Are We There Yet? The Future of Modernization

There's no shortage of mandates and guidance related to modernization-PMA, Technology Modernization Fund, FITARA, Cyber EO, CX EO-pushing the government to update how they deliver services online, but what does it really mean, and what is involved?

Modernization in government began with transforming data centers and integrating cloud computing into government IT architectures and moved on to improving customer experience. Agencies have made inroads in all areas. The recent FITARA scorecard showed that data center consolidation goals have been completed. Cloud efforts have moved from Cloud First to Cloud Smart in an effort to ensure cloud was just not a checkbox but was being used to transform how the government consumes and distributes IT services. Citizen Experience (CX) has been a priority across three administrations with the next generation of CX efforts outlined in an executive order. These modernization efforts have resulted in billions of dollars in cost savings and increased efficiency for a government workforce that is now telework friendly, but the work is not done. Continue reading

Tanks, Planes, Ships, and Data: Activating the DOD’s Data Strategy

The battles of tomorrow will likely not be fought on the ground, they will take place in cyberspace as nation-states and rogue actors alike look to interrupt the everyday functions of a country via high-tech attacks. Recently we saw the Russian hack of software, designed (ironically) to help organizations monitor network problems and anomalies, which has the government and private companies scrambling to determine what data was compromised. With cyberspace being the new battlefield, data and data management have quickly become a strategic asset in the DoD arsenal.

Last fall, the DOD released the Department's Data Strategy. An overarching guidance on how they will manage, secure, and use data. This document supports the DOD's transition to "a data-centric organization that uses data at speed and scale for operational advantage and increased efficiency." The Data Strategy includes 7 goals, nicknamed VAULTIS, to becoming data-centric:

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Artificial Intelligence Gains Energy

The development and use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) became official policy of the United States with the signing of an Executive Order in February. This order outlines and directs America's government-wide push to advance the use of AI through research and public/private partnerships. In the ensuing months, the Department of Energy has emerged as a leader in these efforts.

In September 2019, the DOE initiated the Artificial Intelligence and Technology Office (AITO) to help channel the department's vast resources across its national lab facilities. These efforts are paying off as DOE partners with Health and Human Services and Veterans Affairs as part of the COVID-19 Insights Partnership with the goal to increase data sharing and analysis in the fight against the spread of COVID-19. The DOE is also pressing ahead with private partnerships announcing the First Five Consortium with Microsoft, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and the Defense Department's Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC). Together they will develop AI-based solutions for data-first responders.

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IDGA announces speakers, focus, for Forensic Enabled Intelligence 2013

Originally posted by Adam Vrankulj on Biometric Update

The Institute for Defense and Government Advancement (IDGA) has announced its latest conference: Forensic Enabled Intelligence 2013 (FEI), set to take place April 22-24 at the Holiday Inn in Alexandria, Virginia.

According to the group, this event comes just as the Defense Forensics Enterprise takes shape and procurement procedures shift from ad-hoc funding to budgeted expenses. Established by the Department of Defense, the Defense Forensics Enterprise exists to expand the scope of defense forensic capacities and to synchronize efforts among federal agencies and armed forces.

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Mission Focused Defense Intelligence WorldWide Conference: 8-10 April 2013 in Baltimore MD

Originally posted by  on CTOvision

The Department of Defense's most elegant missions require advanced technologies exquisitely operated by highly trained professionals. This is especially true of intelligence missions, where complex situations involving threats to the nation must be assessed and acted upon quickly.

One of the critically important mechanisms used by planners in DoD intelligence to collaborate and coordinate with each other and with extended mission partners (including industry) is the Defense Intelligence Worldwide Conference, which will be held 8-10 April in Baltimore MD.

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