Pentagon: $10 billion cloud contract that snubbed Amazon was legal

Amazon | April 16, 2020

The Pentagon's process for awarding a highly lucrative cloud computing contract to Microsoft instead of Amazon was in line with legal and government purchasing standards, a government watchdog agency said Wednesday. The Defense Department inspector general found no evidence of White House interference in the contract award process. But the report said investigators could not fully review that aspect of the matter because the White House would not allow unfettered access to witnesses. The contract, potentially worth $10 billion, was awarded to Microsoft last October, prompting tech rival Amazon to cry foul.

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CYBERSECURITY

Gorilla Technology Group Secures Significant Smart Government Cybersecurity Project

Globenewswire | April 11, 2023

Gorilla Technology Group Inc., a global provider of AI-based edge video analytics, IoT technologies, and cybersecurity, today announced that it has won a significant Smart Government project in the MENA region. "I’m humbled and overjoyed by this win, which represents one of the most substantial projects in Gorilla’s history,” said CEO Jay Chandan. “Our team's unwavering determination and hard work have led us to this milestone and I'm immensely proud of their achievements. This significant entry into the MENA region brings us closer to our mission of expanding our global footprint and driving innovation that empowers people and organizations around the world. "At Gorilla we have remained dedicated to creating technological solutions for both public and private sectors for over two decades now. Being awarded the initial project in the MENA back in November was an important win, but now that we've secured this additional opportunity in the region, I believe we have established Gorilla as a key player in the market. Governments in the region are investing heavily to transition from legacy systems to disruptive and newer technologies and are experiencing a significant leapfrog event in their digital transformation journey and we are well positioned to help build it. “We've secured the first phase of the project, which is expected to be over $100 million in value, and expect the second phase, which will begin later this year, to be higher in value. This deal is the largest in Gorilla's history and is a testament to the trust and confidence in our products and solutions.” “The win demonstrates Gorilla’s abilities as an end-to-end solutions provider and global operator. Our deliverables include building out the infrastructure layer, customizing our software solutions, integrating the entire system and ultimately managing the system through its lifecycle. The bottom line is it cements Gorilla as a platform-as-a-service solution provider,” added Chandan. About Gorilla Technology Group Inc. Gorilla, headquartered in London U.K., is a global solution provider in security intelligence, network intelligence, business intelligence and IoT technology. Gorilla develops a wide range of solutions including Smart Cities, Smart Retail, Enterprise Security, and Smart Media. In addition, Gorilla provides a complete Security Convergence Platform to government institutions, telecom companies and private enterprises with network surveillance and cyber security. Gorilla places an emphasis on offering leading technology, expert service, and precise delivery, and ensuring top-of-the-line, intelligent and strong edge AI solutions that enable clients to improve operational performance and efficiency. With continuous core technology development, Gorilla will deliver edge AI solutions to managed service providers, distributors, system integrators, and hardware manufacturers. For more information, please visit our website: Gorilla-Technology.com.

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EMERGING TECHNOLOGY, CYBERSECURITY

Idemia Identity And Security North America Selected As Provider Of Tsa's Next Generation Credential Authentication Technology

Prnewswire | May 05, 2023

IDEMIA Identity and Security (I&S) North America, the leading provider of biometrics and secure identity solutions to federal, state, and local government agencies, is pleased to announce they have been awarded a contract by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for the next generation Credential Authentication Technology (CAT). The contract ceiling is $128M with a period of performance over seven years. CAT is utilized by the TSA to ensure ID authentication* and confirm boarding pass and Secure Flight pre-screening status at the airport security checkpoint. CAT provides enhanced fraudulent ID detection capabilities while confirming the identity and flight information of travelers and is currently being utilized at approximately 200 airport locations nationwide. The next generation CAT, CAT 2, enhances security screening and enables a touchless experience through biometric technology that includes face match ** and acceptance of digital identity credentials, like Mobile ID. "CAT is one of the most innovative programs we have worked on at IDEMIA, and we are proud to continue building robust identity validation and verification technologies for our partners at TSA, supporting our Homeland's security mission," said Donnie Scott, CEO, IDEMIA I&S North America. "The CAT program is setting the standard for us in our public private partnerships across government. Earlier this year we delivered our 2,054th CAT unit to the TSA, a milestone truly representing our team's hard work, dedication and subject matter expertise in identity and security." IDEMIA I&S North America has also been an authorized TSA PreCheck® enrollment provider since 2013, processing enrollments for over 17 million travelers to date. About IDEMIA Identity and Security (I&S) North America IDEMIA I&S North America is a leader in identity security and authentication services to governments and private companies, operating in North America. Our mission is to Unlock the World, Make It Safer - helping people access what matters most, more quickly, more safely, and more securely, in both the physical and the digital worlds. Our best-in-class technology helps to authenticate and secure physical and digital transactions. IDEMIA is recognized by the National Institute of Standards (NIST) as a top-ranking participant in the Institute's passenger facilitation simulation testing as well as in its regular Face Recognition Vendor Test (FRVT) rankings, reinforcing the trustworthiness and reliability of IDEMIA's facial recognition solutions for government and consumers alike.

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EMERGING TECHNOLOGY, CYBERSECURITY

Zetron to Deliver Cyber Resilience Assessments and Roadmaps to Kansas PSAPs

Zetron | March 15, 2023

On March 14, 2023, Zetron, one of the leading communications technology and service providers, announced it has received a contract from the North Central Regional Planning Commission (NCRPC) of Kansas (USA). The contract offers cyber resilience roadmaps and assessments for the Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) of 34 counties throughout the states. As the fiscal agent for six of the seven Homeland Security regions in Kansas, the Homeland Security/Emergency Operations unit of the Kansas Highway Patrol applies for and administers Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) funding to subrecipients such as the NCRPC. State and local governments, including fire departments, police, and other public safety agencies, are increasingly susceptible to cyberattacks. As per the Verizon 2022 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR), the public sector had the second-most cybersecurity incidents and the fourth-most data breaches among major industries in 2018. In addition, a 2021 Fastly report found that of all cybersecurity alerts, 45 percent are false positives that can be frequently difficult to distinguish from genuine threats and malicious behavior. This results in getting valuable time wasted during an emergency. Zetron, with SecuLore Solutions, a cybersecurity partner and local services partners, will finish cybersecurity assessments and roadmaps of selected thirty-four counties across Kansas, with its population from 600,000 to less than 1300 people. Each counties' assessment will identify threats and provide prioritized, actionable recommendations for remediating vulnerabilities and enhancing the county's cybersecurity risk posture. Following the contract terms, cybersecurity assessments and road maps for Kansas counties selected by NCRPC Regional Project Managers and the Planning Team will be completed in multiple phases through March 2024. About Zetron Zetron is one of the leaders in mission-critical communications technology worldwide. The company offers integrated solutions with exceptional reliability and support. It was founded in 1980 with decades of experience serving the public and private sectors and a sterling reputation for superior quality and dependability. Based in Redmond, Washington, it has customers across all seven continents and in a variety of industries such as transportation, public safety, utilities, the federal government, natural resources and more. In addition, it delivers purpose-built solutions to be always available wherever mission-critical communications must be uninterrupted.

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