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GSA, OMB to Host Public Meeting on E-Procurement Process Implementation
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GSA, OMB to Host Public Meeting on E-Procurement Process Implementation


GSA, OMB to Host Public Meeting on E-Procurement Process ImplementationThe General Services Administration and the Office of Management and Budget will hold a public meeting on Jan. 9 in Washington to discuss with industry a provision in the fiscal 2018 defense policy bill about the use of commercial online platforms for procurement processes.

GSA said in a Federal Register notice posted Friday it also wants the public to submit comments on Section 846, Procurement through Commercial e-Commerce Portals, of the fiscal 2018 National Defense Authorization Act that President Donald Trump signed into law Tuesday.

Section 846 requires the GSA administrator to create a program to purchase commercial products through e-commerce sites and directs the OMB director to collaborate with other agencies to implement the provision in three phases.

GSA and OMB will use the stakeholders’ insights from the meeting and public comments to help draft the first-phase implementation plan within 90 days of NDAA’s enactment.

The agencies also have categorized questions into three areas that include program design, buying practices and implementation.

Program design deals with queries related to e-commerce portal providers and incremental approach to the program’s deployment, while buying practices seek to address competition, pricing and delivery and compliance.

Implementation-related questions aim to address changes to the current procurement framework for commercial off-the-shelf items and proposed rulemaking.

All public comments are due Jan. 16, according to the notice.

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Bipartisan Bill Aims to Promote AI Tech Advancement
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Bipartisan Bill Aims to Promote AI Tech Advancement


Bipartisan Bill Aims to Promote AI Tech AdvancementA bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers has introduced a bill that seeks to encourage the continued development of artificial intelligence systems.

The Fundamentally Understanding the Usability and Realistic Evolution of Artificial Intelligence Act of 2017 would direct the Commerce Department to create a federal advisory committee to examine opportunities and impacts of emerging AI tools on the lives of people in the U.S., Rep. Pete Olson’s (R-Texas) office said Tuesday.

The panel would recommend ways for the government and industry to collaborate on the development and application of AI technologies, protect individuals’ privacy rights, advocate innovation and global competitiveness for AI technology developers and restructure the workforce that will utilize AI systems.

Representatives from research institutions, universities, civil liberties groups, technology companies, data scientists and agency officials would compose the federal advisory committee.

Olson crafted the FUTURE of AI Act with Rep. John Delaney (D-Maryland) as well as Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-Washington), Todd Young (R-Indiana) and Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts).

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Army, Marines Collaborate to Develop 3D-Printed Drone Tech
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Army, Marines Collaborate to Develop 3D-Printed Drone Tech


Army, Marines Collaborate to Develop 3D-Printed Drone TechThe U.S. Army and the U.S. Marine Corps have partnered to develop unmanned aircraft systems with the use of three-dimensional printing technology.

Eric Spero of the Army Research Laboratory’s vehicle technology directorate leads a team pursuing the UAS development project at Fort Benning in Georgia, the service branch said Friday.

ARL researchers and Marines work to create an application suite designed to help military personnel to 3D-print UAS technology within 24 hours as needed.

The project is based on an idea that Spero and his team had several years ago during a collaboration project with Georgia Tech.

The Army then approached USMC to collaborate on the production of a software catalog meant to help Marines  select and print the type of UAS needed for a specific mission.

Spero’s team unveiled the project during the Army Expeditionary Warrior Experiment last year.

https://youtu.be/0erL9bTHvi4

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US Pledges $120M Military Aid Package to Lebanon
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US Pledges $120M Military Aid Package to Lebanon


US Pledges $120M Military Aid Package to LebanonThe U.S. government has offered $120 million in military aid to help increase Lebanon’s capacity to perform counterterrorism and border security efforts.

Gen. Joseph Votel, chief of the U.S. Central Command, unveiled three programs of assistance the Defense Department will provide to Lebanese armed forces as part of DoD’s Building Partner Capacity initiative during his visit to the country, the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon said Wednesday.

The embassy said LAF will receive six new MD 530G light attack helicopters along with related equipment and training services worth approximately $94 million.

DoD will also donate six Scan Eagle unmanned aircraft systems and associated equipment and training support worth more than $11 million to support LAF’s command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations.

The department will also grant more than $16 million in communications equipment, electronics, night vision devices and training services to help increase LAF’s close air and joint fire support capacities.

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White House Plans IT Modernization Center of Excellence
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White House Plans IT Modernization Center of Excellence


White House Plans IT Modernization Center of ExcellenceThe White House has partnered with the Agriculture Department, General Services Administration and the information technology industry to create an IT modernization center of excellence, Nextgov reported Thursday.

The CoE will be established to help federal agencies in efforts to modernize legacy IT systems and will build off of a modernization plan the White House American Technology Council unveiled Wednesday.

Joanne Collins Smee, head of the GSA’s technology transformation service, told NextGov the facility to be housed at the agency will manage function-based talent, service and acquisition vehicles.

The report noted USDA will serve as the center’s testbed with the intent to transform customer services.

USDA plans to implement a two-phase modernization effort that will cover strategy and planning development and implementation processes.

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FCC Votes to Rescind Net Neutrality Rules
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FCC Votes to Rescind Net Neutrality Rules


FCC Votes to Rescind Net Neutrality RulesThe Federal Communications Commission voted 3-2 Thursday to overturn net neutrality rules established in 2015, The Washington Post reported Thursday.

Net neutrality rules required internet service providers to guarantee clients equal access to all online content.

The repeal of such rules would allow internet companies to accelerate service for some applications and websites as well as slow or block other sites.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement published Thursday that net neutrality regulations have impacted investments in high-speed networks and forced small internet service companies to delay or cancel upgrades to fiber networks.

Pai noted that the move to repeal such regulations seeks to promote competition among broadband service providers, advance innovation, provide broadband companies incentives to develop networks and help FCC ensure transparency among ISPs.

“Our decision today will also return regulatory parity to the internet economy,” he added.

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New DOJ Guide Urges Prosecutors to Seek Data Access Directly From Enterprise Users
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New DOJ Guide Urges Prosecutors to Seek Data Access Directly From Enterprise Users


New DOJ Guide Urges Prosecutors to Seek Data Access Directly From Enterprise UsersThe Justice Department has released new guidelines advising prosecutors to work directly with businesses when they need access to those enterprises’ data, instead of going through cloud service providers.

Neal Suggs, Microsoft vice president and deputy general counsel, wrote in a blog post published Thursday that the guideline also describes practical considerations on the nature of cloud computing and acknowledges complications that may occur when prosecutors seek access to enterprise customer data from service providers.

Suggs added that the new recommendations help assure businesses that they are in control of their cloud-based data.

The guide builds on DOJ policies introduced in October that limits investigators’ use of secrecy orders when demanding enterprise customer data from cloud companies.

Suggs noted that Microsoft support DOJ’s new guidelines and the company will continue to advocate for legislation that would boost legal protections for digital documents and communications.

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DISA Hosts Symposium on Cloud Technology Applications
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DISA Hosts Symposium on Cloud Technology Applications


DISA Hosts Symposium on Cloud Technology ApplicationsThe Defense Information Systems Agency has administered a symposium made to promote the use of cloud technology to the military and other government agencies.

The symposium was held Tuesday at the DISA headquarters, Fort George G. Meade, Maryland, the agency said.

The event brought together over 800 combatant commands, military men and agency officials who participated in informative sessions on the significance of cloud use to the Defense Department.

John Hale, chief of DISA’s cloud portfolio, conducted talks on the different types of cloud, as well as on three cloud models including Infrastructure as a Service, Platform as a Service and Software as a Service.

He also discussed the responsibilities of DoD associates and related service providers for each model.

“You, as mission partners, have to look at your individual applications and decide which model is best for you,” Hale said to the attendees.

Hale, together with Tanya Lambert, deputy director of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Command, Control, Communications, Intelligence, and Networks Directorate, and Michelle Jacobs, director of the Defense Logistics Agency’s DISA Liaison and Hosting Office, delivered a panel discussion on the costs, best practices and experiences in cloud migration.

Alicia Belmas, deputy chief of DISA’s cloud portfolio, described and discussed the capacities of three the agency’s cloud services including On-Site Managed Services, milCloud 2.0 and Secure Cloud Computing Architecture.

The symposium also held breakout sessions wherein DISA experts would answer participants’ questions on cloud applications.

Presentations and materials used in the event can be accessed here.

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Kenneth Johnson Promoted to Full-Time SEC COO
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Kenneth Johnson Promoted to Full-Time SEC COO


Kenneth Johnson Promoted to Full-Time SEC COO
Kenneth Johnson

Kenneth  Johnson, acting chief operating officer of the Securities and Exchange Commission since February 2017, has been appointed to serve in the COO position on a full-time basis.

He supervises the commission’s human resources, acquisitions, information technology, strategic initiatives, financial management and support operations offices, SEC said Thursday.

Johnson served as chief management analyst within the office of the executive director before he elevated to the chief financial officer role in 2010.

Before he joined SEC in 2003, Johnson was an analyst at the Congressional Budget Office.

Johnson holds a bachelor’s degree in American studies from Stanford University and a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

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European Commission Aims to Advance Defense Collaboration Via Permanent Structured Cooperation
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European Commission Aims to Advance Defense Collaboration Via Permanent Structured Cooperation


European Commission Aims to Advance Defense Collaboration Via Permanent Structured CooperationThe European Commission has formally launched a European Union Treaty-based framework that seeks to advance collaboration on defense and security initiatives among EU member states.

The commission said Monday 25 EU member states agreed to establish the Permanent Structured Cooperation and work together on 17 proposed projects.

The PESCO projects encompass various areas such as cybersecurity, maritime surveillance, strategic command and control, infantry fighting vehicles, training certification for European forces, military mobility and medical command.

PESCO also aims to encourage member states to build up defense capabilities and military readiness as well as invest in shared programs.

The commission also launched in June the European Defense Fund that seeks to offer incentives to member countries to collaborate on research efforts, prototype development and procurement of defense systems.

The commission expects the initial grant agreements for collaborative projects under the European Defense Fund to be signed before the end of the year.

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