Emerging Technology
PR Newswire | August 24, 2023
Umbra, a leader in advanced space radar technology, announced it has been selected by AFWERX for a SBIR Phase II contract in the amount of $1.25 million focused on Space-Based Moving Target Indication (MTI) to address the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF). Umbra will leverage its market leading wide-bandwidth, affordable space systems, uniquely operating in paired flight, to develop and demonstrate Maritime and Ground MTI (MMTI and GMTI) capabilities. The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal to award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small business and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution. The DAF began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018 which expanded the range of innovations the DAF funded and as of August 9, 2023, Umbra accelerated its journey to create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the national defense of the United States of America.
"With the end of the JSTARS program, Umbra understands the national imperative to develop a multi-domain replacement capability with a strong space-based element," said Jason Mallare, Vice President of Government Programs and Strategy. "Commercial space systems which can be developed and rapidly deployed offer a differentiated and robust method to contribute to this critical mission need. Umbra is committed to partnering with AFWERX, the broader DAF, as well as other DoD and IC stakeholders. We intend to bring the best Umbra has to offer, including affordable spacecraft and ground infrastructure, and market leading SAR technology."
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Air Force, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.
About Umbra
Umbra is a technology company that offers intelligence data as a service to commercial and government customers. Our cutting-edge products help customers solve complex business and security challenges. Umbra is a U.S.-owned and operated company headquartered in Santa Barbara, California, and has a presence in Austin, Texas, and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit https://umbra.space.
About Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)
Sole organization leading the planning and execution of U.S. Air Force & U.S. Space Force science & technology programs. Orchestrates a world-wide government, industry & academia coalition in the discovery, development & delivery of a wide range of revolutionary technology. Provides leading-edge warfighting capabilities keeping air, space and cyberspace forces the world's best. Employs 10,800 military, civilian and contractor personnel at 17 research sites executing an annual $4B budget. For more information, visit: www.afresearchlab.com.
About AFWERX
The innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory brings cutting edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. Employs approximately 325 military, civilian and contractor personnel at six hubs and sites executing an annual $1.4B budget. Since 2019, has executed 4,671 contracts worth more than $2B to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: www.afwerx.com.
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Emerging Technology
PR Newswire | August 04, 2023
Global IT research and advisory firm Info-Tech Research Group has been selected for participation in the US Department of Defence (DoD) Enterprise Software Initiative (ESI) program. This new partnership enables the DoD and its IT leaders to access world-class resources, gain industry-leading guidance, and receive transformative insights and invaluable consultation from experts with extensive experience. The agreement also includes McLean & Company, a division of Info-Tech known for its exceptional HR research and advisory services, and MyPolicies, the firm's provider of robust online policy management and administration software.
The DoD ESI is an official DoD initiative sponsored by the DoD Chief Information Officer (CIO). The initiative is designed to streamline procurement and optimize cost efficiency in the acquisition of commercial software, IT hardware, and services. Through its joint team of experts, ESI consolidates requirements and establishes agreements with IT providers, resulting in a unified contracting and vendor management strategy across the entire department.
"We are honored to have been selected to provide services as a member of the US Department of Defense's Enterprise Software Initiative. This partnership affirms our commitment to providing world-class IT research and advisory services to the public sector," says Ron Gumbert, senior managing partner at Info-Tech. "There is a shared vision to foster a technology-enabled, efficient future for the DoD, driving strategic change and transforming challenges into opportunities."
Info-Tech's public sector executive services and research team comprises highly experienced industry experts focused on supporting government clients to address mission-critical, technology-enabled initiatives.
"Our recent expansion into Arlington, Virginia, signifies our dedication to being an integral part of the IT ecosystem in the US, and this collaboration with the US Department of Defense's Enterprise Software Initiative further solidifies that commitment," adds Gumbert. "Our Arlington office stands ready to serve as a strategic hub for our work with the DoD and other Federal agencies, providing unparalleled research and advisory services. This pivotal development marks a new chapter in our mission to drive impactful digital transformation within the defense sector and beyond."
About Info-Tech Research Group
Info-Tech Research Group is one of the world's leading information technology research and advisory firms, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals. The company produces unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. For 25 years, Info-Tech has partnered closely with IT teams to provide them with everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.
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Emerging Technology
PR Newswire | August 07, 2023
Pexip, a company that provides multi-platform software video technology, announced that its Pexip Government Cloud (PGC) Cloud Service Offering (CSO) has received StateRAMP Authorized status in the Moderate security categorization from the StateRAMP Project Management Office (PMO) and the StateRAMP Approvals Committee (SAC). In April, Pexip received an Authority to Operate (ATO) at the Moderate Impact level from the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP), sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
The StateRAMP Authorization enables secure and compliant collaboration for state and local agencies on Microsoft Teams. Employees can easily join Microsoft Teams calls using Cloud Video Interop (CVI) from video conferencing systems in meeting rooms or from personal devices, whether from the office or home making collaboration seamless an efficient. Pexip also enables state and local agencies to manage their existing video infrastructure investments, making it a cost-effective solution.
"We are very excited about our StateRAMP authorization and believe it represents another great example of Pexip's commitment to delivering secure and compliant solutions to our government customers," said Peter McCarthy, VP of Public Sector, Pexip.
As agencies move to the cloud, Pexip stands ready to support them at every stage. The StateRAMP-authorized Pexip Government Cloud (PGC) platform offers secure video conferencing as a service, ensuring agencies can engage in productive collaboration while adhering to rigorous security standards. For agencies with the most stringent security requirements, such as On-Premise mandates or GCC-High Teams Tenants, Pexip offers the option to self-host its software. This enables complete data control and interoperability within these specialized environments.
Pexips StateRAMP approval is a testament to its commitment to delivering safe and compliant solutions to its government customers. Pexip's StateRAMP approval includes:
US Department of Defense (DoD) Unified Capabilities Approved Product List (UC APL) authorized
Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP) validated Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 module #3503
ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certified
Section 508 compliant
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliant
Supports Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance
Supports zero trust security architectures
About Pexips
Pexip enables enterprises and organizations of any size to deploy and use video-based communication and collaboration. The Company’s portfolio of products ranges from self-hosted software to cloud service video solutions. Pexip provides seamless collaboration between previously incompatible video and audio technologies such as professional video conferencing systems, Skype for Business, Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts Meet, and WebRTC. Pexip’s software-based meeting platform can also be used as a foundation for service provider offerings. Pexip has HQ in Oslo, Norway, main offices in London, UK, New York and Reston, US and Sydney, Australia, as well as sales offices across the globe.
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