Language in Pennsylvania

Language Services Associates (LSA) has been awarded a one-year contract by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to provide Over-the-Phone Interpretation (OPI) and Document Translation, Web Site Localization services. The contract, formerly managed by Language Line, offers three one-year extensions and has an anticipated value of $4 million per year. According to a survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, 19.5% of the U.S. population, and an estimated 1,080,279 Pennsylvania residents, speak a language other than English at home.

Increased security and streamlined access

Naval Air Station Lemoore has implemented the RAPIDGate Program to increase security and streamline access for the thousands of vendors, suppliers, service providers and contractors who access the installation. The program includes company enrollment, employee registration, employment status validation, identity authentication, background screening, biometric verification, and entry authorization for vendor, supplier, service provider and contractor employees that are not authorized a Common Access Card (CAC).

$3.9 million upfront for resuscitation devices

ZOLL Medical Corporation, a manufacturer of resuscitation devices and related software solutions, has been awarded a contract for Airworthy CCT defibrillators by the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency. If fully exercised, the potential revenue from the contract could approximate $30 million. The services that can order units against this contract are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies. The Department of Defense will provide an upfront payment of $3.9 million for ZOLL to procure parts to build units to comply with inventory requirements.

$25 million for checkpoint security screening

Rapiscan Systems has received an order from the U.S. Transportation Security Administration valued at approximately $25 million for multiple units of its Secure 1000 Single Pose advanced checkpoint security screening solution. The order is the first to be placed under the terms of OSI’s recently awarded, $173M Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract from the U.S. Transportation Security Administration for Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) solutions.

$1 million from a DoD contractor

Beacon Enterprise Solutions Group has received a purchase order of approximately $1 million from a DoD contractor. The purchase order is part of the Company’s three-year exclusive supplier agreement for IT products and services with the contractor, as part of the Space and Naval Warfare (“SPAWAR”) Systems Centers program. As part of the agreement, which began in May 2009, Beacon Enterprise Solutions has been selected to supply communications infrastructure equipment to the contractor. Through SPAWAR, the government is upgrading its IT infrastructure for the nation’s defense and logistics agencies. The overall value of the contract, which was awarded to nine different contractors, is valued at up to $500 million.

$4.4 million for U.S. Navy

Intellicheck Mobilisa, Inc. has received from the U.S. Navy a contract modification adding $4,483,398 of additional funding for the Company's Floating Area Network (FAN) and Littoral Sensor Grid wireless security buoy technology. The wireless security buoys provide a high-capacity communications network grid to provide real-time monitoring for marine environments. The buoys can include sensors for both environmental and homeland security purposes, including Water Quality, Oil Spill detection and Dirty Bomb detection.

$6.2 million for mobile biometric recognition

L-1 Identity Solutions has received a $6.2 million task order for HIIDE mobile biometric recognition devices to be deployed in areas of conflict as part of an existing customer agreement. Approximately half of the order is expected to ship in the fourth quarter with the remaining units expected to ship in the first half of 2010.

$2.4 million contract from the US Navy

Ocean Power Technologies has secured a $2.4 million contract from the US Navy to provide OPT’s PowerBuoy wave energy conversion system to the Navy’s Littoral Expeditionary Autonomous PowerBuoy (LEAP) program. This contract is the initial award under a proposed four-year $15.0 million project concerning the LEAP system that has been established to enhance the US Navy’s anti-terrorism and force protection capability by providing persistent power at sea for port maritime surveillance in the near coast, harbors, piers and offshore areas. The system capability includes detection, tracking and communication of information on a timely basis. Certain aspects of the system will be provided by sub-contractors to OPT, including Rutgers University and Mikros Systems Corporation.

Small businesses awarded

Versar, Inc. is one of sixteen small businesses awarded a five year, $3 billion ID/IQ contract by the Department of the Air Force’s Center for Engineering and the Environment (AFCEE). The Worldwide Environmental Restoration and Construction (WERC 09) contract scope allows for environmental restoration services, traditional construction, and services in support of the Military Munitions Response Program.

Campbell Union High School District to save $0.25m pa

Campbell Union High School District, located in Silicon Valley, has deployed Citrix XenDesktop™ with HDX™ technology for more than 8,000 students and faculty beginning with the 2009-2010 school year. The school district will improve security, simplify desktop management and realize an estimated savings of $250,000 each year compared to standard desktop purchasing – with additional savings expected as their desktop virtualization project continues to expand.

Serving more than 7,600 students across seven campuses, Campbell Union High School District first explored desktop virtualization as a way to help bring down skyrocketing hardware and IT management costs. The district’s IT team serves the computing needs of all students, as well as 650 employees and faculty members. In addition to personal PCs for staff members and student laptops in each classroom, each campus also provides multiple computer labs for instruction and student use. The maintenance, security, upkeep and refresh cycle for all those PCs and laptops was placing a real strain on the district’s budget. Desktop virtualization dramatically simplifies this process, allowing IT to manage all desktops from a central location while delivering a rich, personalized experience to each user, regardless of their location or the device they are using. (Charles Kanavel, director of technology for Campbell Union High School District.)

One-to-Watch: SUMS Online will soon arrive in the US with a web site at www.sumsmath.com.

Forms development services

Island Insurance has selected Decision Research Corporation (DRC), a rating and policy processing software solution provider to the property & casualty insurance industry, to provide forms development services for multiple lines of business, both personal and commercial. Island Insurance uses the HP Exstream Document Automation system for their document automation software needs. During this engagement, DRC will be working with Island to convert nearly 300 documents, including declaration packets, correspondence and invoices. Island Insurance Company, Ltd. is Hawaii’s largest locally owned and managed insurance carrier, offering a full range of property and casualty protection. Founded in downtown Honolulu in 1939, Island Insurance has been serving Hawaii’s families and businesses for 70 years. www.islandinsurance.com. (Jeff Fabry, CIO at Island Insurance.)

Equipment dealer invests in software

Butler Machinery, a Caterpillar equipment dealer, has licensed the Lawson for Equipment Service Management and Rental Suite, a software system designed for heavy equipment manufacturers, distributors and rental companies. Butler will use the Lawson solution to help promote efficiency within the company and position it for growth. In addition, Butler will use the Lawson Human Resource Management Suite to support its HR-related activities. Butler is a privately held, third-generation Caterpillar equipment dealer. The company focuses on construction, mining, power generation and agricultural industries. The company has 11 dealer locations providing sales, rental, parts and service and employs more than 600 associates, with many in service-related positions. (Twylah Blotsky, director of IT, Marketing and Six Sigma for Butler Machinery.)

$12 million by City of Chicago

The city of Chicago has signed a $12 million agreement with Sprint for five years of wireless services. The contract calls for Sprint to provide wireless services to all government departments for the city, including voice and data solutions, the new and rapidly expanding Sprint 4G technology, and a continuance of its Nextel Direct Connect. Renewing the wireless services contract will help the government entities work more efficiently while cutting costs.

Enhanced signal processing

DSPCon, a supplier of data acquisition, analysis, archiving and recording solutions for high-value military, aerospace and rotating machinery applications, has been awarded a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Contract by the US Air Force to continue development of an optimized processing platform to enhance signal processing capabilities in Propulsion Health Management (PHM) systems.

Point to point connectivity

Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization (DITCO), the contracting arm of the Department of Defense (DoD)’s Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), has purchased point to point connectivity services from GTT to support their internal network infrastructure. DITCO-Scott (PL8)’s mission is to procure global net-centric capabilities to support our customers in the continental United States through innovative contracting. DITCO is responsible for the procurement of commercial Information Technology (IT) services and equipment required by DoD agencies and other U.S. Government agencies. http://www.disa.mil/.

$6.5m to reduce engine vibration

MTI Instruments, Inc. (“MTII”) has received a new multi-year contract for repairs and services on the PBS-4100 and PBS-4100PLUS vibration and balancing system the U.S. Air Force (USAF). This contract has a potential value of $6.5M over the full 5-year term. PBS-4100 systems are used to automatically collect and record aircraft engine vibration data, identify vibration or balance trouble, and calculate a solution to the problem. This reduces engine vibration while extending engine life and lowering fuel costs.

$11.7 million on network

LGS, a subsidiary of Alcatel-Lucent dedicated to serving the U.S. government community, has been awarded an $11.7 million delivery order, to provide network installation and integration and professional services for a communications infrastructure upgrade to the United States Department of the Army. The delivery order, which has a total potential value of $30.7 million if all options are exercised, will involve a variety of communications network projects at Fort Benning in Georgia. Fort Benning and its Infantry Center is one of the Army’s busiest installations, with more than 130,000 soldiers and civilians. The installation provides extensive training for soldiers and leaders for today’s combat situations while developing and planning for requirements for the future.

LGS will provide all labor, supervision, management, tools, materials, equipment, facilities, transportation and design to upgrade Fort Benning’s data network and perform tasks in preparation for Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC). As a part of this process, Fort Benning will grow to accommodate operations of other bases that have closed. The LGS work includes the upgrading of four area distribution nodes, which serve as a main data communications hub, as well as wireless infrastructure to connect new buildings.

The delivery order award is under the Infrastructure Modernization (IMOD) contract and is in support of the Program Executive Office, Enterprise Information Systems (PEO EIS) Installation Information Infrastructure Modernization Program (I3MP) managed by the Project Manager, Network Service Center (NSC) at Fort Monmouth, N.J.

Mobile banking application

U.S. Bank has launched the Mobile Wallet, a new free downloadable mobile banking application that allows more convenient banking access on the go to its customers. The bank is collaborating with Firethorn Holdings, LLC, a Qualcomm company, to provide the technology behind the Mobile Wallet. The Mobile Wallet allows U.S. Bank customers to check balances, review transaction history, transfer funds between accounts, check rewards balances and view special offers from U.S. Bank. (Mac McCullough, executive vice president for the enterprise revenue office at U.S. Bank.)

San Mateo CU adopts document preparation engine

San Mateo Credit Union has deployed IMM’s TotaleAtlas, a document preparation engine that captures signatures electronically in-branch, and TotaleAtlasWeb, which captures signatures remotely via the Web. TotaleAtlas was previously integrated with the credit union’s core system and now additionally supports its third-party loan origination system, making San Mateo CU’s document output a fully automated, paperless process. (Pete Kneisler, vice president of information technology at San Mateo CU.)

Florida firm has end-to-end claims management

United Automobile Insurance Company (UAIC) and Guidewire Software, a leading provider of flexible core systems to property/casualty insurers, have successfully deployed Guidewire ClaimCenter as a new end-to-end claims management system. The company has also selected Guidewire BillingCenter to provide single system agency- and direct-bill functionality for its entire organization. (Abraham Estevez, chief information officer, UAIC.)

United Automobile Insurance Company (UAIC) was incorporated on March 2, 1989 in Florida to provide a high quality and low cost insurance product to the non-standard automobile insurance market. The company is family owned and is one of the largest privately held property and casualty insurance companies in the United States.