation will allow the ships to engage in offensive battle, in addition to their original function as transport vessels.

“This re-designation provides combatant commanders greater operational flexibility to employ this platform in accordance with the laws of armed conflict,” Lt. Tim Pietrack, a Navy spokesperson, told USNI News.

The ships will not carry the USNS designation under Military Sealift Command as a result of the decision.

The Navy commissioned ESB-3 Lewis B. Puller as a USS ship in 2017 and will continue to do so with other vessels of the class, starting with ESB-4 Hershel "Woody" Williams in weeks to come, said Rear Adm. Bill Galinis, the Navy's program executive officer for ships.

/
GSA Issues First Robotic Process Automation Program Playbook
Published on
GSA Issues First Robotic Process Automation Program Playbook
GSA Issues First Robotic Process Automation Program Playbook

The General Services Administration has released a playbook for agencies seeking to implement robotic process automation to modernize their operations, FedScoop reported Tuesday.

GSA issued the first version of the RPA Program Playbook after establishing a Community of Practice last year focused on accelerating RPA adoption in the government.

According to GSA, RPA is a low to no-code commercial off-the-shelf technology intended to “automate repetitive, rules-based tasks.” The guide noted that in order to effectively implement RPA capabilities, agencies must first ensure proper coordination between the RPA program manager and chief information officer.

Agencies must also establish and deliver aggressive goals, invest in process assessments, balance governance and productivity priorities and develop strategies for technology options.

“All agencies are charged with pursuing workload elimination, and RPA provides a low-cost tool to make an immediate impact,” wrote Gerard Badorrek, chief financial officer and community chairman at GSA, in the playbook. “The opportunity for RPA to transform federal operations is massive.”

/
Air Force, Northcom Conduct Aircraft Data Transmission Test; Will Roper Quoted
Published on
Air Force, Northcom Conduct Aircraft Data Transmission Test; Will Roper Quoted
Will Roper
Will Roper

The U.S. Air Force and U.S. Northern Command have tested the data transmission capacity of F-22 and F-35 fighter aircraft that deploy different radio systems, Defense One reported Tuesday.

Preston Dunlap, the Air Force’s chief architect, said the team used radio systems built by Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin as well as Honeywell antennas to process data from both aircraft, which deploy different datalink languages.

As part of the test, the team also used the Air Force's hybrid Microsoft and Amazon Web Services cloud platform called CloudOne to process data from SpaceX’s Starlink low-Earth orbit satellite.

Will Roper, assistant Air Force secretary for acquisition, technology, and logistics and 2019 Wash100 Award winner, said the recent test marks an achievement in the multiyear Advanced Battle Management System initiative.

“The idea with the [ABMS] is that the people are no-longer the glue,” he said. “The information flows everywhere all at once and the people are the assessors, the analyzers, the feedback providers that help the analytics doing the pushing get better and better.”

The Air Force plans to conduct similar tests every four months. The next assessment, slated to take place in April, will be facilitated with U.S. Strategic Command and involve the Skyborg drone.

1 … 1,584 1,585 1,586 1,587 1,588 … 2,624