Contracts
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ContractsDefense Department drops Blackberry
The U.S. Department of Defense has opened its mobile communication networks to Apple, Google, and other mobile communication companies.Currently the department handles more than 600,000 mobile devices, of which 470,000 are BlackBerrys, 41,000 are Apple devices, and 8,700 run on Google’s Android system.
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Border securityDHS seeks better ways to detect ultra light aircrafts used by smugglers

As the war on drugs continues with every sunrise and sunset, DHS has awarded a contract just short of $100 million for a specialized system which will be able to detect ultralight aircrafts which are used to smuggle drugs across the border
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NYPD helicoptersA third Bell 412 helicopter delivered to NYPD for counterterrorism missions

The NYPD dedicated many hours to designing the specifications of the department’s third Bell 412 to meet the diverse needs of the police department; one of the counterterrorism additions to the Bell 412 is a radiation detection system that can identify radiation signatures from an altitude of 200 feet in an effort to protect the city from nuclear bomb threats
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Infrastructure protectionFeds give Colorado access to critical infrastructure info
The Homeland Security Infrastructure Program (HSIP) compiles about 500 layers of geographic features, including power plants and water pumps; it is managed by DHS, the Pentagon’s National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, and the U.S. Geological Survey; the data set is available to state first responders only when federal disasters are declared; DHS has now given Colorado access to the HSIP
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BudgetDHS FY2013 $5.75 billion IT budget request focuses on mobility, data center consolidation

DHS FY2013 IT spending requests are roughly even with FY2012 levels, with emphasis on commodity IT, mobility, and data center consolidation; the overall 2013 DHS budget request is just under $40 billion; the department’s IT budget request is just over $5.75 billion; down from $5.79 billion in FY2012
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BusinessDHS awards Unisys IT services contract with a total potential value of $3 billion
Unisys among thirty companies to compete for task orders for infrastructure support and operations and maintenance services under $3 billion contract; Unisys shares were trading sharply higher Wednesday morning after the company released the news about the contract
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BusinessCSC, Knight Point Systems receive DHS mentor- protégé award
DHS Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) selected two Virginia-based companies, CSC and Knight Point Systems, to receive the 2012 DHS Mentor-Protégé Team of the Year award
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First respondersCity of Seattle Fire Department improving firefighter, EMS responses
New communication system allows Seattle Fire Department to use new voice, video, and wireless by providing secure and fast switching between multiple networks
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RaygunsLaser weapon to protect ships from anti-ship missiles
Northrop Grumman tests next-generation high-energy, solid-state lasers; the test demonstrated that the laser could burn through the skin and critical components of a target drone used to simulate anti-ship cruise missile threats to U.S. Navy ships
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In the trenchesMRIGlobal awarded $9 million to evaluate detection gear
Kansas City company in a $9 million contract with the U.S. Army to test and evaluate equipment to identify chemical, biological, and radiological hazards in the field
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Infectious diseaseTwo RNA-based therapeutic candidates for Ebola, Marburg viruses
Under a contract for up to $291 million from the U.S. Department of Defense, AVI BioPharma has initiated clinical studies for two RNA-based drugs for the treatment of Ebola and Marburg viruses
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BusinessATK awarded contract to supply ammo to DHS
ATK scored a major win on Monday with the announcement that it had secured a contract to supply DHS with .40 caliber ammunition
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In the trenchesSOUTHCOM deploys radar that sees through foliage, rain, darkness, and dust storms
Lockheed Martin’s TRACER is a light weight, low-frequency synthetic-aperture radar that can peer through foliage, rain, darkness, dust storms, or atmospheric haze to provide real-time, high-quality tactical ground imagery; U.S. Southern Command has just deployed the penetrating radar to support the Command’s counter-terrorism and humanitarian assistance missions, and disaster relief operations
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Law-enforcement technologyAccenture develops crime management system for Norway
Accenture is developing a new national crime management system for the Norwegian National Police Directorate (POD) to support police investigations and criminal prosecutions in Norway; the crime management system will enable the Norwegian police force to manage, link, and analyze case information and intelligence for more reliability and consistency across law enforcement, police investigations, border management, emergency response, and case administration
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CybersecurityGovernment contractors now required to have cybersecurity plans
Based on a new General Services Administration (GSA) rule, all contractors and subcontractors that provide federal agencies with IT services, systems, or supplies are required to submit a cyberescurity plan that matches government regulations
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