EMERGING TECHNOLOGY
IBM | December 08, 2022
IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced an agreement to acquire Octo, a U.S.-based IT modernization and digital transformation services provider exclusively serving the U.S. federal government, including defense, health, and civilian agencies. IBM's acquisition of Octo establishes one of the largest digital transformation partners to the federal government. Upon the close of the acquisition, Octo's approximately 1,500 employees will join IBM Consulting's U.S. public and federal market organization.
Octo will be IBM's eighth acquisition of 2022. Since Arvind Krishna became CEO of IBM in April 2020, IBM has acquired more than 25 companies, bolstering its hybrid cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. Today's news builds on prior IBM Consulting acquisitions, including Dialexa, Neudesic, and Taos.
Federal government agencies face significant challenges including technology skills shortages, rebuilding of U.S. domestic supply chains and more demand for citizen services. To address these complex challenges, agencies need an industry partner to help them navigate a scalable path to IT modernization with the power to leverage emerging technologies and applications, optimize costs and operational efficiencies, and improve security. The convergence of new hybrid cloud and AI technologies enables government to deliver rapid improvements and adapt to unprecedented challenges.
The acquisition of Reston, Va.-based Octo will complement IBM's existing strengths in IT modernization and digital transformation, enhancing its ability to support federal agencies with a flexible, modern approach to digital transformation and growing IBM Consulting's public and federal market organization to 4,200 highly-skilled employees. With a proven track record of enabling rapid IT modernization and seamless citizen engagement, Octo also brings deep federal mission experience, as well as certifications in the technologies most used across the federal government.
"Governments require agility and resiliency to meet the evolving needs of citizens directly and in real time," said John Granger, Senior Vice President of IBM Consulting. "The combination of Octo's highly qualified and respected team with IBM's consulting expertise, technical capabilities and strategic partner ecosystem will enable federal clients to transform faster and better serve citizens."
Building on a shared commitment to co-creation, oLabs, Octo's 14,000 square foot innovation center with in-house computing capability, expands IBM's ability to work collaboratively with federal agencies to rapidly prototype emerging technology solutions – enabling greater impact for federal agencies and the people they serve.
"Octo was founded on the belief that digital transformation could be delivered at scale to modernize the federal government's approach to today's most pressing challenges – from public healthcare to national security, to defense and intelligence," said Mehul Sanghani, Chief Executive Officer of Octo. "Today, we are excited to join forces with IBM to continue to deliver these digital transformation capabilities with greater reach and scale."
IBM's acquisition of Octo from Arlington Capital Partners is expected to close in the fourth quarter of this year and is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory clearances. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
About IBM
IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. More than 4,000 government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM's hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM's breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM's legendary commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service. Visit www.ibm.com for more information.
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EMERGING TECHNOLOGY
Ardoq | December 13, 2022
Ardoq, a SaaS company reinventing Enterprise Architecture (EA) for today’s digital enterprise, today announced that it has been awarded a place on the Crown Commercial Service’s Government Cloud (G-Cloud) 13 framework, which enables UK public sector entities to quickly and easily purchase cloud-based solutions. Ardoq’s next generation EA technology can further help public bodies make more informed decisions, streamline operations and make their data actionable.
With more government bodies accelerating digital transformation, adopting cloud technology and driving their uses in the wake of the pandemic, it is crucial that they are leveraging technology that meets certain standards. G-Cloud, which sets specific requirements for all vendors to be accepted into the digital catalogue, ensures that public entities do not have to waste resources looking for the right cloud partner, since the framework guarantees that vendors are meeting the necessary requirements to which public entities are beholden. As part of G-Cloud, Ardoq is committed to ensuring public entities can leverage its data-driven EA tool without having to exhaust the additional resources needed to vet cloud solutions outside of G-Cloud.
“Public sector bodies are transforming their digital public services in unprecedented ways whilst remaining accountable for where and how their resources are used most effectively, They need access to tools that enable them to make smarter, more efficient decisions, and we’re eager to help these organisations better manage their people, processes, applications and data.”
-Robin Fitzhugh, UK director, Ardoq.
About Ardoq:
Ardoq is a SaaS company reinventing Enterprise Architecture for today’s digital enterprise. The company’s dynamic, data-driven EA platform is designed to plan and execute major change initiatives. The tool provides a digital twin of an organisation’s people, processes, systems, data, and infrastructure. With Ardoq, CIOs can confidently deliver digital transformations, and IT leaders can make better technology decisions based on real-time information. With Ardoq, EAs can serve as change agents, supporting business and IT collaboration for better outcomes.
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EMERGING TECHNOLOGY
Sayari | December 05, 2022
Sayari, a commercial risk intelligence company, has recently been selected by the United Kingdom Crown Commercial Service (CCS) as a supplier for the G-Cloud 13 Framework, an agreement between the government and suppliers who provide cloud-based services.
The partnership enables departments like the National Crime Agency (NCA), Ministry of Defence (MOD), HM Revenue & Customs, Serious Fraud Office, HM Treasury and other agencies to accelerate deployment of Sayari’s commercial risk intelligence platform. Teams of government analysts and investigators will have instant access to the hard-to-find connections analysts and investigators need to eliminate information gaps.
“Ensuring that law enforcement, regulators and regulated industry are able to effectively collaborate is our goal at Sayari. This recognition from CCS lays the groundwork for scaled adoption and mission impact, We are proud of the relationships we’ve built with UK government agencies and enterprise companies over the past seven years, and we’re committed to building out our local presence to drive the best outcomes for our partners.”
-Farley Mesko, co-founder and CEO Sayari.
In May, the company formally launched its European operations, based in London. Sayari’s partnership with the UK government is an important component in supporting the increasingly complex economic crime, trade compliance and third-party risk landscape emerging in the UK and European Union.
About Sayari:
Sayari empowers government and industry to protect finance, trade and security systems by illuminating the global commercial networks through connected public data and documents. Providing commercial intelligence data from over 250 jurisdictions worldwide, Sayari delivers the entity network visualizations and intuitive risk identifications that decision makers need to stay proactively informed and power safer global commerce. Since its founding in 2015, Sayari has earned the trust of top financial institutions, Fortune 100 corporations and government agencies, securing a $40M Series C in 2021. Sayari is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and its solutions are used by more than 3,000 frontline analysts in 35 countries.
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