Joining NJVC: A Professional Plateau

This week I begin a new and exciting phase of my professional career by joining the NJVC Enterprise Management Team!

For those unfamiliar, NJVC is one of the largest information technology (IT) solutions providers supporting the United States Department of Defense. The company provides quality IT solutions to the federal government and specializes in supporting intelligence, defense and geospatial organizations, including its largest customer, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). NJVC has more than 1,100 employees located in three offices, including its headquarters in Vienna, Va., and facilities in Arnold and St. Louis, Mo.

In joining the company as an Engineering Fellow, my initial and complementary duties will be to:

• Serve as an Enterprise Management Officer on a team of watch officers responsible for delivering high satisfaction to our customers through efficient management of day-to-day activities; and
• Support the company's newly announced cloud computing solution, specifically designed to address the unique security requirements of the intelligence and defense communities.

As my regular readers know, the use of cloud computing technologies to support DoD and intelligence community missions is a personal passion. NJVC is realizing this promise by implementing a secure, reliable and cost-effective private cloud solution powered by the Appistry CloudIQ Platform. I am proud to join NJVC in providing this solution offering to its customers, allowing them to concentrate resources on their core missions. The value of the cloud computing approach was clearly demonstrated during a secure cloud computing pilot study at the company's Center for Technology Integration facility, which accurately simulates the enterprise environment of a large intelligence community network. Pilot result analysis showed astounding performance gains.

I look forward to continuing this ongoing dialog with you, my readers, and welcome your comments and/or inquiries.

Our commitment is unwavering.
Day in and day out, our 1000+ dedicated and talented employees go to extraordinary lengths to provide the best IT services possible, so our customers are free to concentrate on their mission. NJVC provides a full lifecycle of secure, innovative ITIS solutions for some of the world's most demanding customers. With a passion for doing things faster, better and smarter - and technical expertise to deliver - NJVC is driven by your mission.

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DoD Deputy CIO on Secure Information Sharing

Today on Federal Executive Forum, Dave Wennergren, Deputy CIO, Office of the Secretary of Defense, shared his views on secure information sharing.



Mr. David M. Wennergren serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Information Management, Integration and Technology / Deputy Chief Information Officer, providing top-level advocacy in creating a unified information management and technology vision for the Department and ensuring the delivery of the capabilities required to achieve the Department's transformation to net centric operations. In addition to his duties as Deputy CIO, Mr. Wennergren is the Vice Chair of the U.S. Government's Federal CIO Council. He also serves as the Chair of the Department of Defense Identity Protection and Management Senior Coordinating Group.

Joining Mr. Wennergren in this discussion were:

• Greg Schaffer, Assistant Secretary for CyberSecurity & Communications, DHS; and
• Priscilla Guthrie, CIO, Office of the Director for National Intelligence

Ms. Priscilla Guthrie joined the ODNI as the Chief Information Officer on May 26, 2009. She was previously Director of the Information Technology and Systems Division of the Institute for Defense Analyses, a non-profit corporation that administers three federally funded research and development centers to provide objective analyses of national security issues. As Assistant Secretary for CS&C, Mr. Schaffer works within NPPD to lead the coordinated efforts of CS&C and its components, including the National Cyber Security Division, the Office of Emergency Communications, and the National Communications System.


See the entire discussion starting today, February 3, 2010, at 2:00pm on the Federal Executive Forum

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Training Conference: Cloud Computing for DoD & Government

Please join me at the Cloud Computing for DoD & Government training conference, February 22-24, 2010 at the Hilton Old Town in Alexandria, VA. This unique conference agenda blends interactive workshops and actionable information with an unprecedented opportunity to network with government cloud computing leaders.

The conference kicks-off Monday with class-room style sessions where attendees will examine the strategies behind cloud standards and security. The second day features presentations from leading government cloud implementors, prepared to share their real world experiences and learnings. Speakers include:

• Patrick Dowd, Chief Architect, NSA - "Requirements for Collaboration in the Cloud"
• Peter Tseronis, Deputy Associate CIO, US Dept. of Energy - "The Federal Cloud Computing Initiative and the Progress-to-Date"
• Dr. Stephen M. Jarrett, CTO ISR/IO/IA & Cyber Security, US Navy SPAWAR - "Securing Cloud-Based Applications"
• June Hartley, CIO Department of Interior - "Application Hosting and Cloud Computing"
• Henry Sienkiewicz, Technical Program Director, DISA - "Cloud Computing with RACE"

Day three is also fully loaded featuring:

• Maj Gen Stephen Gross, USAFR, Mobilization Asst to the Chief of Warfighting Integration and CIO - "The USAF's Position and Initiatives in Cloud Computing"
• William C. Barker, Chief Cybersecurity Advisor, NIST - "Applying Various Virtualization Techniques within the Cloud"
• Peter Mell, Cloud Computing Project Lead & Senior Computer Scientist, NIST / James Tsujimoto, Office of Government Wide Policy, GSA - "Cloud Computing: Secure and Effective Use"
• Dr. Mary Ann Malloy, Warfighter Architecting, The MITRE Corporation - "Tactical Cloud Computing"

I will also be giving a presentation, "Supporting DoD Operations with Cloud Computing", on the third day.

The regular price for attending this three day event is $999. Discounts are available for members of the Military, Government and Academia. I have also arranged for an additional $150 discount for "Cloud Musings" readers that sign-up for all three days. To get this special discount download the booking form and fax to (416) 597-4721 or simply call Mark Osborne at (416) 597-4721.




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Review: Executive's Guide to Cloud Computing by Eric Marks and Bob Lozano

Recently, I had the privilege of reviewing an advance copy of Executive's Guide to Cloud Computing by Eric Marks and Bob Lozano. Available now for pre-order on Amazon, this guide is a crystal ball into the future of business. Not a technical treatise, this excellent book is an insightful description of how cloud computing can quickly sharpen the focus of information technology and line executives onto the delivery of real value. Using clear prose, Eric and Bob explain how cloud computing elevates IT from it's traditional support role into a new and prominent business position.

In Chapter 4: Strategic Implications of Cloud Computing, the reader will learn why the cloud will soon become a mainstream component of every chief information officer's toolkit. By skilfully blending business environment context and business model evolution, the authors build a strong case for the inevitability of cloud computing. For me, the key takeaway was Chapter 5: Cloud Computing Adoption Lifecycle, within which an effective and efficient methodology for adopting cloud computing was presented.

I commend Eric and Bob for producing what will soon become a leading industry reference. If you're serious about leveraging cloud computing for the business value it provides, I urge you to place your advance order today.





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DoD Cloud Computing Session at 5th International Cloud Expo

I'm happy to announce that I will be presenting on DoD Cloud Computing Advances at the 5th International Cloud Expo, April 19-21, 2010 at the Javits Convention Center in New York City. My session will examine specific projects and mission goals that are driving the cloud computing projects at the Defense Information Systems Agency, the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency and the Central Intelligence Agency.

Registration for this event is now available.  If you have any specific areas you would like for me to cover, just leave you comment or suggestion right here. I look forward to seeing you there!



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