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NOAA Unveils 2 Weather, Climate Supercomputers; Ken Graham Quoted
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NOAA Unveils 2 Weather, Climate Supercomputers; Ken Graham Quoted

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has announced the addition of two supercomputers to its Weather and Climate Operational Supercomputing System to increase computing and storage capacity as part of efforts to improve the delivery of climate and weather forecasts to the public.

The Dogwood system in Manassas, Virginia, and the Cactus platform in Phoenix are Hewlett Packard Enterprise-built Cray supercomputers that can operate at a speed of 12.1 petaflops each, NOAA said Tuesday.

The agency said the twin supercomputers will enable its environmental modeling center to implement new applications developed through the Unified Forecast System in the next five years, facilitate update to the U.S. Global Forecast System in the fall and pave the way for the launch of the Hurricane Analysis and Forecast System, which is expected to be operational in the hurricane season of 2023.

General Dynamics’ information technology business installed the two supercomputers under a contract awarded in February 2020. The two platforms replace the agency’s Cray and IBM supercomputers in Reston, Virginia, and Orlando, Florida. 

“Researchers are developing new ensemble-based forecast models at record speed, and now we have the computing power needed to implement many of these substantial advancements to improve weather and climate prediction,” said Ken Graham, director of NOAA’s National Weather Service.

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Frank Calvelli: Fixed-Price Contracts Could Help Speed Up Acquisition Process
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Frank Calvelli: Fixed-Price Contracts Could Help Speed Up Acquisition Process

Frank Calvelli, assistant secretary of the Air Force for space acquisitions and integration, said one of the approaches he plans to borrow from the National Reconnaissance Office and apply to military space acquisitions is doing more fixed-price contracting to help reduce costs and keep acquisition programs on schedule, Government Executive reported Tuesday.

He said Friday at a virtual event that fixed-price contracts could also help accelerate the acquisition process.

“We want to go fast, which means if we’re smart, we use existing technology where we can, and take a page out of [the Space Development Agency’s] playbook, which is use what you can get and go off and build on to your centers,” said Calvelli, former principal deputy director and deputy acquisition executive at NRO.

“And so when you start using existing technology capabilities and you want to go fast, fixed price helps in that as opposed to cost plus,” he added.

Calvelli said he also plans to address the disconnect between space and ground systems and apply NRO’s techniques when it comes to cloud, mission applications, system engineering and mission frameworks.

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White House Announces $700M in Industry Commitments for Electric Vehicle Charger Production
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White House Announces $700M in Industry Commitments for Electric Vehicle Charger Production

The White House has announced $700 million in private sector investments to build more than 250,000 new electric vehicle chargers per year and create at least 2,000 jobs. 

The investments include $450 million announced by Electrify America and more than $250 million by Siemens, the White House said Tuesday.

The investment that Electrify America announced will be coming from Volkswagen Group and Siemens to support the installation of up to 10,000 ultra-fast chargers at 1,800 charging stations.

Siemens will expand its manufacturing facilities in Grand Prairie, Texas, and Pomona, California, to support its plan to develop 1 million EV chargers in the next four years.

The investments build on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which authorizes $7.5 billion to establish a charging infrastructure for EVs.

Other companies and institutions that announced initiatives to support the administration’s efforts to build a network of EV chargers are ABB E-mobility, ChargePoint, FLO, Tesla, Tritium, IBEW and Volta.

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Robert Knapp Added to Maximus Executive Team as SVP of Digital Government Solutions
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Robert Knapp Added to Maximus Executive Team as SVP of Digital Government Solutions

Former NIC Inc. executive Robert Knapp has been appointed senior vice president of digital government solutions in the U.S. services arm of Maximus.

The McLean, Virginia-based company said Tuesday that in his new role, Knapp will oversee efforts to grow the company’s imprint with government clients at the state level.

Ilene Baylinson, general manager of the U.S. services segment at Maximus, shared that Knapp is poised to aid the company’s ongoing strategies “reimagining the ways in which state and local government can work for its citizens.”

Knapp spent the brunt of his career at software development and services company NIC Inc. During his 19 years with NIC, he occupied positions such as manager of the central region business, vice president of portal operations and lastly, chief operating officer. In the latter job he spearheaded mergers and acquisitions, raising eight to 10 potential acquisitions, as well as leading the purchase of an opioid management technology from Leap Orbit and thus effectively creating a healthcare vertical for the organization.

The executive reportedly brings deep digital software experience to Maximus, in addition to a skill set founded in operational alignment, profit and loss management and physical/digital convergence, among other strength areas.

He is a frequent public speaker on the topics of technology innovation, cybersecurity, strategic business planning and operational execution. Prior to coming to Maximus, he was executive vice president of the Kansas University Innovation Park, an entity that works in conjunction with up-and-coming complex technology and bioscience companies.

“I am excited to join Maximus and a team of committed and passionate individuals focused on improving government services…as a partner to states, Maximus delivers innovative solutions that enhance its current customer services and provide the flexibility needed to adapt to future needs,” Knapp shared.

Knapp’s instatement follows Maximus’ March promotion of Cybersecurity Principal Tim Meyers to the role of vice president of federal cybersecurity.

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State Department Posts RFI for Web-Based Procurement Forecasting Tool
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State Department Posts RFI for Web-Based Procurement Forecasting Tool

The State Department is seeking information on potential sources capable of developing a procurement forecasting application designed to help enhance the overall acquisition experience for department officials, vendors and customers.

According to a request for information published on SAM.gov, the single web-based tool will provide vendors looking to work with the State Department with access to information on future contract requirements, acquisition activities and status updates.

The tool is also expected to “connect with existing and potential vendors to reduce barriers to entry, increase competition and ensure lasting value” to the State Department.

The selected vendor will help design, develop, implement and maintain the portal, which must be accessible by the public, and work to determine how to make “procurement forecast more efficient, transparent and codified through metrics via the tool.”

Responses to the RFI are due July 8th.

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DHS S&T Demos First Responder Innovations at Interschutz 2022
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DHS S&T Demos First Responder Innovations at Interschutz 2022

Dan Cotter, executive director of the Office of Science and Engineering at the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate, said the Interschutz 2022 forum in Germany served as a platform for DHS to exhibit its latest research and development projects for first responders.

In an opinion article published Monday, Cotter said among the programs highlighted at the international event is the Virginia Smart Community Testbed, a public-private partnership for testing and piloting emerging and smart technologies.

DHS S&T demonstrated to the international first responder community new testbed technologies including smart building sensors for detecting fire ignition and environmental threats in large venues.

“In the future, the public-private partnership that has enabled the VA Testbed will expand its scope, opening hubs in Alaska, North Carolina, and 14 other locations across the U.S. I’m excited about the future possibilities that this partnership model opens up to us,” Cotter added.

The U.S. delegation also attended the annual meeting of the International Forum to Advance First Responder Innovation, which brings together government leaders from 15 countries and the European Commission to advance new innovations for first responders worldwide.

“Our participation in IFAFRI gives S&T a voice in influencing the global market to develop affordable solutions for first responders, to work with the international first responder community to define common capability gaps and to collaborate on R&D to make first responders worldwide safer, more effective, and more efficient at their jobs,” Cotter said.

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Netskope to Modernize Data Security for USPTO Under Inaugural SASE Contract; Beau Hutto Quoted
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Netskope to Modernize Data Security for USPTO Under Inaugural SASE Contract; Beau Hutto Quoted

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has selected security software company Netskope to move its security technologies to the cloud.

Through the Secure Access Service Edge contract — the first award of its kind to be administered by a U.S. federal civilian government agency — Netskope will assist in modernizing USPTO systems to a zero trust architecture and safeguarding assets from incursions by hackers and cybercriminals, the Santa Clara, California-based company said Tuesday.

“Legacy, perimeter-based approaches to security are no longer sufficient in a cloud-first environment where data can be accessed from anywhere. The solution is not ‘more tech.’ Netskope is ready to help Federal agencies,” explained Beau Hutto, vice president of federal business at Netskope.

The SASE contract is provided by SEWP Prime Anacapa Micro and Merlin Cyber, the distributor and is seen as a necessary maneuver given how many government workers are now remote and access data outside the purview of perimeter-driven legacy security systems.

The USPTO will utilize products such as Netskope Security Service Edge and Netskope NewEdge. The former program installs efficient cloud-based security measures that aim to preempt threats and protect data across a variety of sources and devices. The former is a security private cloud that operates as the internal engine of Netskope Security Cloud and derives its power from a diverse range of data centers.

Netskope’s work under the SASE contract will also entail the company’s team creating broadband conferences for the USPTO’s wide network of work-from-home employees; removing the emphasis on USPTO bandwidth-hosted resources by migrating to them to the cloud; and uniting the currently separate platforms of Secure Web Gateway, Cloud Access Security Broker and Zero Trust Network Access into one via a single vendor.

It is especially important for the USPTO to keep its data security systems up to date because the agency is the primary holding space for all patent and trademark information. Enabled by Netskope’s work and programs, the new SASE cloud security model will phase out the current, perimeter- and appliance-rooted security model and maintain a unified level of security throughout the USPTO’s online architecture.

Read Beau Hutto’s February Executive Spotlight interview with ExecutiveBiz.

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6 Agencies Establish Washington Metropolitan Quantum Network Research Consortium
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6 Agencies Establish Washington Metropolitan Quantum Network Research Consortium

Six government agencies have collaborated to launch a research consortium for the development, demonstration and operation of a quantum network that will serve as a regional testbed.

The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory said Monday it partnered with Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, Naval Observatory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, National Security Agency and NASA to launch the Washington Metropolitan Quantum Network Research Consortium.

“These agencies with world-class research capabilities will work to advance quantum network capabilities and leadership,” commented Gerald Borsuk, executive director of DC-QNet.

Aside from providing the Department of Defense with a trusted testbed for quantum network, DC-QNet seeks to help official government timekeepers with network synchronization and to work on quantum network operation metrology.

In addition, the testbed will conduct network infrastructure development to support connection among the six metropolitan agencies; research and development initiatives; as well as network emulation, modeling and simulation.

“Quantum networks will be essential to modern secure communications and to computing enhancements in the 21st Century,” said Borsuk.

DC-QNet will have two out-of-region affiliates: Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific and Air Force Research Laboratory.

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Lawmakers Request Follow-Up GAO Study of Federal Advertising Contract Obligations to Small Businesses
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Lawmakers Request Follow-Up GAO Study of Federal Advertising Contract Obligations to Small Businesses

Eight members of Congress have requested the Government Accountability Office to conduct a follow-up analysis of how much advertising money the federal government allocates to small media companies.

The Democratic lawmakers sent their written request Thursday to GAO Comptroller General Gene Dodaro and cited data from the agency’s report four years ago.

GAO found that federal advertising contracting obligations hit $870 million each year from fiscal 2013 through fiscal 2017 and nearly 13 percent of the total annual spending went to small disadvantaged, minority-owned and women-owned businesses.

The departments of Health and Human Services, Defense and Homeland Security collectively accounted for almost three-quarters of the contracting dollars awarded to such vendors during the five-year period.

“We believe that the COVID-19 pandemic and legislative actions have impacted federal advertising contracts to such a degree that a follow-up study is warranted,” the lawmakers wrote.

Eleanor Holmes Norton, congresswoman for the District of Columbia, was among the letter’s signatories.

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NSF, DOD Announce Start of Next-Gen Network Tech Research Program ‘RINGS’
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NSF, DOD Announce Start of Next-Gen Network Tech Research Program ‘RINGS’

The National Science Foundation and the Department of Defense have kicked off a program that seeks to advance research and innovation and improve U.S. competitiveness in the field of NextG computing and networking technologies.

The Resilient and Intelligent NextG Systems program of NSF seeks to involve and encourage government, industry and academic partners to take part in joint research efforts to develop next-generation network tech platforms in support of warfighters, DOD said Monday.

NSF announced awards for the RINGS program in April. Projects under this initiative will explore emergent network architectures impacting RAN, edge network elements, enhanced hardware and software capabilities for client devices and other wireless network platforms that are relevant to DOD.

Industry partners in the RINGS program include Apple, VMware, Google, IBM, Microsoft, Intel, Ericsson, Qualcomm and Nokia.

“The 5G-to-NextG initiative is particularly pleased to support efforts such as RINGS that promote public and private sector collaboration in continuing research, development, and prototyping that emphasize secure and resilient network operational concepts and their evaluation,” said Sumit Roy, program director for the Innovate Beyond 5G program at the office of the undersecretary for research and engineering at DOD.

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