Q&A: Beth Beach, Director, Cybersecurity & IT Division at TASC, Discusses Value of Third-Party Research for Informing Capture Strategies
October 17, 2013
As the government’s needs for advanced cybersecurity solutions continues to grow, federal contractors are required to develop the most advanced capture strategies for winning new business and beating out incumbents. By using third-party research providers, it is possible to gain the actionable insights about government cyber needs to help fully inform the capture process. This information also plays a key role in developing the right balance for cyber solutions that meet government needs and budgets. As opposed to common online subscription databases, this kind of research is customized, proprietary and provides ‘true competitive’ intelligence and insights. The FedPulse team recently spoke with ... Read moreGovernment Shutdown Continues: Lessons Learned for Contractors
October 16, 2013
As no deal was struck last night to end the government shutdown and raise the debt limit, it is the ideal time to take a hard look at lessons learned. For more than two weeks, industry members have dealt with tremendous uncertainty as new contract awards grounded to a screeching halt, which have caused a severe cut in contractors’ profit margins and hindered the ability to meet earning’s goals. So what did we learn over the past two weeks? The FedPulse editorial team pulled together the following lessons learned: Diversification May Be the Best Defense: The government shutdown has taught us that the ... Read moreUsing Research to Drive Effective Thought Leadership
October 15, 2013
Third-party research can validate a company’s technical expertise by solidifying its position as a thought leader in any industry. For example, the recent nationwide Market Connections study commissioned by NetApp showed that schools are realizing benefits as a result of Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) that supports students bringing their own devices (BYOD) such as laptops, smartphones and tablets into the classroom As opposed to doing research and letting it sit on a shelf, NetApp is using the results of the study to both inform their go-to-market strategies and to enhance sales and marketing activities. For example, NetApp developed a white paper and ... Read moreWeekly News Kick Off: Government Shutdown and Contractor Pain; GSA Sets OASIS Deadline; and Lockheed Poised to Win $2.2 Billion Contract
October 14, 2013
Welcome to the Weekly News Kick Off post from the FedPulse blog. As the government shutdown stretched on for the second week in row, the uncertainty in both the private and public sectors became almost palpable. From government employee furlough news to stories about contractors not receiving back pay, it has been a rough week. Though, new contracts are being awarded and Lockheed Martin is poised to close a $2.2 billion Air Force contract. Be sure to check out this and much more in the latest Weekly News Kick Off. Happy Monday. Economic Advisor: Sequester ‘Stupid,’ Default a ‘Fundamental Danger’ Americans ... Read moreRespond to Increased Competition in an LPTA Procurement Environment
October 10, 2013
SPEAKERS JUST ANNOUNCED FOR THE LPTA IMPACT EVENT Many in the government contracting industry just returned from the Professional Services Council (PSC) Annual Conference. While it’s no surprise the government shutdown was a big topic of discussion, every presentation and panel also addressed the issue of Lowest Price Technically Acceptable procurements (LPTA). The consensus appears to be that LPTA is not going away, and contractors need to find ways to be more competitive to survive in an LPTA procurement environment. To gauge the impact of LPTA procurements on government agencies and the contractors who serve them, Market Connections, Inc. and Centurion Research ... Read moreGEOINT 2013 Cancelled: Government Shutdown Fallout Continues
October 9, 2013
For the first time in 10 years, the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) will not be hosting the premier event for the Intelligence Community in October, the GEOINT Symposium. Last night USGIF officially made the announcement that GEOINT 2013 will be postponed until Spring 2014. The reality is that key government decision-makers are not able to travel to conferences anymore, which was an issue in both 2012 and 2013 — but is now further complicated by the government shutdown. Here’s what Keith Masback, CEO of USGIF, stated in his letter to GEOINT 2013 attendees and USGIF membership: As you well know, we ... Read moreSteps Contractors Can Take to Better Connect With Government Customers
October 8, 2013
On September 24th, Market Connections and Boscobel Marketing Communications announced the results of a study, which found that both industry and government believe that event cancellations and federal travel restrictions are negatively impacting innovation and collaboration. These event cancellations and travel restrictions would adversely impact government contractors’ ability to influence and service government customers, which was the major takeaway from the study. Part of the challenge is that there are major discrepancies between how government is seeking information and how contractors plan to reach government customers. When it becomes more difficult for contractors to make connections with government customers and prospects, what can ... Read moreWeekly News Kick Off: Government Shutdown Ubiquity; DoD Awards New Contracts; Lockheed Furloughs 3,000 Employees; and GEOINT 2013 Still Happening
October 7, 2013
Welcome to the Weekly News Kick Off post from the FedPulse blog. Without a doubt, the government shutdown has become the main topic of interest for everyone. It was a 24/7 news story that covered a wide range of topics, including the deep impact on the government contractor community, federal employees, as well as national security. Though all hope is not lost, there were actually some new contracts announced. Be sure to check out this and much more in the latest Weekly News Kick Off. Happy Monday. Government Shutdown Heads For Collision with Debt Limit The resolution of the government shutdown ... Read moreContractors: It’s Time to Seek Opportunities in Adjacent Markets
October 3, 2013
Many government contractors are understandably reeling from this week’s government shutdown, and should be taking this time to assess new business strategies and seek more opportunities in adjacent markets. Market Connections’ late 2012 sequestration PulsePoll™ showed contractors’ divided opinions about whether sequestration would happen, and how to respond. Slightly more than half of contractors (56 percent) said they were pursuing opportunities in adjacent markets. Sequestration, the budget impasse and the current government shutdown are affecting contract awards. We expect that those contractors who began seeking opportunities in adjacent markets during the pre-sequestration era of 2012 will emerge more successfully from the current ... Read moreQ&A: Paul Christman, Dell Software Vice President of Public Sector, Discusses Cost of Slow IT Provisioning for Agencies
October 2, 2013
In August, Dell Software and Market Connections, Inc., issued a study that showcased how the slow provisioning and de-provisioning of government employees can cost the federal government millions of dollars each year. In addition to lost productivity from slow provisioning, de-provisioning lag times can create tremendous security gaps for government agencies, easing the way for insider threats to emerge. FedPulse recently spoke to Paul Christman, Dell Software’s vice president, public sector, about the findings of this study. Also be sure to check out our Q&A with Christman from earlier this year, where he shared his assessment on the current state of government ... Read more