The FAA released an RFI for data services under the Aeronautical Communication Services (ACS) contract on June 10. The solicitation calls out services supporting the exchange of data between various FAA systems and facilities. Responses are due on July 10, 2014.
The contract would support the transfer of data products to and from the following networks and systems:
National Airspace Data Interchange Network (NADIN)
Tower Data Link Services (TDLS)
Traffic Flow Management System (TFMS)
Advanced Technologies and Oceanic Procedures (ATOP)
Dynamic Oceanic Tracking System (DOTS)
Meteorological Data Collection and Reporting System (MDCRS)
In mid-May, AFCEA brought together industry and DOD leadership at the well-attended Joint Information Environment Symposium in Baltimore, MD. Government leaders from all of the service branches, along with a large presence from DISA, spoke about their future priorities and plans for JIE implementation, as well as the challenges and accomplishments they have encountered along the way thus far. The speakers were unified in their commitment to the JIE concept as they drive forward with execution.
Though JIE is not a program of record with funded dollars (but this could change with the 2015 NDAA), its implementation is the DOD’s top priority in the current fiscally constrained environment. JIE looks to eliminate inefficiencies in delivery of enterprise services and improve cyber defense through consolidation to a single security architecture. There are many ways that industry can assist with the DOD’s execution of JIE – here are two big JIE topics that present opportunity for industry:
If you’ve sat through our briefings or articles, you’ve no doubt heard us emphasize that the JIE is not a program of record. It doesn’t have a budget or a program manager and remains a concept focused on interoperability and a shared security architecture. Sure, recent funded activities like Joint Regional Security Stack (JRSS) and Multi Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) which are aimed at increasing bandwidth and consolidating security architecture are being publicly framed by those involved as being in the spirit of the JIE. However, there remains no authoritative framework defining whether this or that program is part of the JIE.
Verizon recently released its annual Data Breach Investigations Report with security incident information from 49 organizations across 95 countries. Though the report is not a comprehensive account of security incidents that occurred in 2013, it is a representative sample of security incidents to date. This is the tenth year that Verizon has conducted such analyses; it showcases the results of historical security data with the most common overall threat patterns, actors, victims and affected industries.
As today’s government shutdown clearly illustrates, it’s hard to get anything done when two parties are so far apart in their beliefs. Could the same communication breakdown be occurring between government marketers and our prospective customers?
At some point (hopefully soon), they’ll be back at their desks browsing the Web, opening our email on mobile devices, and maybe venturing out of the office once or twice a year to meet with industry face-to-face (assuming they’ve been given the proper hall pass). If we want to capture their attention, we have to follow their lead.
The study identifies how government employees plan to obtain the information and training they used to receive from live events. Its aim is to give contractors current insights into their target customer base that will help them refocus their efforts to reach government prospects.
I’ve written extensively about the challenges we’ve encountered with live events over the past 18 months, and the study provides data that supports our concerns. It also gives recommendations on what to do about it.
An interesting part of the study highlights a potential gulf between the way we want to market to the government and how our customers want to find information. It’s summarized in the graphic below.
This data held a few surprises for me:
It’s easy to see that contractors have shied away from print advertising in trade publications just from picking one up, but interesting that customers still rate them so highly;
Only 21 percent of contractors surveyed think government will get information and training online. Really? There’s this cool new thing called the Internet…
Apparently, we in the contracting community think prospects are much more interested in talking to us directly than they appear to be.
There are plenty of other nuggets in here that make it a worthwhile read. I hope you’ll check out the study!
It’s rare for conference organizers, associations, media outlets, or other thought leaders to host events that are specifically targeted at the federal marketer. It’s even less common to find two of them scheduled within a few weeks of one another. But that’s exactly what’s happening right now, so I wanted to make sure my colleagues in the public sector marketing community don’t miss out on these great opportunities to learn from their peers.
On June 21, the Government Marketing Forum will present the results of the recent Market Connections 2012 Government Contractor Study. The event, Best BD and Marketing Practices of Winning Government Contractors, will be held on June 21 from 6:00 to 8:30 pm at the Marriott Tysons Corner. immixGroup is a sponsor of this event, and both Steve Charles and I have helped this organization’s steering committee in the past. We’ve come to expect great things from Market Connections and their survey work, and this event should be no exception. You can register here: https://www.governmentmarketingforum.org/.
On July 12, the GovMark Councilhosts its annual awards ceremony and executive luncheon at its own event, What’s Hot in Federal IT Marketing. The event is held at 2941 Restaurant from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. I was honored to be selected as a judge on the awards panel this year, and I can tell you there are some really creative, interesting, and effective marketing campaigns being presented. Categories include Best Awareness/Educational Program, Best Event Program, Best Digital Program, Best Lead Generation Program, and more. In addition, the Council will share and discuss the results of its own research, Selling to Uncle Sam: The 2012 Federal IT Marketing Investment Study, which reveals the top trends in federal marketing tactics and spending. Register here: www.govmarkcouncil.org/event071212.asp.
With so many changes taking place in the public sector marketing environment, I think it’s important for us to keep on top of the latest information, share best practices with our peers, and adjust our strategies accordingly. Attending one, or both, of these events will help you do just that.
by Mohamad Elbarasse, Analyst
