Executive Mosaic’s Weekly News Round-Up
From Executive Mosaic President and Publisher Jim Garrettson
April 19, 2012
The big movement in GovCon right now is to Big Data and Analytics. Most recently, the White House initiated a $200 million research and development effort to foster innovation and the rest of the federal government is following suit, with at least five agencies signing on.
But, what are the specific Big Data applications and how is the playing field developing?
Intelligence gathering is a clear benefactor, but electronic health records, trade and immigration and financial payment systems are just a few examples of a host of other critical operations whose big data needs require unique strategies and capabilities.
That’s why we reached out to the top GovCon Executives in the fall issue of GovCon Exec magazinee to get the executive insider view on the different stages of adoption,end-to-end solutions, challenges ahead, the affect on the M&A market and so much more in our break through Big Data issue.
For insight to these questions and a forecast into the future role of big data in GovCon, pick up your copy today.
Michael Chertoff new Chairman of BAE Systems Inc. 
Almost two years after joining BAE Systems Inc.’s board of directors, former Homeland SecuritySecretary Michael Chertoff has been elected chairman of the U.S. subsidiary.
Retired Marine Corps Gen. Anthony Zinni previously held the chairman post and will continue to serve on the board through April 2014.
Chertoff serves on a number of government contracting bodies,joining the Noblis board of trustees in March and working alongsideKay Kapoor, managing director and chief executive of Accenture‘s federal practice, as part of that firm’s federal advisory board.
A co-author of the Patriot Act, he served as DHS secretary from 2005 to 2009 and as a Justice Department assistant attorney general between 2001 and 2003.
Rich Pineda Founds New Federal IT Contractor as CEO 
Rich Pineda, the former president of Dell‘s federal government services division, has joined forces with IT veterans Noel Samuel and Gino Antonelli to found a new federal IT contractor, named Spear.
Spear came together in February with Pineda serving as CEO and Samuel and Antonelli serving as CFO and COO, respectively.
The company will compete for federal IT services, consulting and business process outsourcing contracts and also serve private sector business partners.
Prior to leading Dell’s federal operations, Pineda served as the division’s COO and oversaw service delivery to civilian, defense and national security customers.
Air Force Awards $7B on NetCents IDIQ 
The U.S. Air Force handed out contracts worth $6.9 billion for networking and IT equipment on the long-awaited NetCents II contract, which carries an overall ceiling of more than $24 billion.
Rene LaVigne, CEO of awardee Iron Bow Technologies, said his firm will support Air Force data centers, biometrics, collaborative efforts and IT.
Other winners on the multiple-award vehicle for commercial off-the-shelf products include General Dynamics Information Technology, Global Technology Resources Inc. and GTSI Corp.
Contract awards will support global information grid architecture, defense information infrastructure and secure global networks .
Harris Taps CIO Ted Hengst to Lead Enterprise IT, Wins Spot on $3B IDIQ 
Harris Corp. has promoted from within in its search for a successor to John Heller as head of IT services, tapping company CIO and corporate vice president Ted Hengst to manage its domestic and international IT operations.
The former SVP of General Dynamics‘ Army solutions business unit joined Harris in 2006 after retiring as an Army Colonel and serving as Special Operations Command CIO atMacDill Air Force Base.
Harris was one of several firms to win positions on a $3 billion DHS communications equipment IDIQ for equipment, infrastructure and related services.
Other awardees on that contract include AT&T, ARINC engineering services, CACI, General Dynamics One Source, Lockheed Martin,QinetiQ North America, SAIC, Thales Communications and Unisys.