Microsoft Corp. has joined Facebook Inc.’s cloud initiative which aims to develop and share data center infrastructure designs, The Next Web reported Tuesday. Citing a Microsoft blog article, Kaylene Hong writes the software company intends to contribute its cloud server specification for data center hardware to the Open Compute Project. Bill Laing, Microsoft’s corporate vice […] More

Sotera Defense Solutions will develop tools and provide services for the U.S. Navy‘s Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Atlantic under a potential $900 million contract. SPAWARSYSCEN intends for that equipment and work to help build, test and deploy C5ISR (command, control, communications, computers, combat Systems, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance), information operations, enterprise information services and space technologies, […] More

McKinsey & Co. has outlined the information technology agenda that businesses are likely to embrace in 2014 based on key challenges they faced during the past year. Björn Münstermann, Brent Smolinski and Kara Sprague, principals at McKinsey, propose various tips that could enable IT infrastructure managers to meet budgetary limits, protect business and develop new […] More

Lockheed Martin and EMC have partnered to invest $1 million to work with Israeli industry, government and academic institutions in bringing technology development opportunities to market, Reuters reported Sunday. Steven Scheer writes both companies will contract external parties such as Ben-Gurion University for cloud, data analytics and cyber technologies projects. “Our goal is to foster […] More

The National Nuclear Security Administration has received the final wind turbines for a wind farm in Amarillo, Texas that is being built by Siemens Government Technologies, the German conglomerate’s U.S. federal business organization. Siemens has set the operational date for the Pantex Renewable Energy Project as July 31, 2014 — nearly a year after NNSA and […] More

Lockheed Martin and Ocean Power Technologies have partnered to build a wave energy project worth $230 million off the coast of Australia The Standard reported Tuesday. Sean McComish writes the companies intend for the renewable energy source to help power navy bases and maritime surveillance programs. The project is scheduled to start in 2014 and […] More

Government agencies are increasingly looking to adopt practices of their counterparts in the private sector for taking paper documents and transforming them into an electronic format, according to Chuck Brooks, vice president and client executive for the Department of Homeland Security at Xerox. A former legislative affairs director for DHS’ science and technology directorate, Brooks […] More

A group pitching a method that works to consolidate related governmentwide services into one cross-agency entity says the concept could work for survivors of hurricanes and superstorms, NextGov reported Thursday. Joseph Marks writes that organizers of the proposed Smart Lean Government foresee agencies using shared technologies and management systems. “I think (disaster survivors) would be […] More

Red Hat named Autonomic Resources as its partner of the year award in the small/medium system integrator category during the Red Hat North America Partner Conference in Scottsdale, Ariz. Autonomic won the award for its SI public sector capabilities, highlighting its platform-as-a-service ARCWRX, solution, the company announced Wednesday. The ARCWRX was based on Red Hat’s […] More

Avaya’s Government Solutions subsidiary has been selected to provide communication and video services for National Security Technologies’ operations at the Department of Energy’s Nevada national security site. NSTec intends for the Avaya communications system to upgrade the voice and video infrastructure currently in use at the site, Avaya said Tuesday. Mike Paige, president and CEO of […] More

Agilent Technologies is working with the newly-established Duke Molecular Physiology Institute to help carry out translational research in chronic disease by using Agilent’s biology tools. The DMPI research team received a grant from Agilent to use the company’s tools as the institute aims to learn more about cardiovascular and other cartometabolic diseases, the company announced […] More

Seven early-stage ventures have been selected for an annual program backed by Accenture that works to help startups develop platforms for the financial services industry. The FinTech Innovation Lab London program offers senior-level mentoring services to guide entrepreneurs in commercializing their innovations and attracting prospective customers, Accenture said Monday. “In the past nine months, the […] More