Artificial Intelligence

Pentagon Seeks TurboTax-Like Tool for Artificial Intelligence Purchases

It’s part of a new acquisition model that would explore the potential of pursuing contracts outside the Federal Acquisition Regulation, mixed with traditional contracts.

Cybersecurity

Pentagon Plans Single-Award $11B IT Contract

The Defense Enclave Services contract could go out for bid as soon as late September.

Emerging Tech

Air Force to Craft a Quantum Information Science Strategy—and Wants Help

The service is on the lookout for a contractor with a proven track record in the quantum development space.

Digital Government

VA Awards Sole Source Contract to Upgrade, Automate Its COVID-19 Visualization Tool

Contracting officials justified the $1.5 million award by citing a $6 million price tag to fully replace the tool.

Cybersecurity

Pentagon Acquisition Chief Clarifies Temporary Extension for Implementing Chinese Equipment Ban

A recent memo allows vendors additional time to comply with Section 889 for certain low-risk goods, but the department is not seeking mass extensions, Ellen Lord told reporters.

Emerging Tech

Homeland Security Testing Lab Wants to Hear About the Best Temperature Screening Tools in the Market

The tools will be assessed and included on a list of recommended products for federal and local emergency responders and law enforcement.

Modernization

Technology Transformation Acting Director Talks Service’s Business Model and Future

Bob De Luca, the acting director of GSA’s Technology Transformation Service joins Nextgov to talk about how the program stays competitive, lessons from COVID-19 and what the next director needs to know.

Artificial Intelligence

The Pentagon’s AI Factory Gets a Powerful New Tool

The Joint Common Foundation aims to help the Department to standardize and secure its data and make it easier to find.

Modernization

FPDS Reports Will Officially Move to beta.SAM by Mid-October

Users will no longer be able to run contract award reports through FPDS.gov, though that site will retain other capabilities.

Ideas

Why Agencies Need to Spend a Little to Gain a Lot

Innovation funds have the potential to turn up effective and less expensive ways to confront today's challenges.

Podcasts

Critical Update: GSA's Centers of Excellence Program Evolves

The Centers of Excellence program started out working with agencies one at a time. But in less than three years, the program has sped up, staffed up and spread out across government.

Modernization

Pentagon Requests More Time to Review JEDI Cloud Contract Bids

The Defense Department says it wants to further discuss Microsoft’s and Amazon Web Services’ pricing.

Modernization

Agencies Off-Pace to Switch to New Telecom Contract Before Cutoff Date, GAO Says

The latest FITARA scorecard showed what percentage of operations have moved off old infrastructure contracts—and the numbers aren’t good. 

Modernization

VA Restarts Electronic Health Record Rollout

The initial deployment at a Spokane, Washington, medical center is now scheduled for October, while the new scheduling system will begin rolling out in August.

Modernization

How CBP Plans to Spend—and Repay—Its $15M Modernization Fund Loan

Agency officials already completed the first phase of modernizing the nation’s second-largest revenue collection system but needed an infusion of cash to keep the momentum going.

Policy

Democratic Senators Join Industry Groups in Calls to Extend CARES Act Funding Authority for Contractors

Industry groups are asking for an extension for the authority to reimburse defense contractors during the COVID-19 pandemic.