Weekly 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 moreWhat Government Contractors Can Expect (Post Government Shutdown)
October 1, 2013
The federal fiscal year begins today and with neither FY14 budget approval, a Continuing Resolution nor a bi-partisan agreement on the Affordable Care Act, the government has officially shut down. Although some contractors have been prepared for the shutdown, not knowing how long it could last may have dire consequences for industry. History does not provide much comfort either, since the last round of shutdowns in 1996 lasted a long 26 days. House Speaker John Boehner asked member of the House ... Read moreGovernment Cybersecurity: Big Advancements in a Short Time, But Still More Work to be Done
October 1, 2013
This month marks the 10th anniversary of National Cyber Security Awareness Month, which is hosted by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS). With a theme of “Our Shared Responsibility,” the NCSA and DHS are reinforcing how everyone, from agencies to citizens, need to have shared accountability when it comes to protecting assets in cyberspace. Over the past several years, the importance of effective cyber security has risen to the top of government priorities. Thanks to the proliferation of social networking, cloud computing and mobile solutions, there are many more vulnerable points for hackers to access and steal ... Read moreWeekly News Kick Off: Government Shutdown Uncertainty Abounds; Defense CEOs Take to the Hill; and Army Awards $4 Billion Contract
September 30, 2013
Welcome to the Weekly News Kick Off post from the FedPulse blog. Government shutdown uncertainty is dominating the news cycle – with many contractors not knowing whether to show up to work tomorrow. In addition, the CEOs of a number defense contractors have taken to Capitol Hill to fight the sequester. Meanwhile, amidst all of this uncertainty, the U.S. Army awarded a $4 billion contract to develop a communications and transmission system. Be sure to check out this and much more in the latest Weekly News Kick Off. Happy Monday. Agencies Notifying Employees of Shutdown Effects With a partial government shutdown expected ... Read moreQ&A: Charles De Sanno, Executive Director, Systems Engineering for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Discusses Mobility
September 26, 2013
Federal Technology Insider recently ran a series of insightful Q&As with Charles De Sanno, Executive Director, Systems Engineering for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), about the agency’s mobility strategy. The VA takes a very forward-thinking approach to implementing mobility and BYOD strategies, which can serve as roadmap for any agency. In addition, these insights also provide the contracting community with a window into the government’s current mobility needs. Be sure to check out part one of three of the Q&A with Mr. De Sanno here. Read moreQ&A: Mark Brown, President of BrownIT, Discusses Growth Opportunities for Contractors in Health IT
September 25, 2013
With the health IT arena expanding everyday, there are plenty of opportunities for contractors and other IT providers to provide new solutions to the marketplace. In addition, it is often the smaller companies who are paving the way for innovation and creating the solutions that enhance overall patient care. The FedPulse team had the unique opportunity to speak with Mark Brown, President of BrownIT, about this and much more. BrownIT is building a solid name for itself by creating solutions that improve the quality of healthcare through innovation. FedPulse: Can you please tell us about BrownIT? Brown: BrownIT is a provider of information ... Read moreNew Study: Government Event Cancellations and Travel Restrictions Negatively Impacting Innovation and Collaboration
September 24, 2013
Both industry and government believe that event cancellations and federal travel restrictions are negatively impacting innovation and collaboration, which will adversely impact government contractors’ ability to influence and service government customers. This is one of the key findings of a Market Connections, Inc. and Boscobel Marketing Communications, Inc. PulsePoll™, which was released today. Focusing on current and future plans regarding event attendance in light of federal budget cuts and travel restrictions, 161 government contractors and 383 federal government employees across civilian, defense and independent agencies responded to the survey. Government employees are attending fewer events: Nearly 72% of agency respondents are attending fewer ... Read moreWeekly News Kick Off: House Passes GOP Spending Plan; Defense Leaders Speak Out Against Sequestration; and Fluor Wins $1.5 Billion DOE Contract
September 23, 2013
Welcome to the Weekly News Kick Off post from the FedPulse blog. The House has passed a short-term spending plan, which would fund the government through mid-December, and senior military leaders are reinforcing the negative impact of today’s budget uncertainty. In the middle of all of this, Fluor just won a $1.5 billion Department of Energy contract, and many other contractors announced big wins. Be sure to check out this and much more in the latest Weekly News Kick Off. Happy Monday. House Passes GOP Spending Plan that Defunds Obamacare The House passed a short-term spending plan last Friday morning that would ... Read more