WT 360: The market from all angles

Three reporters from Washington Technology and our sibling publication FCW.com share insights on the impact the COVID-19 pandemic is having on business, policy and work in the government market. Washington Technology Senior Staff Writer Ross Wilkers, and FCW reporters Lia Russell and Lauren Williams have focused their coverage on the myriad ways the pandemic is reshaping the marketplace. But each...

A glance at what the pre-coronavirus world looked like for federal agencies quickly brings technology modernization back to the forefront, and that is where we pick up for this second of a two-part interview with ICF CEO John Wasson. The federal government’s priorities are obviously centered around the pandemic today, innovation in terms of both new technology and business practices were top of mi...

The COVID-19 pandemic is raising several wide-ranging questions and implications for both government agencies and the industry that supports them, which we examine in this first of a two-part interview with ICF CEO John Wasson. Public health has also been brought to the forefront in ways rarely, if ever seen before, and is an area ICF is heavily involved in thanks to its work with many agencies on...

The government market along with the rest of the country continues to be rocked by the COVID-19 pandemic. We explore how industry is responding and how it will be changed going forward in this conversation with Stan Soloway, former president and CEO of the Professional Services Council. Soloway now consults with companies across the market. From that perch. he has unique insights into what many ex...

In another podcast from our partner Government Marketing University, the Real Talk explores the $2 trillion stimulus package and what it means to federal contractors. Tom Suder, president and founder of the Advanced Technology Research Center, and host Matt Langan of L&R Communication review how this sweeping legislation is impacting the market. They talk about questions such as: • What does t...

What does a “whole of government” approach mean in terms of how agencies and their industry partners respond to the COVID-19 pandemic? Find out in this episode with Jerry McGinn, executive director of George Mason University’s Center for Government Contracting. That response is not just about where the contracting dollars are going, though McGinn and the GMU GovCon team are tracking that closely....

In this Real Talk podcast from our partner GMarkU, we explore TIC 3.0, which was released in December, and what it means for the government market. Trusted Internet Connection 3.0 will have a broad impact on the market and this podcast examines TIC 3.0 from the basics to the pain points agencies face. Tom Suder, president and founder of the Advanced Technology Research Center, and host Matt Langan...

Get a glimpse at how the business of government contracting has shifted to a different pace and cadence amid the COVID-19 pandemic in this episode with Amber Hart and Lisa Shea Mundt, the founders in charge at market intelligence firm The Pulse of GovCon. With some exceptions, much of the world has shifted to a largely stay-at-home setup that is causing both government contractors and their agency...

The coronavirus response has elevated several legal issues for government contractors. In this episode, contracts attorney James Fontana highlights where legal issues can arise and how contractors should be proactive in protecting their business and employees. Fontana, co-founder and managing partner of the firm Dempsey-Fontana, has been a contracts lawyer for three decades and understands the leg...

The challenges and risks faced by small business government contractors are severe. They face possible work stoppages, slower payments, layoffs, and the threat of bankruptcy. Bruce Lyman is the CEO of Parabilis, a firm that works with government contractors on getting financing. He talks with Senior Staff Writer Ross Wilkers about the challenges small businesses face and what can be done to suppor...

Alba Aleman, Citizant CEO and recognized small business advocate, explains that small businesses should embrace the Defense Department's new cybersecurity requirements for contractors as both a way of differentiating themselves and path to being a stronger organization instead of seeing it as a burden. In fact, Aleman believes the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification standard should have bee...

Explore the impact of COVID-19 on the GovCon supply chain in Senior Staff Writer Ross Wilkers' interview with Chris Meissner, founding partner with the 202 Group, a data analytics and market intelligence firm. Meissner's firm specializes in using rich analytics tools to examine tech trends and develop competitive intelligence, particularly around the supply chain. There are still a lot of unknowns...

Many of us are practicing social distancing as the world deals with the coronavirus pandemic: either with being hunkered down at home or in offices that are very sparsely populated. It’s a different way of working that all of us are adjusting to. That also means many are working with little to no face-to-face contact with customers and partners. Marketing expert Mark Amtower shares how social medi...

There is plenty for contractors to do as the coronavirus turns the market and world on its collective head. Business development and capture expert Lisa Pafe offers advice and insights on what actions you should take as COVID 19 causes delays and postponements. All of us are facing a market that has been significantly disrupted because of the pandemic. The normal course of business looks very diff...

A matchmaker in the government market must be an intermediary that possesses a deep understanding of two key items: what customers are asking for, and the companies whose capabilities might fill that need. Stephanie Alexander and Katie Bilek are the matchmakers at Govmates where they blend art and algorithm to connect customers and companies. In this podcast interview with Senior Staff Writer Ross...

The month of February started with a bang with several important news stories breaking within days of each other, including big news from Leidos, SAIC and the CIA. Leidos closed a $1 billion acquisition and then announced another deal just as big. The next day the Navy picked them for the $7.7 billion NGEN award, a takeaway from the incumbent , Perspecta. Not to be outdone, SAIC announced their ow...

The defense market is gearing up for the CMMC requirement but a lot of unanswered questions remain. Here's what we know so far and what to watch for in the weeks ahead. FCW defense beat writer Lauren Williams shares insights from her coverage of CMMC, including what challenges the Defense Department is trying to address. Contractors need to watch for several things including development of the fir...

What does it take to build a ship when you don’t own a shipyard? Leidos executive Donnelly Bohan explains the technology, strategy and success behind the company’s Sea Hunter project to build an autonomous Navy vessel. Senior Staff Writer Ross Wilkers interviews Bohan about how Leidos has grown the program and how the broader conversation over the technology has shifted from the word "unmanne...

Disney World has embraced big data and the internet of things as tools to improve its operations and its efforts offer lessons to the public sector. David Turner, president and CEO of Hitachi Vantara Federal shares how the company helps the resort to gather and use the reams of data it collects from rides, operations and visitors to enhance the park experience. This is no Mickey Mouse endeavor and...

Washington Technology Editor Nick Wakeman and Senior Staff Writer Ross Wilkers review the major events of 2019 and discuss what they see ahead. This includes M&A activity, the impact of a fully appropriated budget and what JEDI, DEOS and C2E really say about where the market is headed.

JEDI was a blockbuster award to Microsoft as they bested Amazon Web Services but don't call it an upset. In fact, many systems integrators are giving it a simple shrug of the shoulders because the winner really wasn't that critical for them. Most SIs work with both Microsoft and AWS so they saw an opportunity to support JEDI no matter who won. Wilkers and Wakeman also discuss protests and Oracle's...

Executives from Dovel Technologies share why the company is going through a leadership transition and what it says about their growth strategy. Dovel is moving into the next phase of its growth, the type of change many companies find challenging. Often the skills that got you to one level of success aren't the same ones that will get you to the next. Something has to give. Dovel's Paul Lesley talk...

The history of IT innovation can be divided into several eras (mainfraime, PC, the Web, etc.) and SAIC Chief Technology Officer Charles Onstott explains what era we are in now and what might be coming next. In our conversation we talk about the current era of MACC (you'll need to listen to learn what that is) and how there’s a possibility that IT might not be the primary driver of innovation going...

General Dynamics IT Chief Technology Officer Yogesh Khanna talks about how cloud computing and the push for cybersecurity are fundamentally changing the market and what systems integrators delivering to customers. Senior Staff Writer Ross Wilkers conducts his third interview with a senior defense executive about how the sector is going through a period of great disruption. For Khanna, cloud and cy...

Senior Staff Writer Ross Wilkers speaks with Peder Jungck, BAE Systems Inc. vice president and general manager for intelligence solutions, about how technology is remaking the defense market and what it'll take to win the future. This is the second in a series of interviews by Wilkers with defense executives about how the market is changing and how their companies are adapting. Critical issues inc...