You2 is a formula for dramatically improving one's personal effectiveness to go beyond incremental progress and take a quantum leap forward....

Vitamin D can help reduce coronavirus risk by 54%: Boston University doctor: The sunshine vitamin is easy to find and relatively cheap Link: https://www.bostonherald.com/2020/09/17/vitamin-d-can-help-reduce-coronavirus-risk-by-54-boston-university-doctor Key Facts Holick and his colleagues studied blood samples from Quest Diagnostics of more than 190,000 Americans from all 50 states and found that those who had deficient levels of vitamin D...

With growing bias and subjectivity in our news, and “fact-checkers” who apparently need fact-checking, it is often difficult for me to watch the news anymore or even see it shared on social media. Social media is especially painful, because of the growing predilection of corporations and people to categorize and label everyone based on an...

Warning: A proud Dad tells a story about his oldest daughter handling a cornavirus issue with her employer and a co-worker. First of all, I’m proud of my oldest daughter. I am proud of how she has matured and grown as a person, proud of her achievements in school and in life, proud of the...

The COVID-19 (Coronavirus) threat has changed many aspects of our daily life. But whether we are run-down from work, isolated from social distancing and taking steps to “shelter in place,” or feeling stressed if we need to leave home and make potentially dangerous visits to facilities for our daily work, we are going to face...

By now, most of us understand what “social distancing” is, why we need to do it and how. In short, in order to curb progression of COVID-19 (coronavirus), we need to change our social behavior and reduce contact with other people. The fewer people we have physical contact with, the less exposure we will have to...

Whenever we start off on a new invention, begin to cultivate an idea or just start something new, it is important to remember: Dreams and ideas take time. And… The first attempt won’t be your best or last. 116 yrs ago today (December 17, 2020), the Wright Brothers made the first successful flight of a self-propelled,...

Our education system is failing today’s children because it was designed to mass produce a large order of standardized people. On this day (December 10th) in 1915, history was made as the 1 millionth Ford Model T car rolled off an assembly line at an auto plant in Detroit, Michigan. Ford’s perfection of the assembly...

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson This quote speaks to the need to be original in your life, explore new directions, and make your own way. Both Emerson and Thoreau wrote often about this notion of making new paths...

“All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson We sometimes forget just how unique we are, because we are taught from such an early age – and all throughout our schooling – to conform to rigid standards. Passing a standard is considered a measurement of success, whereas failing...

This is one of my favorite quotes from Henry David Thoreau. I often refer to it when I am struggling or in need of inspiration or motivation. Imagination allows us to form images in our minds. We can recreate moments in time, adapt or modify those moments, or create new ones. We also can do...

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” – Winston Churchill There is so much talk about privileges, or the advantages that some have over others. In my opinion, it is waste of energy to think or argue about such things. You cannot change your skin color,...

Here are some of my favorite Rodney Dangerfield jokes… I will update as I uncover more gems from his old performances, especially those on the Johnny Carson Show. If you have any you remember, post them in the comments or send me an e-mail. My Favorite Rodney Dangerfield Jokes I have to tell you. Last...

While ESPN’s quality in reporting has been in decline, one of the ONLY reasons to “read the articles” was to get to the end and comment on the articles – either to offer insight, trash ESPN, or just go crazy with absurd trade suggestions or just have fun… I had a bunch of comments that...

Back in January of 2018, I outlined goals for several different lines of business that I am involved in, as well as personal and political interests. I am excited to report that several initiatives are getting closer to being fully realized. Professional Courses On Social Web Tactics We just released the list of courses that...

If this article from ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Redskins consider tagging Kirk Cousins to trade him) is true, it only proves (as if we needed more proof) that the Redskins front office does not make good business decisions. Let’s think about this. If this article is true, then the Redskins, on the heels of trading for Kansas...

If you have ever looked for really good inspirational and motivational quotes, there is a bounty of websites with long lists of quotes from classical and modern sources. In my opinion, I think quite a few of them have quotes that really miss the mark, and lack the right kind of inspirational or motivational quality....

It is hard to believe it was 32 years ago today that I (a fifth grader) turned on the news, and saw that the space shuttle Challenger explosion. The impact of that moment is still strong – 32 years later. That period of national mourning so many of us experienced was unlike any other. And...

As we inch closer to the new year, I have decided to put to the screen some of my business goals for 2018. These are some of the goals I have on paper and in my head. They are not meant to be final, but should provide some insight into the business direction I am...

I love inventions, and successful entrepreneurial stories. My Pillow comes to mind (Click here for the My Pillow website). Is the Sock Slider (Click here for Sock Slider website) another My Pillow? I decided to write about this quickly, since my wife and I saw a commercial for it on Sunday morning, and thought it was...

I enjoyed the story from Daniel Craig (not relation to the actor that I am aware of) from the PhillyVoice about how Fox Sports, faced with one of the most appealing NFL games of the day (and the season given its playoff implications), is trying to avoid embarrassment during their pre-game show from the LA...

Apparently, the Star Trek franchise could boldly go where it has never gone before: the mind of Quentin Tarantino. Yahoo!, Deadline and Rotten Tomatoes are among some of the orgs that have reported that Tarantino pitched a Star Trek movie, and that both Paramount and J.J. Abrams bought into the idea – as well as to...

When a person stops valuing life, a part of him ceases to be bound by love, decency, and respect, by rational thought, and the thought of others.   When a person stops valuing life, their bond to the rest of humankind is broken. No law or rule will repair that bond. And though it may...

In our current political and social climate, we can all see division and hostility growing. Polls show that people trust media less, and gravitate to specific sources of news and information in search of an ideological perspective that mirrors their own. What’s more, people are becoming more entrenched in their political associations (while simultaneously feeling...

I am very pleased to announce that the Your SEO Consultant website has been launched. This website was created so that Social Web Tactics can have a very specific portal to discuss search engine optimization and marketing, as well as customer audiences and content / communication. As you take a look at the site (click...

Brainstorming is a process for generating ideas and solutions. While there are many different ways to be successful at brainstorming, I was surprised to learn that many organizations, agencies, and people go about it the wrong way. They run sessions that encourage adoption of the first ideas mentioned, or only tap into a small number...

In 2010, ChallengePost was named as the official government contractor to create a crowd-sourcing / contest platform for government agencies. A short time later, a website launched called Challenge.gov. Though it has been scaled back over the last few years, Challenge.gov’s mission has been to be a place where government agencies could voluntarily bypass the...

Every single one of us have faced that moment when we realize that we’ve lost that special power, drive or energy that is synonymous with effectiveness and success. It is an almost magical force that propels us forward. And when we are missing it – there is a flatness to our state of being that...

“If You Want To Go Fast, Go Alone. If You Want To Go Far, Go Together.” – African Proverb Togetherness is a natural force we all gravitate towards. But we must achieve it with the right people. Being together with the people who inspire us, motivate us, and care for us, gives us greater emotional...

Last night, I met up with a former colleague from my days at VitalSpring Technologies. It was great to hang out and catch-up, and I’m looking forward to doing it again. Good friends are important. As we’ve talked over the last few days, and reminisced last night, I learned that our former CEO, Sreedhar Potarazu...

In our digital age / third-wave society, the concept of privacy has changed. Many may even say that it has been diluted or diminished to the point where there is almost no expectation of privacy. Younger generations routinely share information in ways that would make adults faint. Today, people build social media and digital histories...

A few years ago, I wrote a popular blog post entitled “15 Ways To Get Your Mojo Back.” While that post has generated over 30,000 unique views on the Social Web Tactics website, and thousands more on LinkedIn and other websites, and has been a great resource for me and others to turn to, I want...

Should employers and employees in the U.S. by required to negotiate on after-hours communication? Would you support restricting or banning work email during certain times of the day or night? And if you agree with restricting or banning communication during certain times, do you think that would adversely impact productivity? I bring this up, because...

I read an interesting article about a service in Japan where men are paid just to listen. The service provides people the ability to rent an “ossan” or “old man” for about $10 per hour. Renting an ossan allows you to either schedule a phone conversation, or to meet in a public place, such as...

There has been a lot of negative media attention surrounding the #NEPatriots signing of Michael Floyd given his arrest for drunk driving in Arizona, and his release by the Cardinals.   I recognize that the guy has a problem, and a past history of alcohol problems. I do not excuse it, or minimize the danger...

The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, which is part of the Office of Management and Budget, issued a proposed rule change in July (Notice: OIRA Conclusion of EO 12866 Regulatory Review and View Proposed Rule) that could potentially require states to regulate online college courses that their residents enroll in, even if the college institution...

Motivating teenagers can seem like a battle we are never going to win as parents. We yell, punish, remove privileges and even offer incentive for (read: bribe) our kids all in an effort to get them to change course and become motivated about high school learning. We do this because we want our kids to...

When our children are younger, they need constant guidance. It starts at birth. We learn to nurture, guide, and teach. And though our kids learn at a rapid pace and start to fascinate us with their perception, creativity, and unique personalities, we spend at least ten years focused on teaching and talking. As parents of...

If you are a parent to a teenager, you know the struggles of figuring out how to motivate teenagers in the right ways. Be it in academics, sports or household responsibilities, creating a sense of urgency, priority and general motivation can feel like a constant, mind-numbing battle. One of the challenges we face as parents...

Stacy is an honor roll high school student in Virginia. She participates in a number of school activities, is active in her church and has a large circle of friends. One weekend, she went on a sleepover and came home with a streak of blue in her hair. Stacy and her friends were just having...

In an effort to compile a good list of games for teenagers, I’ve created three categories: Video Games and Apps, Board Games, and Party Games. You can access the different selections via the toggle menus below. While this is not an exhaustive list, there should be enough in each category to give parents and teens...

When it comes to teenagers dropping out of high school, I think it is worth opening with the good news. For starters, the dropout rate has declined from 12 percent in 1990 to approximately 7 percent in 2012. The improvement has been fairly proportional between females and males, which also is positive. But perhaps best...

As a New Englander, Concordian and person who was born in the great city of Boston, I could not be more proud today. Boston was selected by the US Olympic Committee to be America’s host-city nomination for the 2024 Summer Olympics. The city of Los Angeles was favored. Some even thought of San Francisco as...

On December 2 at 6:30 pm at the Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) building, the LCPS school board will meet to hear testimony in favor of making field hockey a high school sport. As a parent, co-founder of the Loudoun County Field Hockey League, assistant coach for the Broad Run Spartans varsity and junior varsity field hockey...

As the single-father of a teenage girl, I am often thinking about education, grades, classroom performance and after-school, weekend and summer activities. Like many parents, I think about these things with the conscious thought about what will help make her a good candidate for a college or university. However, the truth is – college acceptance...

Interesting piece from the Washington Post on the changing demographics in Fairfax County, Virginia, and what it could mean for education and the county’s financial resources. The title of the headline and corresponding picture are more positive then the story’s content. Here are some of the key excerpts: Fairfax has experienced a dramatic demographic shift...

This is not an original thought, but in watching my cousin’s recent Facebook discussion about the age old argument (Star Wars vs. Star Trek), I did openly wonder why no Star Trek series was ever created to cover the Eugenics Wars.  For those who may not be aware or for those who have forgotten, the...

People are looking for Medium invites. And I wonder, why? There was an interesting post in GIGAOM entitled “Of editors and algorithms: Evan Williams on the future of media and Medium’s role in it” a few days ago. From reading the article, other interviews and checking Medium out, I get the idea that Medium is...

The problem with common core and our education model is that we are actually taking kids backwards. And not for the reasons often cited by conservatives. Do I think Common Core will turn students into lefist robots? Will common core dumb-down America’s youth? The truth is, Common Core is just part of the problem harming...

Gravy has come along way since it was born as timeRAZOR. The company that makes the hyperlocal event app which allows people to discover things going on near where they work, live or plan to be, has gone through more changes than just its name. With the development and launch of web portal (see below)...

The issue of combating student loan debt is one that President Obama has discussed from his time in the U.S. Senate and as a Presidential candidate in 2008, through to the start of his second term in 2013. Most recently, the President has been on a bus tour discussing his desire for a rating system...

Whatever Deltek’s rationale, it is sad to see the GovWin community that I used to be apart of fade away and gradually die over the last year or so. And by GovWin community, I am not talking about the GovWin.com website that exists today, which is INPUT repackaged. I am talking about the large network...

Local advertising market is expected to grow from $132.5 billion in 2012 to $148.8 billion by 2017, according to BIA/Kelsey’s U.S. Local Media Forecast (2012-2017). However, some key questions arise from this data: What media channel(s) is experiencing growth or worrisome declines? How are advertisers spending their money across local search, video, classifieds/verticals and other...

Companies are very fixated on the concept of loyalty. Loyalty, or faithfulness or devotion, is an emotional state that is extremely difficult to quantify. Instead of using the term “loyalty” we should be using the term “habit” and measuring the habitual response of consumers. This ties into big data and market intelligence. Companies need market...

Today BIA/Kelsey’s Senior Analyst, Mike Boland, and Marchex VP of Operations, Travis Fairchild, and Head of SEM, Cody Kunning, discussed how businesses and those managing online and mobile advertising campaigns can best maximize performance with Google’s AdWords Enhanced Campaigns, which are set to kick off on July 22nd. Enhanced Campaigns is a topic that has...

In marketing departments and elsewhere in companies, internal communication, collaboration and creativity are important, but often handled poorly. One of the most frequent complaints I hear from professional colleagues and friends is that there is very little insight from senior management at their organizations into overall project objectives, or what senior management is planning –...

When you brainstorm your new business idea, or look at your company, it is critical to ask yourself, “How are we different?” Differentiation is critically important when it comes to connecting with your target audience. This is especially true if the chances are high that there are others delivering a similar product or service. People...

I had started thinking about my goals and dreams for 2013 and started two different threads on Facebook – See Post 1 and Post 2. Instead of leaving such a list on my personal Facebook profile, where I have privacy settings that will prevent many people from seeing it, I’ve decided to create a running...

Building out a new website for your company, campaign or organization is a significant undertaking. There are decisions to be made on who you select for your team, what technology to integrate, what platform to build on, the needs to your target audience, vendor selection, identifying who will manage the vendor, identifying the right internal...

When are the times you are most creative? Is it a particular day? A particular time of day? Everyone should set aside time for creative exploration. But while it is important to do that, you also need to accept that there are many moments during your day (and night) when creativity strikes and you’re not...

Most people don’t consider how difficult it is to make a decision. I think this is largely due to the fact that very few people know what it really means to decide something. Sitting down to map-out how to start a business is not the same thing as deciding to do it. Creating a long...

What Type of Zombie Would You Be? Take the Quiz & Post Your Result as a Comment for a Chance to Win $250. http://fomo.timerazor.com/whats-your-zombie-personality-quiz...

Everyday Seth Godin produces helpful pearls of wisdom. “The best elevator pitch doesn’t pitch your project. It pitches the meeting about your project. The best elevator pitch is true, stunning, brief and it leaves the listener eager (no, desperate) to hear the rest of it. It’s not a practiced, polished turd of prose that pleases...

North Korea, the clandestine and isolated regime located in between China and South Korea, has one thing in common with timeRAZOR: Neither give in when it comes to a launch! Of course, North Korea launched a long-range missile to try and put a satellite into orbit (so they say), whereas timeRAZOR launched a “Never Miss...

Dear Yahoo!, I have decided to terminate my account with you. I’d like to tell you it’s not you – it’s me… And that it’s nothing personal… But… It IS you and it IS personal. You don’t meet my needs, and have not for a long time. You are a sub-par technological redundancy in my...

After some careful consideration over the last few weeks, I decided to leave Deltek to pursue other opportunities. Last Friday (March 9, 2012) was my last day. With this transition there are a couple of important things I want to convey: 1) I will miss the daily interactions with government contractors that made my role...

I received an email from Darcy Kohn at Ripple Communications informing me that the Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA), ODNI and government agencies in the intelligence community, are seeking presentations highlighting the latest research and technology that can best benefit agencies involved in national security. Presentations are conducted before a panel of “75 government...

I had the opportunity in the early spring of 2012, to put together and moderate a panel on “Cloud Trends In The Federal Market” while I was at GovWin.com. The federal government’s move to the cloud is ongoing. We see both the private and public sector using cloud technology to improve storage and data accessibility....

In preparation for the upcoming Government IT Trends and Spending Priorities Virtual Roundtable, I spoke with Dmitry Kagansky, CTO, Public Sector of Quest Software today. Kagansky echoed what I’ve heard from other government IT experts: that one of the principle challenges facing government agencies today is looming budget cuts. When I asked him how government agencies...

Since the “Great Recession” struck several years ago, the tough economy has hit every sector of society, with the nation dealing with 9 percent unemployment. However, as we approach Veterans Day, the tough economic times have hit veterans especially hard, with veteran unemployment at 12.1 percent. With over 850,000 American veterans unemployed and continuing to...

The world of a job seeker has changed dramatically in the last 10 years. Gone are the days when we aggressively scanned the Sunday jobs section in the newspaper,and faxed off a dozen resumes to company HR departments. Today, there are new tactics and online tools that better equip job seekers for success in a...

I had a chance to interview 3eTI‘s President and CEO, Benga Erinle, about what his company is doing in the government space around wireless networks and security. 3eTI is doing some incredible things for the U.S. military and the commercial sector that make it one of my top companies to watch in the years ahead. Tune...

Time management is key for any business professional. But in the world of government contracting, with all its processes and players, not managing your business goals and daily tasks at an optimal level could end up costing you current government contracts, damage your reputation as a company and prevent you from delivering your products and...

As a child of the 1980s, my first computer was the CoCo3 (Tandy’s Color Computer 3). That was followed by an Apple IIe. And later, a loud box-shaped Mac that graced my dorm room desk at Andover. The innovation in computing and in technology that followed in the years since I was a wide-eyed high...

Every time you seek a new job, you need to make sure you complete the essential steps. During GovWin’s latest event in the GovCon Careers Webinar Series, Patricia A. Frame of Strategies for Human Resources covered the key elements of a professional resume and cover letter. Here are some highlights: Ask yourself: “What are you selling? Who is...

In this morning’s MED Week session, “Gems of Wisdom,” entrepreneurs who went through the 8(a) program and a representative from small business programs at the Department of Defense (the DOD OSBP) gave some key advice for minorities looking to successfully get business with the federal government. Partnerships are Essential   SBA Deputy Administrator Marie Johns kicked off the session by...

While government might seem behind the times as Americans are already accessing massive amounts of data through their cell phones, smart phones and other Internet-connected devices, the “Federal Executive Insights on Mobility in Government”opening panel for FOSE 2011’s Enabling the Mobile Government Workforce session track showcased how agency officials view their data and what they’re doing to...

There will be more than a few perspectives offered today on U.S. Marine Corps General James “Hoss” Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s “Competitive Advantage for the Warfighter” opening keynote at FOSE. In listening to the General speak I found that he sounded at times like a chapter out of Alvin Toffler’s The Third...

With so much buzz around cloud computing and server security, I went where GovWin, the government and countless other companies go to get answers: Carpathia Hosting. Michael Fox, director of public sector for Carpathia, and I had a chance last month to sit down and talk at their headquarters in Dulles, Virginia. I asked what he...

There is no doubt that high-profile security breaches in the public and private sector shine a bright light on the importance of addressing network vulnerabilities. However, online and network security is not something just for government agencies, prime contractors and big, high-profile companies, but for smaller enterprises as well. Why Would Anyone Hack MY Network? The truth...

I had the chance recently to interview Dr. Siddharth Shah, medical director at Greenleaf Integrative Strategies, about what his company is doing for federal agencies, including the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Greenleaf’s mission is to help government agencies understand their stress challenges and co-create stress control programming that best meets needs. At USAID, for example,...

According to a report in POLITICO this morning, Vivek Kundra, the first official Federal CIO and principle architect of the government’s technology strategy, is expected to leave the White House in August. Considered by many as an innovative leader who has pushed government agencies towards cloud computing / virtualization, creating better online experiences for citizens and shifting...

Last week, the Digital Government Institute conducted a panel and roundtable discussion on ways the government is creating a better online customer service experience. The panel included GSA’s acting director for the Center of Excellence in Digital Government, Sheila Campbell; the director of web services for the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Kim Taylor; and RightNow...

Many people know that in government contracting it is not just important to network – it is essential. Attending events with other government contractors, contract officers, and industry professionals is a critical path you must take to stay competitive. But who attends these networking events for your company? In conversations that I have had over the past year,...

Staying competitive is essential to any business. Search online and you will find an almost infinite number of people offering ideas and best practices. When I hear people ask what does it take to stay competitive in government contracting, the answers I most often hear revolve around tactics from networking to marketing, messaging and process...

GovWin has updated the opportunity match score a company receives to include contract vehicle and place of performance. Also improved is the way matching is done for clearances, socio-economic status and end customer to account for hierarchy. Here are some examples where these changes will play a role: Clearances – Companies with Top Secret clearances...

As Americans kick off the Memorial Day holiday weekend, an Expedia survey notes that we wasted $67 billion in vacation days last year. According to the results, the average American also receives and uses less vacation days than people in other industrialized countries. For example, the average American worker got 18 vacation days, but only...

There has been a good discussion brewing over the past month in the B2B Technology Marketing Community in LinkedIn around one word to describe the biggest challenge facing B2B marketing. Some responses have included: Data Noise Choice Personality Content Value Trust Engagement Measurement While there are many great one-word answers, my perspective of the biggest...

timeRAZOR, a new concept being developed by Blue Canopy and mysbx / GovWin founder Jeff White (@Jeff_White1347) and SEO / online marketing expert Victoria Clark (@NotVicki), is building towards a launch. While I am under a total information lock-down, an early glimpse of what is in the works is extremely exciting. One way to get...

How powerful is the financial influence game in government contracting? Do small businesses that want to grow and that do not want to be relegated to subcontracting roles, need to pay someone in order to obtain a substantial fee contract as a prime contractor? I received a series of emails from a couple of GovWin...

Every once in a while, I’ll stumble upon an online discussion debating the value of business cards. Often people wonder if they are still of value, given the prolific use of email and online social and professional networks. After all, in a world of smartphone apps that wirelessly transfer contact information, plus online profiles, company websites,...

During the course of our Executive Roundtable on government cloud initiatives last week, we polled the audience with three questions designed to provide some perspective on how government contractors view the cloud today. Poll Question 1: NIST’s Definition of the Cloud Our first poll was fueled by the discussion around what the cloud meant to the government...

Creativity and talent are essential elements to what makes us unique. Despite what you may believe, every person has the ability to generate creative thoughts and to build new skills and talents. In my view, it is one of the signature failings of our school system and our modern work environment that students and employees...

I was reading a post from Bill Brantley on GovLoop where he asks “What is the ‘it’ in Gov 2.0?”. I thought it was an interesting question, and I wanted to include here in GovWin.com. Much like “cloud computing” and other topics, people often do not have a clear explanation for what some of these new technologies and terms...

As part of the Virtual Executive Roundtable series that we started at GovWin.com, we have put together two outstanding panels of experts – one to cover the government’s cloud initiatives (February 16) and another to address the new programs and efforts to enhance cybersecurity (March 9). But going beyond forming a panel of leading cloud...

I was reading a post from Bill Brantley on GovLoop where he asks “What is the ‘it’ in Gov 2.0?”. I thought it was an interesting question, and I wanted to include here in GovWin.com. Much like “cloud computing” and other topics, people often do not have a clear explanation for what some of these...

Are we still amazed that there are advertisers on the radio? That was a discussion question posted online by a smart, tech-savvy entrepreneur and media expert. And it got me thinking: are we surprised about any place a person or company advertises these days? So many people used to question the value of advertising online,...

Though the cuts to Defense Department funding is a close second, the shock of GTSI’s suspension by the Small Business Administration from receiving new procurement work on October 1st reverberated through the government contracting space. Though the suspension lasted just a few weeks and has since been lifted, the allegations GTSI improperly subcontracted through other...

In 2010, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced his plan to cut 10 percent in spending on support contractors and overall spending cuts over 5 years totalling over $100 billion. The move has not been without controversy in the government contractor community, the military and among political leaders. For starters, Gates proposal includes dismantling of...

The leaking of sensitive government documents and spread of content online has renewed some emphasis on security and increased some restrictions on what government employees can view online at work, what people can access and how easy data can be transported and shared. Why does it matter to the GovCon space? Click to read the...

INPUT conducted its CTS Teaming seminar on Wednesday, December 14th in Tysons Corner, VA. Before the matching took place, I had a chance to speak with Alexander Rossino, a Principal Analyst with INPUT’s Federal Information Services division, on what CTS is all about, what are some key attributes of companies interested in this opportunity and...

The Obama administration has pushed over the last couple of years to increase insourcing or the hiring of direct government employees over contractors. In 2010, the debate over “insourcing vs. outsourcing” seemed to intensify, with contractors and groups expressing their displeasure, and the government trying to soften the impact of their policies. Still, government officials...

Though a recent development in 2010, the decision to freeze pay to all civilian federal employees, including those working at the Department of Defense (excluding military personnel), was an important and newsworthy development. Political leaders felt pressure from voters, many of whom are concerned about high unemployment and the growing budget deficit. Analysts predict that...

As with any industry, the economy and changing forces in the government change the way companies do business and whether or not they stay in business. Mergers and acquisitions continued throughout 2010. The question is, what do these deals mean to the industry as a whole? Why it matters to the GovCon space? Click to...

The Alaska Native Corporation program was created in 1971 to settle land claims and help improve life for native Alaskans. Spending on ANC contracts has gone from $506 million in 2000 to $5 billion in 2009. However, the ANC program has come under greater scrutiny in 2010. This year legislation has been proposed that would...

On September 27th, President Obama signed the Small Business Jobs and Credit Act. This new legislation means that businesses in Historically Underutilizied Business Zones (known as HUBZones) are on equal footing with all other small, disadvantaged business programs, including, but not limited to, those relating to Service-Disabled, Veteran Owned Small Businesses and 8(a) companies. Why...

Government-wide acquisition contracts (GWACs) consolidate purchasing across a number of federal government agencies and encourage long-term vendor agreements with fewer vendors. GWACs have become commonplace vehicles for federal clients purchasing a vast array of products and services. GWACs sell information technology products and services to agencies. The issue surrounding GWACs hit the burner over the...

DCAA came into the spotlight in 2008 when the GAO revealed there were inappropriate relationships between DCAA employees and government contractors. According to the GAO, contractors had influenced reports and DCAA supervisors pressured subordinates. To help address the challenges at DCAA, Patrick Fitzgerald took charge eight months ago and has begun to reshape the DCAA....

Many people in the government contracting industry have been reacting positively to govWin recent winning the Technology Product of the Year Award at the Mid-Atlantic CIO & CTO Live! Awards, presented by the Tech Council of Maryland. And while this is a great achievement for the entire govWin team, it is a win for all...

In a very compact and detailed exploration of Gov 2.0, FedScoop’s FedTalks 2010 dove into the web 2.0 and cloud initiatives government agencies are deploying to meet actual needs and improve productivity and service value. The one-day conference, held in Washington, DC’s Shakespeare Theater, focused heavily on how government agencies can be successful at implementing...

govWin and Deltek team leaders Jeff White, vice president of govWin, Rich Wilkinson, vice president of government contracting at Deltek, and Scott Shaul, a senior director with govWin, recently held a Webinar covering GWAC, IDIQ and task order trends as well as identifying key points to help businesses better garner CIO-SP3 opportunities. Right now, the...

Watch the Archived Event: Business Development Experts Share Best Practices for Government Contractors On Thursday, September 16 at 6PM ET, a panel of noted Government Contracting business development experts shared their tips and best practices. See the archived video from the event below, read an event recap, and watch for liveblogged notes, photos and more....

It is not news that traditional media has taken some hits over the last few years. Changing demographics, technology and interests have alerted the landscape on not just what people are looking for in terms of news, but also, where they are going to get it. The latest evening news ratings for the 2009-2010 season...

On Thursday, September 16 from 5:30 to 8:00 pm, a group of leading business development professionals in the government space is gathering at the Tower Club in Tysons Corner, VA to discuss best practices, strategies and changes in the federal procurement marketplace. The event will help facilitate a discussion among the leaders in federal contracting...

For people interested in business development in the government space, there is an event at the Tower Club on Thursday, September 16th, 5:30 – 8:00 pm, featuring some of the leading experts in obtaining government contracts. The event will cover things like, finding the right opportunities, developing capture strategies and proposals, and more. What’s more,...

This post originally appears in the govWin.com blog section at: http://govwin.com/node/73572 The 2010 Gov 2.0 Summit in Washington, DC, brought together a high-caliber collection of thought leaders from the federal government, tech industry, SIs, the business community and others. The conference’s overarching theme was that it is not enough for the government to simply unleash...

govWin’s team attended the Gov 2.0 Summit, September 7-8, at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, DC. Gov 2.0 brought together innovators from government and the private sector to highlight technology and ideas that can be applied to the nation’s great challenges. The Summit featured discussion in areas such as education, health care, jobs as well...

On the advice of Micheal Mullen I decided to start exploring Empire Avenue, which is currently in beta. Essentially, Empire Avenue is an influence stock exchange married to an advertising platform. The higher your level of influence, either as a person or an organization, the more you can convert your influence into advertising opportunities and...

On October 21, 2009, The Catholic University of America announced that more than 1,000 solar panels would be installed on several campus buildings before the end of year to reduce energy costs and carbon dioxide emissions. This project, implemented by Herndon, VA-based Washington Gas and Gaithersburg, MD-based Standard Solar, has now been completed – resulting...

Frank Gruber, one the most popular Washington, DC tech figures and a product manager of AOL’s Lifestream Platform, has revealed on his blog, Somewhat Frank, that he is leaving AOL to pursue new interests. Saying that his New Year’s resolution “is to be bold”, Gruber writes that he will devote much of his time to...

In reviewing my Google Alerts today I came across a solicitation from the Xinhua News Agency, China’s state news agency, seeking reporters, editors and marketing personnel for their North American operation. All candidates must be native English speakers, possess a background in journalism or marketing, be an American citizen or foreign national with a US...

There is nothing better than celebrating the holidays with family and friends – Christmas and the New Year especially. Of all the holidays, Christmas and the New Year are the strongest celebrations about beginnings – the birth of Jesus Christ and the start of a new year. They are moments in which we are thankful...

Maryland-based iBiquity, a developer of HD Radio™ technology, had excellent news to report this month. Not only have sales of its HD radio receiver doubled from last year, but Ford announced yesterday that it was adding both iTunes tagging and crystal-clear radio sound through iBiquity’s HD Radio technology as some of the latest features to...

QBurst, a web and mobile application development company based in Fairfax, VA, has launched theapps.mobi, a searchable directory of iPhone apps ranging from Education, Business and Entertainment to Travel, Weather and Lifestyle. Theapps.mobi provides a sophisticated web site that provides users the ability to browse through a detailed catalog of iPhone and iPod Touch applications,...

Wireless Matrix, a Herndon, VA-based provider of software solutions designed to improve service fleet delivery metrics, and Colorado-based GeoNav Group International, announced yesterday their first client since establishing a formal business partnership several days ago that is designed to maximize data and navigation capabilities for their clients. The companies new joint solution will be implemented...

AOL’s board officially approved layoffs of approximately 7,000 workers (about 1/3 the company’s total workforce) yesterday. The company had announced the layoffs previously, but this was the first official act by the board since AOL became a separate company from Time Warner a few weeks ago. The news pushed AOL’s stock higher in the NYSE...

BoxTone, a Columbia, Maryland-based company that develops software for smartphone device management, announced it has established a public sector unit designed to serve federal, state and local governments as well as other public sector organizations and the military. The Company, which recently surpassed 500,000 enterprise-connected BlackBerry smartphones that are being managed, tracked and controlled by...

Centrifuge Systems, a leading provider of business intelligence software and interactive analytics based in McLean, Virginia, announced Vince Barrett and Chris Walton had joined their senior management team. Vince Barrett has joined Centrifuge as Vice President of Business Development and is responsible for growing the company’s partner relationships and commercial market penetration. Barrett was with...

It’s the holiday season. For many, it is a time when people are supposed to be at their most charitable, and friends and family get together to share in holiday cheer. This does not apply to the newspaper industry, however, as yet another publication announced serious cutbacks in staff and printing. The latest victim is...

OutStart, a social business software and learning systems developer based in Boston, Massachusetts, has merged with Warrenton, VA-based Hot Lava Software, in a deal that will roll Hot Lava’s mobile learning application product line under the OutStart name. Hot Lava Software CEO, Bob Sanregret, will serve as Vice President of the OutStart Hot Lava division....

Today marks the last day that AOL will have a corporate connection to Time Warner. The two companies officially separate on December 10 and a “new” AOL will emerge on the New York Stock Exchange listed as a separate company. Over the last several weeks, AOL has been aggressively moving to put the merger with...

BroadSoft, a Gaithersburg-based company that specializes in VoIP applications to the telecommunications industry, has announced that XO Communications will harness its trunking capabilities to provide a more centralized and cost-effective VoIP offering to large-scale businesses. The enterprise trunking feature in the BroadWorks VoIP application platform coupled with XO Communication’s SIP Communications Solution will enable larger...

5AM Solutions, a company that develops innovative software solutions for academic, government, commercial, and non-profit life sciences organizations, announced the launch of the Family Helix Community, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping people use family history to improve human health. The Family Helix Community is designed to provide an interactive forum for researchers, epidemiologists and...

In a region more known for being the seat of the federal government and home to the Redskins, many companies are striving to be more innovative in developing technologies, solutions and best-practices that are environmentally sound, and conserve energy and resources. The resulting emergence of companies increasingly focused on green IT and technology is starting...

The growth of online classifieds has continued, even though online spending has diminished with the recession and bad press has plagued some online classified sites, like Craigslist. I had a chance to interview Greg Collier, CEO of Geebo, about how his company has fared over the last several months, his view of the industry and...

Memorial Day weekend is the traditional kick-off to summer travel. But with the economy still in decline, industry analysts see a continued trend shaping American travel patterns that will have repurcussions throughout the summer and should send strong signals to marketers in a variety of industries. Reports indicate that Americans will reduce the amount of...

On Tuesday, May 5th, I will moderate a Webinar that will cover expanding revenue streams for media companies. The goal of this event is to provide an introduction in advance of the Winning Media Strategies conference to some practical strategies for the local media ecosystem. Clearly, the economic downturn / recession has adversely impacted many...

After negotiations appeared to stall last night and into today, the New York Times will give notice to federal authorities under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification law (WARN) that it will close the Boston Globe’s plants. Under law, this notice is required and will last 60-days before any action is taken. In the meantime,...

The Boston Globe got a little more time to find $20 million, but the bad-blood between the Globe staffers and the New York Times appears to be reaching new levels. According to published reports there is a lot of anger amongst the Globbies that the Times has not been totally accurate on its estimates of...

The clock is ticking on the Boston Globe’s future. After the last several days of closed-door negotiations and union disagreements, there does not appear to much consensus on what the main unions for the Globe will do. The same is true for the New York Times, which continues a free-fall of its own. The Globe...

As a Bostonian, I have followed the negotiations between the Globe unions and the New York Times with a lot of interest. I grew up reading the Boston Globe, and a few of my good friends served as paper boys, waking up at obscene hours to bike or have their parents drive them around to...

One of the first lessons I had about the new media world dealt with the issue of content. At the time I was coming into social media, quite a few experts told me that the whole concept of content ownership was passé. In fact, I was told that charging for someone to use my content...

It seems as if a lot more people are talking about Twitter, its lack of a business model and how the service can be monetized. One idea is to charge users a small fee. I’ve heard various proposals around this, including – a charge up to your first 1,000 followers or a charge after you...

The question of what is a “winning media strategy” and what is working for your business online are two important questions being posed to media executives leading to BIA’s Winning Media Strategies conference, May 20 – 22, in Washington, DC. In the embedded video within this blog post, BIA’s Chief Strategy Officer and WMS Program...

Online marketing professionals are certainly faced with a lot of challenges these days. Not only does a recession often force us to do more with less, but the growth of online users means we are fighting a tougher battle for consumers than ever before. The number of people going online to find products, services, information...

The one thing I find companies miss in getting the web design process underway are the opinions of their customers. Design, navigation, content, SEO, are all critical aspects of the process, but it all begins and ends with your customers. They are the ones you need to attract to the site in the first place....

I posted a blog on Wednesday previewing the HD Radio Electronic Program Guide that took place that afternoon. The technology that is emerging from this project is going to make radio more durable in the long run. As a listener I like the prospect of being able to view program listings to see what is...

“Let’s make it happen.” How often do we engage in the exchange of ideas and hear a senior level person or executive say this in response to a suggestion we make? More times than not, you are left wondering, “Did we just make a decision to really do this, or what?” As a strategist and...

With all this talk of doom and gloom there is a bright spot in the US, and perhaps global economy. The social web. By adapting existing marketing and public relations strategies to include social media, your company can stay in the forefront and on the minds of spend-weary consumers. Here are four areas businesses need...

Television program schedules are a pretty essential interface for many of us. We want to know what programs are on the horizon, and tap into technologies like DVR and TIVO to ensure we can view what we want, when we want. In fact, we are so driven by our television program schedules that providers have...

There is fundamental thing I hear over and over when it comes to people going online and using social networks – and that is the concern over privacy. I am not one to dismiss the concerns over identify theft, Internet scams that rob people of their money, or pirates, hackers and malicious individuals who break...

Here comes a bit of a mea culpa (and an overdue one at that). Back in July of last year I wrote a blog post that fed off a couple of stories circling the Internet. One was about a man who claimed to have photographed a rare Tiger in China, which was proven to be...

A colleague of mine forwarded an article by Mike Bloxham from the MEDIA Post blog, entitled “At a TV Screen Near you: Facebook and Twitter”. In this article, Bloxham refers to social media as having a “benignly parasitical relationship with TV” and that this relationship was somehow benefiting social networking sites. This irks me a...

Several days ago, someone had posted a word cloud for Barack Obama’s inaugural address, along side those of Reagan, Clinton, Bush and Lincoln. The very nature of a word cloud is to create a visual representation of the most popular words in a particular document. When applied to a blog, this is both cool and...

When the holidays roll around, starting with Thanksgiving in late November, we often hear people say that we need to be thankful. Indeed, with the economy sinking more each day, hundreds of thousands of Americans out of work, and many more on the cusp of losing their jobs and homes, it is even more critical...

We all have our favorite commercials or tv programs. Growing up in the 1980’s, shows went through periods of great popularity, and at times, rapid decline. I remember the ALF craze, which my daughter wants to get into. I am resisting and holding ground. Then there was Miami Vice – which still lives on in...

A lot of buzz recently has been how Twitter was faster to alert people around the recent earth quakes than news organizations. This has led to some conversation about Twitter’s business model and potential applications for businesses. A few weeks ago I had some thoughts about Twitter and its possible development of an emergency alerting...

It took a man just 150 helium balloons and lawn chair to become an instant sensation. The man I’m speaking about is Kent Couch, who pulled together the makeshift airship in an attempt to go from Bend, Oregon to Idaho. (AP Photo/Jeff Barnard) On the surface, this may seem like hardly the right imagery to...

In yet another series of examples from the real world, we’re reminded of the power of social media and people to not only expose fraud, but also demand accountability. Larissa Fair of Livingston Communications tweeted on an AP story that appear on CNN.com (Faked tiger photo sparks Web furor) recently about the use of a...

After making my initial post about Blog Potomac, I’ve decided to write something shorter along the lines of customer interaction. Lionel Menchaca, Digital Media Manager and Chief Blogger at Direct2Dell, had some excellent points during Blog Potomac that deserve some mention in this space. For one thing, Menchaca started in tech support providing information and...

Last Friday, June 13th (yes, Friday the 13th), I ventured to Blog Potomac, where Geoff Livingston and his team at Livingston Communications, the folks at Viget Labs, WordBiz.com, Inc., and others put together a premiere social media marketing event for the greater Washington DC area at the State Theater in Falls Church, VA. First of...

As some people out there know, I attended the Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition in Chicago with my colleague, Mike Ferrara. Our presence at IRCE lasted from Monday, June 9 through Wednesday, June 11th. Since our focus as first-time exhibitors was the exhibit hall (go figure, right), my summary is nothing more than a series...

It struck me as I was reviewing my plans for the upcoming Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition in June that there is not a lot of attention on using email to reach one’s customer base in the Conference agenda and session discussions about online marketing. In the not so distant past (which means a year...

I just had an interesting email exchange with a friend of mine who was concerned about posting an article he wrote on different sites or commenting about an issue he cares about. His concern was based on the idea that he did not want to appear to be promoting himself too much, or appear to...

Geoff Livingston’s tweet this morning focused my attention on a post by Sarah Perez entitled, “Content is Becoming a Commodity.” Geoff’s tweet said that he could not disagree more with the post, so that drew my immediate interest. I’ve known Geoff Livingston over the years (click here to read his blog, The Buzz Bin), and...

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) 2008 Show is now in full swing, stacked with an agenda that is heavy on digital technology, video, social media and the latest product innovations. But those are not the only things going on this year at NAB worth noting. In an effort to expand its marketing reach, not...

We’ve known for some time that the number of people viewing online video is on the rise. With the expansion of broadband and high speed internet access, more people finally have the bandwidth to support video downloads. But where do we really stand? In 2006, the number of Americans between the ages of 12 and...

As a member of the first generation of kids who really grew up with a computer in the home to my present-day work as a marketing professional, I have seen and experienced the changes of the online experience first hand. From the lonely, late night and early morning hours on my CoCo 3, prowling local...

What New Technology Has Done We all marvel at how the post-industrial, new technology age continues to bring us all closer together, both virtually and in reality. New technology enhances our productivity, improves different aspects of our daily communication, and bridges the information divide. The ripple effect spreads out and across all elements of society...

Interview...