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Mieke Eoyang: DOD Considers Cyber Relevance in 2022 National Defense Strategy
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Mieke Eoyang: DOD Considers Cyber Relevance in 2022 National Defense Strategy

Mieke Eoyang, deputy assistant secretary of defense for cyber policy, said the 2022 National Defense Strategy may have an increased focus on cybersecurity, Nextgov reported Monday.

She highlighted the Department of Defense’s three primary cyberspace missions at the CyberNext DC event, which took place virtually on Nov. 18th.

DOD commits to defending its networks, extending network capabilities to warfighters and protecting the U.S. altogether, the defense executive noted.

Eoyang said the increased cyber focus addresses DOD’s security role in the 2022 elections and efforts in response to the rise of ransomware.

The National Defense Strategy, which DOD updates every four years, tackles what the department considers emerging threats.

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George Mason University Center for Government Contracting Appoints New Research Staff; GovCon Expert Jerry McGinn Quoted
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George Mason University Center for Government Contracting Appoints New Research Staff; GovCon Expert Jerry McGinn Quoted

The George Mason University School of Business has appointed new researchers to support ongoing and future projects for the Center for Government Contracting, GMU announced on Tuesday. 

The list of new researchers includes the Hon. Emily Murphy, former GSA administrator and three-time Wash100 Award recipient, Benjamin McMartin and Richard Beutel as well as fellows David Peeler and Dolores Kuchina-Musina and Olivia Letts and Anthony Vatterott as research associates. 

“I am honored to have such incredibly talented individuals join our team,” said GovCon Expert Jerry McGinn, executive director of the center and a 2021 Wash100 Award winner. “I look forward to their contributions as we continue to grow our capabilities as the first university research center focused on addressing the important challenges facing the government contracting community today.”

As part of the Center’s mission to foster collaboration between government, industry, and academia, these appointees will conduct research, write, and lead Center initiatives on business, policy, regulatory, and other issues in government contracting.

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Charles Sams Confirmed for Director Role at National Park Service
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Charles Sams Confirmed for Director Role at National Park Service

The Senate has confirmed Charles Sams, an experienced state and tribal government leader, to lead the Department of the Interior’s National Park Service, CNN reported Friday.

Sams will succeed Jonathan Jarvis, who retired in early 2017. The confirmation fills an almost five-year vacancy of the role, which NPS Deputy Director Shawn Benge held on an acting basis.

The unanimous confirmation, which took place on Thursday, tasks Sams with the oversight of U.S. historic landmarks and national parks. The White House announced Sams’ nomination for the new role in August.

His 25 years of government leadership experience includes roles at the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, where he most recently served as director. He was also the president and CEO of the Indian Country Conservancy.

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Army Issues Performance Management Software Support RFI
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Army Issues Performance Management Software Support RFI

The U.S. Army has issued a request for information to explore the commercial sector’s interest, experience and capability to update performance management software.

A notice posted Thursday on SAM.gov says the branch is exploring potential vendors that could provide technical support services to its Strategic Management System Program Office in work areas such as software modernization, maintenance and administration, portal security implementation and data automation.

Army leaders use a web-based application to track service components’ work and progress in meeting mission objectives across classified and unclassified networks. 

The branch is looking to procure Strategic Management System support services through an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with firm-fixed-price task orders valued up to $15 million.

Interested vendors can submit responses to the RFI notice through Dec. 2.

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IRS Sets New Identity Verification Process for Accessing Online Tools; Chuck Rettig Quoted
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IRS Sets New Identity Verification Process for Accessing Online Tools; Chuck Rettig Quoted

The Internal Revenue Service has partnered with authentication network ID.me to launch an enhanced identity verification and sign-in procedure for accessing online taxpayer tools and applications.

Taxpayers will need to create an ID.me account and verify their identity using valid identification documents and a picture of themselves taken with a smartphone or a webcam, the IRS said Wednesday.

The verification procedure will allow taxpayers to access their online account, get an identity protection PIN, obtain transcripts and view their payment plan.

Users who have an existing ID.me account from another government agency can also use their credentials to gain entry to the available taxpayer tools, including the Child Tax Credit Update Portal. The IRS expects to expand the use of the new verification procedure to include additional applications.

“To help taxpayers and the tax community, we are improving the accessibility of online tools that help families manage their Child Tax Credit, check on their IRS accounts and securely perform other routine tasks online,” said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig.

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GSA Selects LinQuest for Six Pools on ASTRO Contract; Tim Dills Quoted
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GSA Selects LinQuest for Six Pools on ASTRO Contract; Tim Dills Quoted

LinQuest Corporation has been selected for prime positions in six pools on the General Services Administration’s ASTRO contract to provide engineering and technical services to the Department of Defense and other federal agencies.

Under the potential ten-year, multibillion-dollar indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract, LinQuest will provide support services spanning all six pools for which it competed, including data operations, mission operations, development/systems integration, space, research and support, the company said Monday.

Tim Dills, LinQuest CEO and president, said the ASTRO contract allows the company to serve its Department of Defense customers in “high-priority” mission areas during a period of rapid growth.

“ASTRO highlights our strong position for expanded data and mission operations, continued research and development, and substantial systems integration and support,” Dills added.

The ASTRO contract, sponsored by the Department of Defense and managed by GSA’s Federal Systems Integration and Management Center, covers a wide range of products and services that support platforms such as manned, unmanned and optionally-manned systems and robotics across all domains.

Additionally, Dr. Ellen Wesel, business development director and ASTRO program manager for LinQuest, said the contract win is “a testament to LinQuest’s exceptional performance as a prime contractor on large, critical DoD programs.”

The GSA ASTRO contract win comes less than a week after LinQuest secured a position on a potential $46 million contract with the U.S. Air Force to provide technical support services to the Eglin Air Force Base.

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Vertosoft Awarded ISO 9001:2015 Certification for Quality Management System
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Vertosoft Awarded ISO 9001:2015 Certification for Quality Management System

Vertosoft LLC, a company focused on providing emerging technology to government agencies, announced today that the company has earned ISO 9001:2015 certification for its quality management system.

ISO 9001:2015 is a globally recognized quality management standard developed and published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The certification provides a model for companies of all types and sizes to use in building an effective quality management system. 

Vertosoft’s ISO 9001:2015 certificate without design was issued by Smithers, an accredited quality and management systems certification body. The scope covers core business processes and provides the foundation for how Vertosoft measures, controls, and continually improves these processes.

“We are delighted to serve our customers even better through the well-defined and documented processes this certification requires,” said Vertosoft President Jay Colavita. “This certification will continue to cement Vertosoft as the preferred partner for technology companies looking to grow their public sector business.”

About Vertosoft

Established in 2016, Vertosoft is an ISO 9001:20015 certified organization that accelerates the adoption of innovative and emerging technology within the government. We bring the flexibility, agility, and responsiveness of a small company with the experience of a large organization. With our clear focus on emerging technology growth in government, Vertosoft is uniquely positioned to reduce complexity and provide scalable, cloud-ready technology solutions that enable government agencies to deliver smarter, client-centric digital transformations.

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Siemens Energy Books Thoma-Sea Contract to Reduce Emissions, Increase Efficiency on NOAA Research Vessels
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Siemens Energy Books Thoma-Sea Contract to Reduce Emissions, Increase Efficiency on NOAA Research Vessels

Siemens Energy has been awarded a contract from Thoma-Sea Marine Constructors to provide power, propulsion and control systems as well as lithium-ion battery storage technology for two vessels to be acquired by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration for environmental and oceanographic research, survey and exploration missions.

As part of the contract, Siemens Energy will equip the two ships, named the Oceanographer and Discoverer, with its SiSHIP Blue Drive PlusC diesel-electric propulsion systems and its BlueVault Battery Storage Solutions products to lower fuel consumption and reduce CO2 emissions for each vessel by approximately 5,700 tons per year, the company said Monday.

Luke Briant, head of Siemens Energy’s Americas-based marine solutions business, said, “The contract award is a testament to the performance and reliability of our advanced emissions reducing technologies families, which have developed an extensive track record across a broad range of marine applications in recent years.”

While the company’s SiSHIP Blue Drive PlusC has been installed on more than 80 marine vessels globally, Thoma-Sea will be the first shipyard in the United States to install the system.

The ships, which are scheduled to be operational in 2024 and 2025 respectively, will have the capacity to accommodate 28 scientists and host a 20-person crew. 

The research vessel project represents a collaboration between Thoma-Sea, TAI Engineers, NOAA and the Naval Sea Systems Command.

This contract award continues Siemens’ environmental and efficiency work. In May, Siemens booked a $60 million task order to implement energy-efficient systems for the U.S. Air Force’s Dyess Base in Texas.

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SBA Proposes Performance Rating Rule to Help Small Businesses Compete for Prime Contracts
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SBA Proposes Performance Rating Rule to Help Small Businesses Compete for Prime Contracts

The Small Business Administration is seeking public comments on a proposed rule to offer two options for small businesses to request ratings of their previous work performance as first-tier subcontractors and joint venture members.

SBA said Friday in a Federal Register notice the regulation is necessary to implement fiscal 2021 National Defense Authorization Act provisions aimed at addressing concerns by small business vendors that the lack of data on responsibilities carried out through previous federal contracts could limit their chances of being considered in the bid evaluation process.

The agency does not expect the implementation of its proposal would not cause any significant economic impact or additional costs to small businesses. Interested parties can submit feedback on the proposal through Jan. 18th.

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Jerry Short: NAVAIR Pursues Modernization to Maintain Competitive Advantage
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Jerry Short: NAVAIR Pursues Modernization to Maintain Competitive Advantage

Jerry Short, acting deputy commander of Naval Air Systems Command, said the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps will continue to spearhead modernization to maintain a technological advantage over peers.

Short and other NAVAIR officers discussed strategic opportunities for industry partnership at a meeting administered by The Patuxent Partnership and Southern Maryland Navy Alliance, the command said Friday.

He noted that NAVAIR plans to increase its number of onsite personnel in the near future following pandemic-driven workplace changes, but can still maintain a hybrid workforce setup through technology.

Short said the pandemic presented an opportunity to adopt a combination of telework and on-site operations.

Sue DeGuzman, who leads NAVAIR’s engineering group on an acting basis, said the Navy should change how it operates because adversaries have observed the U.S. military over the years.

“Our adversaries have observed our military and our methods and developed strategies to disrupt or potentially deny the Navy’s ability to answer threats,” DeGuzman said.

With regard to this needed change, she highlighted the Distributed Maritime Operations approach, which uses a fleet of smaller manned and unmanned vessels networked with weapons and sensor systems.

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