IT Modernization Archives — ľ��AV

Why Aren’t Software Factories Everywhere Across the DoD?

ľ��AV PR — Tue, 02 Apr 2024 04:01:54 +0000

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By
Vice President, Federal Managed Services

and
Cybersecurity and DevSecOps Director, Business Development

The Department of Defense (DoD) has long known that the ability to quickly deliver secure and resilient software will be a critical competitive edge that will enable the department to evolve and adapt faster than its adversaries.

The DoD has also long recognized the vital role software factories must play in the modernization of DoD software development. The adoption of software factories across the DoD, however, is yet to happen, except in small pockets.

The U.S. Air Force software development lab Kessel Run established the DoD’s first software factory in 2017. Since then, a few dozen others have cropped up in various corners of the department. But many more will be needed for the department to reach the software-development future it envisions.

At stake is nothing less than our nation’s ability to deliver a more lethal force than that of our adversaries.

“The Department’s adaptability increasingly relies on software, and the ability to securely and rapidly deliver resilient software capability is a competitive advantage that will define future conflicts.”
— Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen H. Hicks

What Is a Software Factory?

In its , the DoD defines the software factory as:

“a software assembly plant for development and integration that contains multiple pipelines, equipped with a set of tools, process workflows, scripts, and environments, to produce a set of software deployable artifacts with minimal human intervention. It automates the activities in the develop, build, test, release, and deliver phases and supports multi-tenancy.”

The preferred software-development method of Silicon Valley companies such as Google and Netflix and other private sector leaders, software factories are characterized by:

Automation and DevOps practices — including builds, testing, integration, and deployment
An “as-code” approach to infrastructure, documentation, policy, and configuration
Iterative and Agile development
Standardization of tools and processes
Containerization and microservices architecture
Scalability and flexibility
Collaboration and cross-functional teams
Metrics and continuous improvement

Better Software, Delivered Faster

Software factories streamline development processes and improve collaboration, delivering software faster, more efficiently, and more reliably than traditional software-development methods. For government enterprises, this means, among other things, faster attainment of authorizations to operate (ATOs).

Software factories aren’t just faster and more automated; they’re also just plain better. Compliance, for example, is baked right into the software development process — automated and implemented as code. Software factories codify rules and allow automated verification of policy as code, documentation as code, infrastructure as code, and so on. This reduces the back-and-forth of compliance and allows greater visibility to security and management teams, driving greater confidence in the software process.

With software factories, you get a push-button, fully integrated, secure DevSecOps-as-a-service environment that allows development teams to focus on building secure mission applications rather than standing up and configuring environments.

Software factories can also provide:

1

Enhanced transparency and visibility for your information system security officers (ISSOs), application managers, application owners, and all others responsible for inspection and approval

2

Less time spent manually building and testing software — increasing productivity, velocity, and team morale

3

Automated regression, functional, and security testing to deliver better more secure software with reduced labor

4

Integration with governance processes for increased control over releases, increased transparency, and greater confidence around more frequent, smaller releases

So, Why Isn’t Everyone on Board?

It’s natural for the organizational adoption of revolutionary technologies to be slow. The shift from traditional development methods to software factories faces a wide range of challenges across the DoD, including:

Legacy systems in need of modernization
Inertia of existing, functioning processes (Why change if it isn’t broken?)
Complex procurement processes that slow the acquisition of modern software tools
Workforce skills development and organizational change management needs
Budget constraints

The biggest challenge to adoption may be the absence of widespread trust in software factories. Key to overcoming this challenge is developing an understanding of software factories, experiencing their benefits, and understanding the importance of achieving cultural acceptance.

Widespread Understanding and Cultural Acceptance

There’s a lot to understand about software factories — from Jira and GitLab, to Jenkins, Argo CD, and Flux, to testing tools such as Selenium, SonarQube, and StackRox. DoD software developers are still learning about these and other software-factory building blocks, and a general understanding has not yet spread through the realms of nontechnical DoD decision makers. This has hindered widespread cultural acceptance.

Also, a few software factory myths and misunderstandings seem to have taken hold. Some believe software factories will require them to surrender the control that enables them to do their jobs. They have concerns about security, governance and compliance, visibility, and interoperability. In fact, software factories yield improvements in all these areas, not compromises.

A distrust of automation is one of the factors impeding adoption. Where DoD software factories are in place, however, ISSOs and information system security managers (ISSMs) are benefiting from the automation of security scans and the automatic pushing of security artifacts to them. They no longer need to request a scan or, worse, start a scan and wait for it.

Where the governance is integrated, managers can control releases, see when they’re tested and ready, and initiate the release to production. They’ve gained trust in the transparency of the process and learned to value automation, rather than fear that it will run out of control.

It takes organizational change to develop an understanding and acceptance of revolutionary technologies, and managing that change will be worth the effort. By resisting the risk that accompanies enhanced automation, we’ll only create a barrier for technological growth and perpetuate slower, outdated software development practices.

“DoD must scale its ability to produce secure and resilient software at speed to maintain a competitive edge. The Department must pursue an enterprise-wide approach, establishing a software-factory ecosystem that takes advantage of investments already made....”
— Department of Defense Software Modernization Strategy, Nov. 2021

Manage the Change: Train, Educate, Adopt

It takes time and energy to turn a battleship. The DoD will need to invest in organizational change management to ensure the widespread adoption of software factories.

Proponents of software factories — from within the DoD and without — can hasten modernization through training and education that strengthens the DoD’s organizational grasp on the promise of software factories.

Technical and nontechnical DoD decision makers need access to software factory truths, so myths and misunderstandings can be debunked. Key players must understand that software factories don’t reduce control, visibility, or governance — that they provide all the visibility, testing capabilities, and built-in governance the DoD needs, while making software development exponentially faster and more efficient.

As those involved with the first DoD software factories already know, this is the future of software development. Software factories will be critical to the DoD’s ability to reduce software delivery times from years to minutes, evolve and adapt faster than its adversaries, and ultimately deliver a more lethal force.¹

***¹Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen H Hicks* *, Feb. 2022***

JEFF URLWIN
Vice President, Federal Managed Services

NEILAND WRIGHT
Cybersecurity and DevSecOps Director, Business Development

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Modernizing Military Medicine

ľ��AV PR — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 12:00:08 +0000

An upgrade in healthcare IT is transforming the way the U.S. military treats servicemembers and their families in need of medical care. Find out how ľ��AV is playing a key role in this modernization effort for the Defense Health Agency.

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Digitizing Readiness

Data and AI Center of Excellence — Thu, 20 Jan 2022 13:00:35 +0000

Measuring the Impact of Data Operations on National Security and Prosperity

By Data and AI Center of Excellence

The Department of Defense (DoD) data strategy aims to develop a data program “at speed and scale for operational advantage and increased efficiency.” Among the ways in which DoD will leverage data as a strategic resource is the concept of VAULTIS, striving to make all data visible, accessible, understandable, linked, trustworthy, interoperable, and secure.

To achieve these goals, DoD needs not only tools, pipelines, and processes, but also personnel who understand the value of data and the ways in which it can be measured and used to bolster services, efficiency, and mission readiness. As a longtime provider of critical data science, artificial intelligence, machine learning, automation, and cloud computing solutions, ľ��AV combines the experience, expertise, and thought leadership to help DoD achieve their strategic data aims. Our team of data professionals have developed competitive advantages for our customers in both the commercial and government arenas by harnessing and measuring the power, efficiency, and value of ready data.

Legacy Readiness Measures

The DoD Joint Dictionary defines two types of legacy readiness measures as “the synthesis of two distinct but interrelated levels.”

These definitions are:

Unit Readiness

The ability to provide capabilities required by the combatant commanders to execute their assigned missions. This is derived from the ability of each unit to deliver the outputs for which it was designed.

Joint Readiness

The combatant commander’s ability to integrate and synchronize ready combat and support forces to execute his or her assigned missions.

These measures of Unit and Joint Readiness aggregate measures of personnel, equipment, supply and maintenance, and training readiness. While all measures are important, there is perhaps no crisis or critical shortfall more common among them as data—dirty, incomplete, anomalous, noisy, and inconsistent data. If units or joint capabilities lacked the organizational reporting that our data lacks today, they would be met with massive investments and efforts to right any errors. Why then has data not yet been made a comparably tangible, real, and measurable asset?

As DoD embraces data as a key technological paradigm shift, it is crucial to apply the Joint Dictionary definitions of readiness to data strategy as well. The time to make this change is now. The way forward is data readiness.

How to start measuring your “Data Readiness”��

ľ��AV’ pragmatic approach to data readiness begins with the adage “what gets measured gets done.” Our data professionals have over a decade of experience creating and delivering automated data operations and readiness systems that enable data quality and governance. Our frameworks have traditionally summarized three areas of measure, namely:

TIMELINESS

Volume
Amount of data processed per second

Throughput
Number of records processed per second

ACCURACY

Completeness
Degree of absent values and entities

Relevance
Time elapsed since last update of target repository from data source

Consistency
Degree to which data is viewed as consistent through transaction

Interpretability
Degree to which users can understand the data

REPEATABILITY

Precision
Statistical measure of consistency of repeated derived values

Interoperability
Degree to which other systems and tools use the same data

ľ��AV operationalized these readiness measures by also introducing governance activities and best practices such as:

Data Readiness / Errors and Exceptions Reports
Functional Data Manager and Functional Analytics Manger Steering Councils
Data and Analytics Dictionaries
Data and Analytics Standards for Documentation

ľ��AV’ applied innovation, agile integration, and trusted experts can help you too achieve data readiness that enables your organization to be data-centric and insights-driven at speed and scale.

Interested in learning more about ľ��AV AI, analytics, and machine learning solutions?
Reach out and talk to an expert today.

Schedule A Meeting

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ľ��AV Awarded NIWC Legacy Data Consolidation Solution Contract

ľ��AV PR — Wed, 22 Sep 2021 16:58:02 +0000

Company will deliver digital transformation solution to improve patient care and achieve cost savings

FAIRFAX, Va. – September 22, 2021 – ľ��AV, a leader in advanced technology, science, and digital transformation solutions, has been awarded the Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Atlantic Legacy Data Consolidation Solution (LDCS) contract in support of the Defense Health Agency (DHA). As the prime awardee, ľ��AV will work with NIWC Atlantic and the DHA to digitally transform data from multiple legacy electronic healthcare record (EHR) systems into a consolidated solution supporting critical use cases including clinical, release of information, analytical and decision-making use cases.

A longtime DHA service provider, ľ��AV will leverage Agile software development and a deep understanding of the agency’s strategic and tactical challenges to develop and integrate the LDCS solution into existing DHA infrastructure. The company will migrate critical healthcare data from legacy EHR systems to the LDCS solution, creating a unified longitudinal record of care for each patient. By decommissioning these legacy systems, DHA will achieve significant annual cost savings.

“We are thrilled to support the new LDCS system. From initial development and testing through integration, deployment, training, and sustainment, we will work closely with DHA personnel to implement this forward-looking solution.”

Keith Quigley
ľ��AV Senior Vice President of Enterprise Solutions

“ľ��AV has been a proud DHA partner for many years,” said John Heneghan, ľ��AV chief operations officer. “We are honored to pioneer a data solution that provides a single point of access for legacy medical records, while achieving new efficiencies and cost savings for DHA.”

About ľ��AV
ľ��AV, ASGN’s federal government segment, delivers advanced solutions in cloud, cybersecurity, data and artificial intelligence (AI), application and IT modernization, science, and engineering. The company solves critical, complex challenges for customers across the U.S. public sector, defense, intelligence, and commercial industries. ľ��AV maintains partnerships with leading cloud, cybersecurity, and AI/ML providers and holds specialized certifications in their technologies. Headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia, ľ��AV has more than 3,500 employees throughout the United States. For more information, visit ľ��AVtech.com.

About ASGN
ASGN Incorporated (NYSE: ASGN) is one of the foremost providers of IT and professional services in the technology, digital, creative, engineering and life sciences fields across commercial and government sectors. ASGN helps leading corporate enterprises and government organizations develop, implement, and operate critical IT and business solutions through its integrated offering of professional staffing and IT solutions. For more information, visit .

Contact
Charles “Randy” Ball, Vice President and Director of Health IT and Cybersecurity Capture Management
843-414-2275
randy.ball@ecstech.com

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Encantado Awarded $400 – $700 Million Sandia National Laboratory TPTIT Contract

ľ��AV PR — Thu, 25 Feb 2021 06:04:33 +0000

Small Business Mentor-Protégé joint venture between Edgewater Federal Solutions, Inc. and ľ��AV Federal, LLC will provide IT and telecom support for the Sandia National Laboratories��

Albuquerque, NM. – February 25, 2021 – (“Encantado”), a small business mentor-protégé joint venture between (protégé) and ľ��AV (mentor), has been named the prime awardee of the estimated $400 – $700 million Sandia National Laboratories Third-Party Telecommunications and Information Technology (TPTIT) Support Services contract.�� The contract covers a term of up to seven years (five-year base term with an option to renew for an additional two years). The blanket purchase agreement was awarded by the National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC (NTESS), to provide comprehensive enterprise and mission-embedded IT support for Sandia National Laboratories personnel and the lab’s infrastructure at multiple locations across the United States. The Encantado team will be bolstered by second-tier subcontractors (IIA) and Services, Inc.

Leveraging Agile, DevSecOps, and system modernization best practices, Encantado will develop, engineer, and deploy enterprise IT systems, equipment, websites, and data management tools. The company will also provide mission computing services including scientific computing, high-performance computing (HPC), cloud, scripting and code development, and disaster recovery to support Sandia’s mission objectives. Encantado will deliver end-user and service-desk support for approximately 14,000 classified and unclassified users and 150,000 devices, including the Sandia Systems Operations Center, on a 24x7x365 basis. Encantado will operate, maintain, and service Sandia’s telecommunications network and telephone infrastructure, including wireless communications and mobile platforms.

Encantado is committed to the communities in which Sandia resides. As a result of this award, Encantado will create new job opportunities in the Albuquerque and Livermore regions. The company will also form a nonprofit foundation, which will promote local and regional STEM-related development programs and expand the area’s digital workforce through training and professional development opportunities.

“We are honored to be selected for this Small Business award. Edgewater will leverage our deep institutional knowledge and experience with the Department of Energy and our strong partnership with industry leader ľ��AV to deliver world-class IT services,” said , president of Edgewater. “We look forward to providing innovative and efficient IT service delivery to the Sandia National Laboratories.”

“We are thrilled to support Sandia National Laboratories with our scalable, flexible, and comprehensive service-delivery model,” said John Heneghan, chief operating officer of ľ��AV. “We will leverage Encantado’s Centers of Excellence and innovation labs focused on IT operations, cloud, cybersecurity, software modernization, and artificial intelligence to maximize Sandia’s investments and achieve the labs’ long-term IT strategy.”

“The source selection team was concerned with striking the most advantageous balance between technical features, price and identified risk, which the Encantado proposal did,” said Sandia subcontract manager Alex Riebli.

“This new subcontract is a key element in ensuring we are committed to small business at every level. This could open opportunities for small businesses at every cost level because this proves they can compete,” said Sandia Small Business program manager Paul Sedillo. “This is big for the future, not just for Sandia, but for other sites that will see we were able to achieve this award, and others will most likely follow suit. Sandia is leading the way in awarding this major small business, high-dollar, highly visible subcontract.”

Contact
Shaun Poulton, Encantado Partner
shaun.poulton@edgewaterit.com
(301) 327-0169

About Encantado Technical Solutions, LLC
Encantado Technical Solutions, LLC is a Small Business Administration (SBA) approved Mentor-Protégé Joint Venture between Edgewater Federal Solutions, Inc. and ľ��AV Federal, LLC. Encantado delivers leading-edge IT solutions to help federal civilian and defense customers achieve mission success.

About Edgewater Federal Solutions, Inc.
Edgewater Federal Solutions, Inc. was founded in 2003 and has a long-standing record of excellence in supporting its federal customers, particularly the Department of Energy (DOE). Edgewater supports over 20 DOE customers, including program, staff, and site offices as well as management and operating contractors (M&Os). The company’s services include enterprise IT, IA and cybersecurity, business process optimization, systems engineering, program management, and data science and analytics.�� Edgewater is a repeated awardee of such honors as Washington Post Best Work Places and Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies. Edgewater holds CMMI, ISO, and FedRAMP certifications, and its’ motto of “Our People. Your Edge.” signifies the value and importance that the company holds for its’ employees.�� Visit for more information.

About ľ��AV Federal, LLC
ľ��AV, a segment of ASGN, delivers advanced solutions in cloud, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), application and IT modernization, science, and engineering. The company solves critical, complex challenges for customers across the U.S. public sector, defense, intelligence, and commercial industries. ľ��AV maintains partnerships with leading cloud, cybersecurity, and AI/ML providers and holds specialized certifications in their technologies. Headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia, ľ��AV has more than 3,000 employees throughout the United States. For more information, visit ľ��AVtech.com.

ľ��AV’ parent company, ASGN Incorporated (NYSE: ASGN) is one of the foremost providers of IT and professional services in the technology, digital, creative, healthcare technology, engineering, life sciences, and government sectors. ASGN and its divisions are viewed as best in class across multiple industries and have built an outstanding reputation for excellence over the past 33 years. ASGN is based in Calabasas, California, with multiple offices throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. To learn more, visit .

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ľ��AV Awarded $28.8 Million USMC IT Service and Support Contract

ľ��AV PR — Wed, 16 Dec 2020 19:57:35 +0000

Company will support Marine Corps with cloud computing and software engineering solutions

Fairfax, Va. – December 16, 2020 – ľ��AV, a leader in advanced technology, science, and engineering solutions, has been awarded a five-year, $28.8 million contract by the United States Marine Corps (USMC) Department of Manpower and Reserve Affairs (M&RA). ľ��AV will provide M&RA with information technology service and support (ITSS), enabling the department to efficiently manage and expand their human resources initiatives across all active and reserve members of the USMC.

Through this firm-fixed-price (FFP) recompete contract, ľ��AV will build on previous work helping USMC develop agile resource and manpower allocation systems. Through application development, information technology service management (ITSM), program management, and information assurance (IA), ľ��AV will provide post-deployment software support to the department’s Manpower Information Portal (MIP), which contains all web content and applications managed by M&RA. ľ��AV will also support the department’s 50+ cloud-based applications, ensuring that M&RA meets the data center closure deadlines set by the Department of Defense’s (DoD) consolidation efforts.

To accomplish these objectives, ľ��AV will draw on their extensive expertise with Amazon Web Services (AWS) GovCloud, helping customers manage sensitive data and implement mission-oriented systems and applications. ľ��AV is an AWS Premier Consulting Partner and a next-generation Managed Service Provider (MSP) Partner.

ľ��AV has supported USMC for over 20 years, including designing and deploying the first M&RA cloud environment to meet DoD Impact Level 4 security requirements and receive an authority to operate (ATO) from Marine Corps Information, Command, Control, Communications, and Computers (IC4). The current ITSS project received the first ATO for cloud operations and it is the first MR&A workload to operate completely in the cloud.

“ľ��AV is honored to continue supporting the Manpower and Reserve Affairs mission,” said Luis “CC” Colon-Castro, vice president of mission systems at ľ��AV. “By deploying, securing, and innovating the Marine Corps cloud environments, ľ��AV continues to help our nation’s military solve their most pressing manpower challenges.”

“Manpower Information Systems Division is pleased to have ľ��AV on board supporting our mission and the Marines we serve,” said Paul D. Bennett, chief information officer of the MR&A Manpower Information Systems Division.

About ľ��AV
ľ��AV, a segment of ASGN, delivers advanced solutions in cloud, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), application and IT modernization, science, and engineering. The company solves critical, complex challenges for customers across the U.S. public sector, defense, intelligence, and commercial industries. ľ��AV maintains partnerships with leading cloud, cybersecurity, and AI/ML providers and holds specialized certifications in their technologies. Headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia, ľ��AV has more than 3,000 employees throughout the United States. For more information, visit ľ��AVtech.com.

About ASGN
ASGN Incorporated (NYSE: ASGN) is one of the foremost providers of IT and professional services in the technology, digital, creative, engineering, and life sciences fields across commercial and government sectors. Operating through its Apex, Oxford, and ľ��AV segments, ASGN helps leading corporate enterprises and government organizations develop, implement, and operate critical IT and business solutions through its integrated offering of professional staffing and IT solutions. Our mission is to be the most trusted partner for companies seeking highly skilled human capital and integrated solutions to fulfill their strategic and operational needs. For more information, visit us at

Contact
Luis “CC” Colon-Castro, Vice President of Mission Systems
703-270-1540
luis.coloncastro@ľ��AVtech.com

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Hackathons Fuel Innovation

ľ��AV PR — Tue, 08 Dec 2020 18:23:49 +0000

By Data and AI Center of Excellence and

When ten OpenBSD developers got together in a house in Calgary, Alberta in 1999 to innovate in what is recognized as one of the earliest intentional hackathons, they pioneered a practice that would lead to myriad technological breakthroughs over the following decades. Today, hackathons are well-attended, global events that attract the crème de la crème of the developer community.

Hackathons create the perfect mix of environmental and psychological factors necessary to fuel innovation, accelerate learning, and drive rapid results. Because the events are voluntary and recreational, the participants are usually quite passionate about what they do. These developers and technology enthusiasts demonstrate some of the best applications and improvisations of existing technologies, processes, and ideas for further innovation. A good hackathon usually concludes with the development of a tangible, low-fidelity product or prototype within the scheduled period. Hour-on-hour, these are very high productivity events.

“Amateurs talk strategy. Professionals talk logistics.”

Before: Plan and Prepare

Behind every well-executed, well-attended hackathon are hours of planning. From deciding the event venue to setting a theme, finalizing the format, and ensuring that the participants have access to the right software and hardware, the secret to a successful hackathon lies in the details.

Identify a Theme

Key to any hackathon is the problem statement or central theme of the event. Pain points within your own company are a great place to start—look for time-consuming processes, repetitive tasks, or practices that require extensive manual intervention. Discussions, interviews, and questionnaires are all helpful tools to triage, vet, and prioritize your hackathon topic.

Get Sponsored

Without an executive sponsor, it will be difficult to organize an event that attracts top talent. To find a sponsor, you must pitch a product idea or challenge that is both appealing and makes sense from a business perspective.

Define Success and Lay Ground Rules

You must set expectations for hackathon participants and judges alike. This means clearly defining success by creating a rubric to evaluate teams’ performances and outcomes. These parameters must be specific, measurable, actionable, relevant, and time bound. With this foundation, you must build a framework for variables such as team structure and ownership of topics.

A hackathon is a place for conversation to flow frankly and freely, where no idea or question is too small. To facilitate open and safe communication, it is essential to compile a team of SMEs and technical advisors to answer questions, guide participants, and assess outputs. This team should be strictly objective and neutral. SMEs should avoid caging creativity or restricting off-course ventures—encouraging unconventional approaches is the essence of these events.

During: Unleash Creativity

Once your hackathon begins, encourage participants to test the waters beyond the original question. The ultimate objective of a hackathon is not answering the problem statement or central question, but solving the problem at hand.

Set the Stage

Hackathons bring a wide array of developers, programmers, and coders under one roof and provide them free rein to bring their ideas to life within a set period. In practice, the events often feel more like Comic-Con than an enterprise retreat.

Over time, hackathons have also become increasingly thematic in nature, often extending beyond physical spaces. As digital innovations break new ground every day, a hackathon environment can even include an online forum and new virtual platforms as well. Ultimately, the idea is to make participants feel comfortable and ensure that cutting edge technological innovation is supported in a semi-formal environment.

Remind Teams to Document

Participating teams must document their assumptions, key findings, recommendations, workflows, wireframes, and UI/UX designs. They should be able to mine data and churn relevant insights in real time using advanced tools and methodologies. Similarly, a mock-up of how the minimum viable product (MVP) becomes fully operable within the larger scheme of operations should be mandatory. This will establish that the output will yield the expected results when fully developed and integrated into the system.

After: Reap the Harvest

The event is over. The prototype is ready and approved. The hackathon has successfully concluded. Or has it?

While hackathons provide a platform for recognizing talent and even creating start-up founders, the goal is to birth ideas that change the business. Hackathons provide a space for innovators to collaborate with each other and deliver real, consumable outputs outside the bounds of corporate regulations and employer policies. So, after the hackathon is the time to reap the harvest.

Pilot the MVP

Identify the near-term application of the MVP and conduct a pilot run. The pilot should be robust enough to test the prototype’s value against pre-defined success criteria and reveal the requirements for high-level investments and operating-model implications.

Create a Hackathon-Inspired Culture

The intrinsic value of a hackathon does not lie solely in its resulting innovations. While the creation of any new product, service, or processes is key to a successful hackathon, a greater victory lies in embedding a hackathon-inspired culture within development teams. By incorporating hackathon-inspired lessons into regular workflows, organizations will be surprised how much more they can achieve.

In Conclusion

The popular messaging apps GroupMe and Gmail and the mobile app development framework Apache Cordova have something interesting in common. Yes, they are owned by technology behemoths—Microsoft, Google, and Adobe, respectively—but more importantly, all three were founded as a direct result of hackathons.

Businesses, government agencies, and even social collectives have increasingly embraced hackathons as a powerful means to fast-track innovation, reduce turnaround time, and drive organizational agility. These events are key for pushing technology into new paradigms now and into the future.

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ASGN Incorporated Announces Acquisition of Integrated Solutions Management, Inc.

ľ��AV PR — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 16:37:55 +0000

Acquisition adds Elite ServiceNow technology and digital transformation expertise for federal government and commercial clients

RICHMOND, VA., December 1, 2020 — ASGN Incorporated (NYSE: ASGN), one of the foremost providers of IT and professional services in the technology, digital, creative, engineering and life sciences fields across commercial and government sectors, announced today the acquisition of (“ISM” or “the Company”). ISM brings industry-leading expertise in Internet of Things (IoT) technology, IT service and operations management. ISM will be integrated into ľ��AV’ Enterprise Business Solutions Group focused on delivering digital solutions to federal civilian and commercial customers.

Founded in Tampa, Florida in 1991 to deliver best-in-class IT consulting solutions, ISM is one of a small number of Elite ServiceNow partners in the government space. The Company has launched many of the most noteworthy ServiceNow deployments across public and private entities in industries such as defense, healthcare, transportation, finance and manufacturing. ISM supports highly-sensitive government customer needs across all ServiceNow product lines and was the first partner to deploy ServiceNow Connected Operations^® in North America. ISM brings approximately 75 highly technical employees to ľ��AV.

“We are very pleased to welcome the ISM team to ASGN,” said Ted Hanson, ASGN President and Chief Executive Officer. “Their talented professionals complement our rapidly growing ľ��AV segment. ISM’s proprietary IP provides a competitive edge to ServiceNow customer engagements. I am confident that this acquisition will position us to successfully deliver on some of the most complex digital transformations today.”

“ľ��AV has been organically building its ServiceNow capabilities over the past several years,” said George Wilson, President of ľ��AV. “To now acquire ISM, a strategic partner, and add one of the very few Elite ServiceNow providers to our team is a very compelling service offering. We look forward to working closely together on larger and even more complex system- and enterprise-level digital accounts.”

“After many years as a standalone company, ISM is excited to drive growth under ľ��AV,” said Marty Burke, President and Chief Revenue Officer of ISM. “Both companies share an unwavering dedication to service excellence, a drive to be first movers in new technologies and a commitment to employee education and training. These values will serve us well as we work together on behalf of our clients.”

About��ASGN Incorporated
ASGN Incorporated (NYSE: ASGN) is one of the foremost providers of IT and professional services in the technology, digital, creative, engineering and life sciences fields across commercial and government sectors. Operating through its Apex, Oxford and ľ��AV segments, ASGN helps leading corporate enterprises and government organizations develop, implement and operate critical IT and business solutions through its integrated offering of professional staffing and IT solutions. ASGN’s mission is to be the most trusted partner for companies seeking highly skilled human capital and integrated solutions to fulfill their strategic and operational needs. For more information, visit us at .

Safe Harbor
Certain statements made in this news release are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and involve a high degree of risk and uncertainty. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding our anticipated financial and operating performance.

All statements in this release, other than those setting forth strictly historical information, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results might differ materially. In particular, we make no assurances that the estimates of revenues and Adjusted EBITDA will be achieved. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include actual demand for ASGN or ISM services, the companies’ abilities to attract, train and retain qualified staffing consultants, the companies’ abilities to remain competitive in obtaining and retaining clients, the availability of qualified contract professionals, management of growth, continued performance and improvement of enterprise-wide information systems, the companies’ ability to manage litigation matters, the successful integration of ISM, the expected impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic on the companies’ competitive position and demand for each of our services and other risks detailed from time to time in reports filed with the SEC, including ASGN’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, as filed with the SEC on March 2, 2020, and ASGN’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2020, as filed with the SEC on May 11, 2020. We specifically disclaim any intention or duty to update any forward-looking statements contained in this news release.

Contacts
Ed Pierce
ASGN Chief Financial Officer
818-878-7900

Kimberly Esterkin
ADDO Investor Relations
310-829-5400
kesterkin@addoir.com

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ľ��AV Announces Strategic Partnership with ISM, a ServiceNow Elite Partner

ľ��AV PR — Thu, 12 Nov 2020 14:49:55 +0000

Companies will leverage the ServiceNow platform to provide connected operations and IT management and operations solutions to help companies succeed in the post-COVID digital landscape

FAIRFAX, Va. – November 12, 2020 – , a leading provider of advanced technology, science, and engineering solutions announced a partnership with , a business transformation accelerator that works with large organizations to drive successful Internet of Things (IoT) and IT strategies. ISM is a ServiceNow Elite Sales, Service, and Technology Partner, as well as the first Connected Operations North America Service Partner.

ľ��AV is an award-winning IT solutions provider with over 20 years’ experience helping large enterprise organizations pursue IT modernization and digital transformation strategies. The company currently manages IT engineering and IoT security aboard the naval ship USNS Mercy, which was recently deployed to provide civilian care amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Los Angeles. ľ��AV has also designed, deployed, and continues to manage major digital transformation strategies for government agencies, global hospitality companies, and other large enterprises with distributed operations. Recent and current engagements include service desk transformation, maintenance and technical support development, and human capital management for large federal customers.

ISM brings industry-leading expertise with IoT technology and IT service and operations management. ��Over the past seven years, ISM has deployed many of the most noteworthy ServiceNow deployments across the public and private sectors, including defense, healthcare, national laboratories, transportation, finance, manufacturing and managed service providers. In 2019, they launched a ServiceNow pilot program with transportation company TAPCO, using IoT data to manage and improve systems operations, field services, customer support, and asset management.

Together, ľ��AV and ISM will help large organizations leverage the ServiceNow platform and IoT capabilities to achieve new efficiencies, manage critical infrastructure and devices, and optimize operations in the post-COVID digital landscape. Additional bundled solutions focus on asset management, IT operations (continuity of infrastructure provisioning), and security operations designed to meet enterprise needs for remote workforce capabilities and cloud-based operations.��

“IoT represents a new frontier for government and industry alike,” said Martin Burke, president of ISM. “With ľ��AV’ experience, scale, and program-level expertise, this partnership will allow us to bring ISM’s IoT and ServiceNow offerings to new customers across the government and commercial sectors.”

“We are thrilled to partner with ISM,” said , president of ľ��AV. “From human capital and asset management to cloud development and SecOps, this partnership will empower companies to succeed with powerful IoT and ServiceNow tools.”

About ľ��AV��
ľ��AV, a segment of ASGN, delivers advanced solutions in cloud, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), application and IT modernization, science, and engineering. The company solves critical, complex challenges for customers across the U.S. public sector, defense, intelligence, and commercial industries. ľ��AV maintains partnerships with leading cloud, cybersecurity, and AI/ML providers and holds specialized certifications in their technologies. Headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia, ľ��AV has more than 3,000 employees throughout the United States. For more information, visit��ľ��AVtech.com.

About ISM
Integrated Solutions Management (ISM) is a business transformation accelerator for commercial enterprises and public agencies. As a ServiceNow Elite Sales, Services, and Technology partner, we help organizations move beyond yesterday’s workflows and silos towards digital enterprises that are more efficient, responsive, and ready for tomorrow. We do this by using FRITZ®, a business transformation methodology that combines sector and function-area fluency with the ServiceNow platform’s capabilities to create new ways of solving your challenges, expanding your opportunities, and raising your sights. For more information, visit

About ASGN��
ASGN Incorporated (NYSE: ASGN) is one of the foremost providers of IT and professional services in the technology, digital, creative, engineering, and life sciences fields across commercial and government sectors. Operating through its Apex, Oxford, and ľ��AV segments, ASGN helps leading corporate enterprises and government organizations develop, implement, and operate critical IT and business solutions through its integrated offering of professional staffing and IT solutions. Our mission is to be the most trusted partner for companies seeking highly skilled human capital and integrated solutions to fulfill their strategic and operational needs. For more information, visit us at��.��

Contact
John Heneghan, ľ��AV Senior Vice President of Enterprise Solutions
301-518-6990
john.heneghan@ľ��AVtech.com

Martin Burke, ISM President and Chief Risk Officer
703-930-9481
mburke@ism4it.com

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ľ��AV Announces Cloud Center of Excellence 2.0 Initiative Led By Dr. Imran Bashir

ľ��AV PR — Tue, 15 Sep 2020 14:44:14 +0000

Initiative will drive cloud innovation and efficiency across ľ��AV’ offerings

FAIRFAX, Va. – September 21, 2020 – , a leading provider of advanced technology, science, and engineering solutions is proud to announce the Cloud Center of Excellence (Cloud CoE) 2.0 Initiative. Building on the foundation of the Cloud CoE launched in 2013, this new initiative will enhance ľ��AV’ programs and provide new value to customers by investing and driving innovation in cloud computing technology.

The Cloud CoE 2.0 will be spearheaded by Dr. Imran Bashir, ľ��AV chief technical officer of cloud computing and vice president of emerging technologies. Dr. Bashir is an industry expert and thought leader in cloud technology with more than 25 years of hands-on experience with enterprise-level software systems, Big Data solutions, cloud computing, cloud economics, serverless computing, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) systems. He has managed complex data and application migration projects into cloud by establishing standards for system architecture and playbooks for cloud deployment and operations.

Dr. Bashir and his dedicated CoE team will provide cloud support across ľ��AV, while the larger Cloud Community of Interest (Cloud CoI) will leverage Cloud CoE resources to benefit individual programs. As companies mature their cloud strategies, ľ��AV will scale its approach to build solutions that meet enterprise cloud needs now and into the future, including:

Governance at Scale — enabling companies to leverage the full benefit of cloud computing by defining, standardizing, and constantly improving strategies, processes, and standard operating procedures (SOPs) across all cloud engagements
Security and Compliance — building a library of security compliant infrastructure as code, templates that establish a foundational network architecture customizable to specific projects
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning — leveraging the latest in AI and ML to drive innovation in cloud computing; deploying emerging technologies across ľ��AV programs and customer engagements

ľ��AV is an AWS Premier Partner and one of ten managed-service providers worldwide to maintain six AWS competencies. The company holds over 1000 certifications, accreditations, and awards across AWS, Google Cloud, IBM Cloud, and Microsoft Azure.

“Companies are no longer adopting cloud for one or two projects, but across their entire enterprises,” said Dr. Bashir “The Cloud CoE 2.0 initiative combines expert data scientists, cloud architects, and engineers with the resources, knowledge base, and processes to guide ľ��AV’ customers on their journeys to the cloud.”

”This initiative will create long-term value for ľ��AV’ customers. With Dr. Bashir’s leadership, the Cloud CoE will continue to help companies orchestrate their cloud initiatives and manage the cloud adoption lifecycle—from strategy, roadmap, design, migration, and application modernization to cybersecurity, compliance, and ongoing operations and support.
George WilsonPresident of ľ��AV

Contact
Imran Bashir, CTO of Cloud Computing and VP of Emerging Technologies
703-863-3264
imran.bashir@ľ��AVtech.com

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