ExecutiveBiz ExecutiveBiz covers emerging companies in Washington's government contracting sector.

Northrop Grumman is looking to sell TASC, its unit that advises military and intelligence agencies in a deal that could be worth up to $1 to $2 billion. The Department of Defense has tightened its conflict-of-interest rules this year as ordered by Congress on firms like Northrop’s TASC. Many contractors …

EVENTS | On Saturday, Oct. 17, more than 600 military, government, corporate and community leaders will join in support of military members and their families at the 2009 Fire and Ice Ball. With two months to go, how are preparations going? Here’s what the event’s co-chairs — Jim Sheaffer of …

IBM researchers in conjunction with Paul W. K . Rothemund of the California Institute of Technology are working on a new technology that is will allow them to arrange DNA origami structures on surfaces that are compatible with current semiconductor manufacturing equipment capabilities. This research is part of an ongoing …

After just seven more missions to the International Space Station (ISS), the Space Shuttle will retire without a replacement.  Ex-Lockheed Martin CEO Norm Augustine, chair of the United States Human Space Flight Plans Committee review, has published his committee’s findings, and NASA’s budgetary future looks bleak. Augustine told PBS “the human space flight …

EDS’s Indian subsidiary, MphasiS, has reached a deal to purchase the India-based IT services and solutions unit of American International Group (AIG). Financial terms were not disclosed.  AIG Systems Solutions Private Ltd has more than 800 staff in Chennai and Kolkata, according to an MphasiS statement. MphasiS, a subsidiary of EDS …

The Navigation Systems Division (NSD) under Northrop Grumman Corp. has been re-certified in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001/AS9100. It was awarded to the Woodland Hills, California; Salt Lake City and Norfolk, VA locations. This achievement indicates that the company’s quality management system is up to par with international …

Last week, Northrop Grumman stole the show at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International’s conference and exhibition in Washington D.C., the largest event of its kind.  The company’s scope of offerings in unmanned vehicles is so great that E.J. “Gene” Fraser, a VP in the company’s strike and surveillance systems …

Qwest has been asked by the Public Service Commission (PSC), which regulates utilities in the state of Montana, to reassess a federal grant proposal that would bring broadband internet access to rural areas that are currently being neglected. According to Ken Toole, Vice Chairman of PSC, Qwest is missing an …

CYBERSECURITY | The other day, industry experts weighed in here about the consequences of the White House delaying announcement of the cyber security coordinator. Some, like Amit Yoran, have argued that it’s best the White House take its time. (“Speed of search is a factor, but much less so in …

Albert Gonzales, 28, believed by police to be one of the nation’s largest cyber crime kingpins, was indicted Monday along with two Russian accomplices for the largest hacking/identity theft caper in U.S. history. Federal prosecutors allege the trio stole data from 130 million credit and debit cards worldwide by hacking …

Move over, China and India, IBM is betting that the next developing technology hotspot will be Brazil.  The company has announced a new initiative to stimulate country’s developing technology sector. For starters, IBM will host its first-ever forum for São Paulo venture capitalists and entrepreneurs and FINEP, the Brazilian government organization dedicated …

While the bulk of stimulus funding earmarked for state recovery efforts comes with conditions, a small amount comes with the freedom for officials to do with what they please. According to a recent report published by the Council of State Governments, states are spending $8.8 billion in discretionary funding in …

Q&A | You know that GPS on your dashboard? You may have Karlu Rambhala to thank for keeping it on track. As president and CEO of Avineon, a global technology company specializing in information technology, geospatial, and engineering services for government and private industry, Rambhala has overseen Avineon’s increased focus …

New research suggests that during last year’s five-day war between Russia and Georgia, Russian hackers used a combination of hijacked American identities and U.S. software tools to carry out an attack on Georgian governmental websites. A major issue with cyber warfare is that current military and international agreements do not …

WEB 2.0 & MILITARY | Recently, we all heard the US Marine Corps banned the use of Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace for its active soldiers. So far, the reaction is mixed. “Banning such innovation seems like an archaic, knee-jerk response and I imagine in the not-to-distant future the militaries of …