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QTS Publishes Open Source Library for Data Center Management; Jon Greaves Quoted
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QTS Publishes Open Source Library for Data Center Management; Jon Greaves Quoted


Jeff Brody

QTS Realty Trust announced on Wednesday that the company has published its RESTful application programming interface (API) library as Open Source on Github under the BSD-3 license to provide maximum transparency and serve as an open standard for the entire industry.

QTS’ APIs support real-time access to all aspects of data center management including physical security, power, cooling, sensors, provisioning and many other key metrics. This allows customers to embed the API into their own systems allowing increased control and visibility of their data center footprint.

“By publishing the APIs, documentation and sample code, QTS enables customers and partners to embed the physical data center into their own software applications and opens opportunities for partners to create new software-defined services on top of QTS’ infrastructure,” said Jon Greaves, chief technology officer for QTS.

“The open source approach allows interoperability with other providers who adopt the standard, as well as customers who implement for their own corporate data center. Developers and the open source community can now collaborate to further increase transparency and we expect it will be embraced by the industry,” Greaves added.

About QTS Realty Trust

QTS Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: QTS) is a leading provider of data center solutions across a diverse footprint spanning more than 6 million square feet of owned mega scale data center space within North America and Europe.

Through its software-defined technology platform, QTS is able to deliver secure, compliant infrastructure solutions, robust connectivity and premium customer service to leading hyperscale technology companies, enterprises, and government entities.

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Tom Nixon Joins By Light as SVP of Homeland Security and Law Enforcement; Bob Donahue Quoted
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Tom Nixon Joins By Light as SVP of Homeland Security and Law Enforcement; Bob Donahue Quoted


Tom Nixon Joins By Light as SVP of Homeland Security and Law Enforcement; Bob Donahue Quoted
Bob Donahue

By Light Professional IT Services announced on Wednesday that Tom Nixon has joined the firm as senior vice president of Homeland Security and Law Enforcement.

“Tom is a proven winner and has a track record of both growing and successfully executing business with the most demanding customers in the federal space,” said Bob Donahue, By Light’s founder and chief executive officer.

In his role, Nixon will oversee the acceleration of By Light’s business growth and execution for DHS, its component agencies, as well as Federal Law Enforcement clients. He’ll also drive By Light capabilities into this valuable customer segment, and will expand the company’s offerings as needed to support the mission of those customers.

Nixon brings over 30 years of leadership experience in the federal marketplace. Prior to joining By Light, Nixon served as the chief growth officer for MetroStar Systems. Nixon also served SRA International as executive vice president and chief growth officer and led the merger and successful spinoff of CSRA.

About By Light Professional IT Services

By Light Professional IT Services LLC, headquartered in Mclean, VA is an ISO 9001, 20000-1, and 27001 registered and CMMI Level 3 certified systems integrator that provides secure, turn-key systems by incorporating exceptional engineering, project management, telecommunications, and cyber capabilities to safeguard mission success.

Founded by industry professionals with extensive knowledge in the DoD, DISA and other US Government Agencies, By Light successfully implements technical solutions that integrate the best commercial practices to meet all government requirements.

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James Ballard Joins A-TEK Board of Directors; Kathryn Freeland Quoted
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James Ballard Joins A-TEK Board of Directors; Kathryn Freeland Quoted


James Ballard Joins A-TEK Board of Directors; Kathryn Freeland Quoted
James Ballard

A-TEK announced on Wednesday that James “Jim” Ballard has joined the company’s Board of Directors effective immediately.

“On behalf of A-TEK, our subsidiary, Mackson Consulting, and our Board of Directors, I am pleased to welcome Jim to the Board,” stated Kathryn Freeland, president and chief executive officer of A-TEK, Inc. “Jim has an impressive track record of success and a wealth of experience expanding revenue through both organic growth and multiple acquisitions which will serve us well in achieving A-TEK’s growth initiatives.”

Ballard brings more than 45 years of experience to A-TEK. He currently serves as the chairman of Preferred Systems Solutions (PSS). Previously, Ballard served as the CEO and president of the company overseeing and supporting all facets of the organization. He also served as president of PSS’ Federal Services Group after the company he founded and led, Global Services & Solutions, Inc. (GSS) was acquired by PSS.

Prior to founding GSS, Ballard was the president of Perot Systems Government Services (PSGS) and was responsible for strategy, management, operations and business development. Under his leadership, PSGS grew from $57 million to $650 million in annual revenues.

Ballard had a successful Naval career as an engineering duty officer. He managed a diverse workforce of civilian and military personnel. He’s held leadership and command roles in Naval shipyards, the Naval Sea Systems Command and the Program Executive Office (PEO) Submarines. He retired at the rank of Captain, USN.

“I am honored to be joining A-TEK’s Board and I look forward to working with an exceptional company known for providing critical technology innovations to U.S. federal civilian and national security agencies,” said Ballard.

About A-TEK, Inc.

Headquartered in McLean, VA, A-TEK is comprised of a team of experts in managing the data that drives federal missions. A woman-owned small business with employees located in 12 states and 19 cities nationwide, A-TEK is a 23-year partner to U.S. government agencies including the NIH National Library of Medicine, and the Departments of Homeland Security, Justice, and Commerce.

A-TEK delivers science and IT services and solutions across a myriad of government mission areas including public health, law enforcement, national security, environmental, and science.

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Keith Nakasone, Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Acquisition Management, within the Office of Information Technology Category for GSA, Announced as Panelist for Potomac Officers Club’s 2019 Secure Supply Chain Forum on July 18th
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Keith Nakasone, Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Acquisition Management, within the Office of Information Technology Category for GSA, Announced as Panelist for Potomac Officers Club’s 2019 Secure Supply Chain Forum on July 18th


Keith Nakasone, Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Acquisition Management, within the Office of Information Technology Category for GSA, Announced as Panelist for Potomac Officers Club’s 2019 Secure Supply Chain Forum on July 18th
Keith Nakasone

Keith Nakasone, deputy assistant commissioner, acquisition management, within the Office of Information Technology Category for GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service (FAS), will be featured as a panelist during Potomac Officers Club’s 2019 Secure Supply Chain Forum on July 18th. Register now for the forum right here.

During the forum, GovCon and industry leaders from the public and private sectors will discuss how federal agencies protect, defend and secure supply chains from susceptible threats and the challenges that arise as technology becomes more fundamental to supply chains.

Nakasone has served GSA in his current role since Jan. 2017. Prior to his tenure with GSA, he served as the senior procurement executive of SES for the Federal Communication Commission between May 2014 and Jan. 2017.

In addition, Nakasone served DISA as the deputy of DISA/DITCO-Pacific for 16 years. He’s also served in a variety of leadership roles for DISA, Department of Defense, Tripler Army Medical Center and others. Nakasone also graduated from Hawaii Pacific University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Management in 1996. He went on to earn a Master of Science Degree in National Resource Strategy from National Defense University ICAF in 2012.

Keith Nakasone, Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Acquisition Management, within the Office of Information Technology Category for GSA, Announced as Panelist for Potomac Officers Club’s 2019 Secure Supply Chain Forum on July 18th

Cheri Caddy of the NSA, Tina Kuhn of CyberCore Technologies, Daniel Kroese of DHS’ NRMC and Don Davidson of Synopsys will be joining Nakasone as panelists during the forum with Jill Singer of AT&T, another 2019 Wash100 Award recipient, serving as the panel’s moderator. Kristen Baldwin of DoD will serve as the keynote speaker for the event as well.

Don’t miss out on Potomac Officers Club’s 2019 Secure Supply Chain Forum on July 18th. Register now for the forum right here.

DoD Tranfers $282M to ISR Defense Programs
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DoD Tranfers $282M to ISR Defense Programs


Jeff Brody

The Department of Defense has allotted over $282 million for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance efforts over the past two months, C4ISRnet reported Tuesday. Pentagon took $247 million from operation and maintenance allotments to fund the development of various ISR-applied technologies such as artificial intelligence and a data sharing network.

DoD also designated $22.5 million for U.S. Special Operations Command’s ISR projects. SOCOM’s ISR funds will cover signals intelligence sensors and a maritime ISR system. The remaining $12.25 million of transferred funds will cover classified programs and artificial intelligence projects.

OPM Experiences Data Center Outage as Administration Pursues GSA Merger
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OPM Experiences Data Center Outage as Administration Pursues GSA Merger


Jeff Brody

The Office of Personnel Management experienced a disruption to its information technology systems due to a data center outage at OPM’s headquarters last week, Federal News Network reported Tuesday.

“Significant OPM programs and missions were impacted for multiple hours last week during an incident that impacted OPM information technology,” Stephen Billy, deputy chief of staff at OPM, told the publication.

A spokeswoman for the agency said OPM found no sign of malicious activity related to the incident and that “some of the backup systems failed to operate as designed.” A source told the publication Acting OPM Director Margaret Weichert is expected to meet with senators on Wednesday to discuss the incident and status of the proposed reorganization of OPM into the General Services Administration.

Reps. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) and Gerry Connolly (D-Md.) of the House Oversight and Reform Committee wrote a letter to Weichert on Monday, expressing concerns over the administration’s proposed OPM-GSA merger. The two lawmakers also requested for Weichert to provide additional information on the proposed move by submitting transcribed interviews with Michael Rigas, deputy director of OPM; Dustin Brown, deputy assistant director for management at the Office of Management and Budget, and Peter Warren, associate director at OMB by the end of July.

Army Lt. Gen. Paul Ostrowski: Getting Defense Contractors ‘Off the Net’ Could Help Address Cyber Threats
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Army Lt. Gen. Paul Ostrowski: Getting Defense Contractors ‘Off the Net’ Could Help Address Cyber Threats


Army Lt. Gen. Paul Ostrowski: Getting Defense Contractors ‘Off the Net’ Could Help Address Cyber Threats
Lt. Gen. Paul Ostrowski

Lt. Gen. Paul Ostrowski, principal military deputy to the Army acquisition chief, said he believes investing in resources like information technology systems to pull some defense contractors “off the net” could be the best move as the service continues to face cybersecurity challenges, Army Times reported Tuesday.

“If you’re on the net right now, you’re vulnerable,” Ostrowski said Tuesday during an Association of the U.S. Army event. “Now that’s not going to stop an inside threat, because they can download stuff. You know that’s going to potentially happen. The only way we’re going to prevent that from an outside attack — can’t do anything about the inside — is get you off the net,” he said. “And we may be in a position where we need to invest in companies to make that happen. So that’s just one way I’m looking at.”

Ostrowski also discussed the nation state-sponsored cyber attacks and how the service considers such threats.

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DoD Nominee Mark Esper Cites AI as Top Modernization Priority
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DoD Nominee Mark Esper Cites AI as Top Modernization Priority


DoD Nominee Mark Esper Cites AI as Top Modernization Priority
Mark Esper, Secretary of the Army

Mark Esper, the White House’s nominee for secretary of the Department of Defense and 2019 Wash100 Award recipient, said artificial intelligence would be his top priority in technology modernization if he gets confirmed, FedScoop reported Tuesday.

“Different people put different things as number one, for me it is AI,” Esper told lawmakers during his confirmation hearing Tuesday. “It will likely change the character of warfare. We will reform the department, beginning with the Fourth Estate,” Esper said of the agencies that are not directly involved in combat operations such as the Defense Logistics Agency and Defense Information Systems Agency.

He also cited the need to equip nuclear systems with cyber protection capabilities, advance tech modernization and reform the Pentagon’s structure.

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Trump Nominates Lisa Hershman as DoD CMO
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Trump Nominates Lisa Hershman as DoD CMO


Trump Nominates Lisa Hershman as DoD CMO
Lisa Hershman

President Trump has nominated Lisa Hershman, acting chief management officer at the Department of Defense, to assume the role on a full-time basis, Inside Defense reported Tuesday.

As CMO, Hershman will provide managerial support services to the DoD secretary in line with the agency’s business initiatives. Hershman has held the acting CMO position since December following Jay Gibson’s departure from DoD.

Aside from her current role, Hershman represents DoD in the Office of Management and Budget’s Performance Improvement Council. She’s also worked as senior vice president of operational excellence at Avnet and managed the Seawolf submarine program during her tenure at General Electric.

Hershman obtained her engineering and industrial distribution degrees from Clarkson University.

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Raytheon and John F. Kennedy Library Foundation Announce JFK Space Labs Recipients
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Raytheon and John F. Kennedy Library Foundation Announce JFK Space Labs Recipients


Jeff Brody

The John F. Kennedy Library Foundation and Raytheon announced the recipients of the JFK Space Labs program on Tuesday to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 launch.

The JFK Space Labs presented by Raytheon was developed in cooperation with the International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory to honor the inspirational heritage of President Kennedy, and celebrate the innovative technology that made America’s Apollo program possible and rekindles the power of space exploration to inspire and engage students.

The following middle and high school will receive a JFK Space Lab at the start of the 2019–2020 school year:

  • John F. Kennedy Middle School (Woburn, Mass.)
  • John F. Kennedy High School (Grenada Hills, Calif.)
  • John F. Kennedy High School (Denver, Colo.)
  • Kennedy Middle School (Albuquerque, NM)
  • John F. Kennedy Middle School (Grand Prairie, Texas)

“These five schools emerged as ideal candidates for JFK Space Labs because they demonstrated a commitment to advance STEM education throughout their school community, as well as to honor the legacy of their namesake,” said Steven Rothstein, executive director of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation.

Each JFK Space Lab presented by Raytheon includes technology and materials for advanced experiments in Earth science, biology and computer science that will immerse and inspire students, helping to achieve a deeper understanding of scientific principles on Earth and space.

In the JFK Space Lab, students will grow plants with special cameras and sensors, perform DNA analysis with the same equipment used on the ISS, complete an online course that includes a simulated mission to the ISS, work with antennas and other software to attempt radio contact with the ISS and build an electronics kit to explore heat flows and then write code to operate the same experiment on the ISS.

The JFK Space Labs program is made possible by Raytheon’s $1.5 million sponsorship of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing and the technological leadership of the nation’s first moonshot.

About Raytheon 

Raytheon Company, with 2018 sales of $27 billion and 67,000 employees, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, civil government and cybersecurity solutions. With a history of innovation spanning 97 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration, C5I products and services, sensing, effects and mission support for customers in more than 80 countries.

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