Technology

A partnership between Verizon and Avaya will help the Social Security Administration deploy unified communications systems in support of the agency's information technology modernization efforts. “Together with our partners at Avaya, Verizon will support the SSA's mission and deliver critical digital transformation and modernization solutions the SSA needs for the more than 65 million Americans who rely on its services,” said Jennifer Chronis, vice president of Verizon's federal business.

Raytheon Technologies' intelligence and space business has been selected by the U.S. Air Force to provide technology for the service branch's upcoming fleet of Joint Light Tactical Vehicles to detect hostile fire locations.

SambaNova Systems has entered into a partnership agreement with the National Nuclear Security Administration to help two NNSA-sponsored laboratories integrate artificial intelligence platforms into the facilities' computing infrastructure.

NCI Information Systems has entered an academic partnership with Mercyhurst University to advance NCI’s artificial intelligence (AI) technology for the federal government. “We’re excited to work with Mercyhurst University to further augment the NCI Empower AI platform,” said Paul Dillahay, president and CEO of NCI and a 2020 Wash100 Award recipient.

The Department of Energy has cleared a funding vehicle worth potentially $1.355B for a public power consortium-led project that includes construction of a small modular reactor plant by NuScale Power, which Fluor holds a majority stake in. Fluor said Monday it plans to support Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems and NuScale in establishing a clean-energy SMR system through UAMPS' Carbon Free Power Project.

Blue Origin is working to convince the U.S. Air Force to continue to fund the development of the New Glenn rocket in order to get it certified to perform national security missions, SpaceNews reported Monday. “We’re discussing with the Air Force the path forward for certification,” said Megan Mitchell, director of government and legislative affairs at Blue Origin.

Toni Townes-Whitley, president of U.S. regulated industries at Microsoft, told Federal News Network in an interview posted Monday that the COVID-19 pandemic prompted agencies to advance the move to the cloud to facilitate remote work and the transition to a zero trust model.

Bill Wright, director of federal government affairs at Splunk, wrote in a Federal Times article posted Monday that agencies should provide employees with training and reskilling opportunities to prepare them for rising data volumes.

Lumen Technologies has launched a digital procurement platform to  simplify the way businesses buy their networking, edge cloud and security solutions, the company reported on Monday. Lumen’s self-service online portal will enable customers to configure, order, purchase and deploy new products. This new digital buying experience is a foundational part of that," said Shaun Andrews, Lumen chief marketing officer.

Accenture announced Monday the release of its 2020 Cyber Threatscape Report. Drawing upon the company’s cyber threat intelligence (CTI) capabilities, the report has analyzed the tactics, techniques and procedures of sophisticated cyber adversaries, as well as projected how threats will evolve. we’ve seen a wide range of cyber adversaries changing their tactics to take advantage of new vulnerabilities,” said Josh Ray.

The number of Starlink satellites SpaceX has deployed to orbit reached 835 following Sunday's launch of an additional 60 units from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, CBS reported Monday.

One of the two Naval Undersea Warfare Center divisions will host multiple virtual industry days this month to provide insights into how small businesses can pursue U.S. Navy business opportunities. NUWC Division Newport partnered with the National Contract Management Association's Rhode Island chapter to facilitate the webinars on Oct. 20, 22, 27 and 29, Naval Sea Systems Command said Friday.

NASA expects the Space Launch System's core stage to undergo a hotfire test by Nov. 14 if the wet dress rehearsal slated for late October goes as planned, SpaceNews reported Thursday. The agency collaborates with Boeing and Aerojet Rocketdyne to complete testing work on the four-engine SLS rocket at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.

Defense contractors are working on artificial intelligence-powered sensors and other partially autonomous machines that could help the U.S. Army process images and identify targets, Breaking Defense reported Thursday.

Google has updated search engine features to provide voters information about where they can find a voting facility or a drop box near their locations to cast votes in the presidential election. "Search for things like “early voting locations” or “ballot drop boxes near me” and you'll find details on where you can vote in person or return your mail-in ballot, whether you're voting early or on Election Day," Yunhan Xu, a Google product manager, wrote in a blog post published Friday.