Tom Temin
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The FBI was attempting to purchase Motorola tactical radios under an indefinite quantity, indefinite delivery contract operated by Homeland Security. The FBI set up its task order as a one-year term with four one-year options. That landed the deal in a protest by Harris. The Government Accountability Office shot down the FBI approach. How come? For an answer, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin turns to attorney Joe Petrillo, a partner at the law firm Petrillo & Powell.
October 15, 2015 -
Cybersecurity contractors seem to pop up as often as zero-day attacks. But the established ones are finding , with good market positioning and solid services, they can attract fresh investment. Case in point: With cash from Squadron Capital, a company called Facilities Technology Services has transformed into Squadron Defense Group. Keith Marino is its CEO. Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with him during this week's Association of the U.S. Army conference.
October 15, 2015 -
Most federal employees believe big-data initiatives are having a positive impact on helping their agencies predict trends and evaluate risk. That's according to a recent survey sponsored by Unisys. However, many respondents worry that their agencies aren't equipped to handle the large amount of data these projects come with, either mechanically or personnel-wise. Rod Fontecilla, the vice president of advanced data analytics at Unisys Federal, joins the Federal Drive with Tom Temin with more on the survey.
October 15, 2015 -
IBM's Watson supercomputer might be most famous for its appearance on Jeopardy, but that was back in 2011. The platform has come a long way since its game show days, and has been updated as part of IBM's new cognitive business initiative. If it's up to IBM, Watson and cognitive computing could have a big impact on the federal government. Anne Altman, the general manager of U.S. federal and government industries at IBM, joins the Federal Drive with Tom Temin with more on what's new with Watson and how government is using it.
October 15, 2015 -
Federal employees may be happier with work these days, but they're still "meh" on their bosses, judging from the most recent governmentwide Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey. The Office of Personnel Management says its latest governmentwide tools can help. OPM deputy associate director Steve Shih tells Federal News Radio's Emily Kopp about its new training frameworks.
October 15, 2015 -
In Thursday's Federal Headlines, Defense Secretary Ash Carter criticized Congress at the annual Association of the U.S. Army conference for the latest NDAA bill's form of budgeting; Boeing agrees to pay $18 million to settle allegations it overcharged the Air Force.
October 15, 2015 -
The Army is using simulations and virtual trainers to prepare its soldiers for everything from driving vehicles to shooting high-powered weapons, but at least one provider warns that it's time the Army rebooted its tools.
October 15, 2015 -
The Greater Washington Government Contractor Awards honor many of the individuals and businesses among the region's government contractors. The awards, sponsored by the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce and the Professional Services Council, celebrate high achievers. Between now and Nov. 5, Federal News Radio is interviewing the finalists for this year's awards. Ben Edson is the founder and CEO of VariQ and a finalist for this year's Executive of the Year award in the $75 million-or-less in sales category. He joins the Federal Drive with Tom Temin to talk about his nomination.
October 14, 2015 -
The Rapid Equipping Force and the Asymmetric Warfare Group, two organizations the Army created in response to specific challenges in Iraq and Afghanistan, are now a permanent part of the Army. And its leaders say they’re still highly-relevant, even after the withdrawal of large-scale combat troops. Col. Steve Sliwa is the director of the Rapid Equipping Force and Lt. Col. Stephen Lee is the squadron commander for the Asymmetric Warfare Group. They tell DoD reporter Jared Serbu about their enduring missions in a postwar environment.
October 14, 2015 -
Whether learning to fly an attack helicopter or maneuver a ground combat vehicle, pretty much everything the Army does requires intensive training. Because of the expense and danger involved, it's using simulation technology for a growing number of training categories. Raytheon is a major supplier of simulation-based training. At the Association of the U.S. Army conference, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke to Bob Williams, Raytheon's vice president of training solutions.
October 14, 2015 -
Federal scientists feel there's too much political influence at their agencies. That's according to a survey of 7,000 scientists at four federal agencies recently conducted by the Center for Science and Democracy. The center asked about the effectiveness of the agencies and whether or not the scientists felt political influence was damaging the integrity of their work. Dr. Gretchen Goldman is the lead analyst at the Center for Science and Democracy and the author of this report. She joins Federal Drive with Tom Temin with more.
October 14, 2015 -
Homeland Security is expanding its Unity of Effort initiative to research and development programs. Faced with diminishing budgets and ever-growing threats, the Science and Technology Directorate at DHS is taking a new approach to how it prioritizes R&D funds. Dr. Reggie Brothers is the undersecretary for Science and Technology at DHS. He tells executive editor Jason Miller how he's ensuring a more holistic look at R&D programs through integrated product teams, or IPTs.
October 14, 2015 -
Good soldiers are basic to a strong Army, and education is crucial to making good soldiers. That's why the Army spends so much time and money on education. Now the Army is embarking on an expansion of its schooling capabilities. Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Sgt. Maj. of the Army Dan Dailey at the AUSA conference. He asked him if that's what attracts people to the Army in the first place.
October 14, 2015 -
In Wednesday's Federal Headlines, FLEOA announces its support for two congressmen's plan for taking sensitive security clearance data out of the hands of OPM and NASA will spend as much as $1.4 billion dollars to keep astronauts healthy, well-fed and supplied over the next five years.
October 14, 2015 -
In one corner of the Army, the story of a drive to improve the kill power of a proven platform.
October 14, 2015