Federal Tech Podcast: for innovators, entrepreneurs, and CEOs who want to increase reach and improve brand awareness

John Gilroy on LinkedIn   https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-gilroy/ Want to listen to other episodes? www.Federaltechpodcast.com History books will document the origin of the relational database at around 1970. About a decade later graph technology was introduced but it has taken decades for the cost of storage to go down and the ability to compute to go up. Finally, we can take advantage of a new way to unlock answers from a database. A typical relational database looks at information in tables. This can be fantastic for many actions, which is why it became popular. However, drilling down into information can involve re-indexing and hopping around tables. Graphing technology looks at the data and tries to find relationships. As consumers, we know if we purchase an expensive couch with a credit card, the credit card company may email and question if that is a valid purchase. Well, multiply that by hundreds of thousands of users and millions of data points. It is not just a couch; it may be automated financial transactions that involve fraud. Attend the Neo4j Graph Summit Government event on October 9th at the Spy Museum in Washington, D.C. For a human to sit down with some tables of data would make the process so time-consuming, that millions could be stolen before the culprit was discovered. During the interview, John Bender from Neo4J explains how they respect the existing data structures but can layer on a deeper understanding of the relationship between a specific transaction and an outcome. In other words, you will not have to say goodbye to your data silos. Another application is understanding the supply chain. Because so much hardware and software are outsourced, it is hard to connect the dots. John Bender refers to an Army project where they have eight million nodes and twenty-one million relationships. Listen to put into perspective new ways to improve analytical speed and reduce risk from fraud to the supply chain.

Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn   https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-gilroy/ Want to listen to other episodes? www.Federaltechpodcast.com Today, we talk about a 47-year-old company whose income was up 21% last year. Yes, the company is Oracle. Kim Lynch is a well-known technology executive, and she highlights how Oracle can solve complex federal tech concerns. She begins by giving a brief overview of the recent Oracle Cloud World announcements. Kim Lynch takes all these announcements from Oracle Cloud World and applies them to specific federal problems. If you are interested in leveraging the hybrid cloud and improving security, this is the interview for you. Larry Ellison’s comments will surprise (shock) people who work with the federal government. First, was the embrace of other cloud service providers like Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform. Who can believe that Larry Ellison is inviting leaders from AWS and GCP to the stage at an Oracle event? The concept is we live in a hybrid world; Oracle is embracing this “multiverse” to help federal leaders leverage the cloud platform in its entirety. Secondly, Kim Lynch reflects on the idea that Oracle employees will not have passports next year. After years of cybersecurity lifting signs of “Kill the password,” Oracle may be the leader. If you have been in the world of technology, you know that we are all flooded with data. During the interview, Kim Lynch uses the term “petabyte” comfortably. Scaling to Zettabytes will make all data experts cringe, but it is a term used casually. Wow. This is not your father’s Oracle, even if it is 47 years old.

John Gilroy on LinkedIn   https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-gilroy/ Want to listen to other episodes? www.Federaltechpodcast.com Once upon a time, requirements would be collected and a software team would write custom code and after a year or two, a solution would be released. This seems like the Land of Oz. Today’s software developers grab code off the shelf, assemble it, and then deploy it. Then iteration after iteration must be evaluated and deployed in a world of constantly changing system requirements and cyber attacks. Let us not forget testing must be included in each phase. There is functional testing, performance testing, checking for data integrity, mobile testing, and let us not forget user interface testing. In the federal world, consideration must be given to compliance. In the intelligence sphere, this is all taken up a notch. Modern software development is a marathon with a constantly changing course and a never-ending finish line. Today, we sat down with Adam Rosenbaum from Tricentis to examine the role of testing in this arduous process. He suggests that the custom part of coding prevalent years ago should be applied to automating testing. This way, application testing can be automated using custom built-for-purpose solutions to verify functionality and performance. Adam Rosenbaum looks at a no code, low code approach to relieve some of the burden of excessive testing demands. Two main benefits of automated testing are to be able to do several tests at once and that time can be used to free up developers for other human-based analytical work.

  https://content.leadquizzes.com/lp/fk1JL_FgeQ Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn   https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-gilroy/ Want to listen to other episodes? www.Federaltechpodcast.com FedRAMP was launched fourteen years ago; today we get an update on metrics and use cases to help companies considering certification. James Leach has been immersed in the world of FedRAMP since the beginning. Today, he gives listeners insight on navigating the FedRAMP compliance process. Commercial companies understand, in detail, the business problem they can solve. For some reason, when it comes to the federal government, they think they can “copy and paste” a business case and have it resonate. When they apply, they may reference a single-threaded business case without federal business. Or they may promote an on-premises model and not include a cloud reference. Finally, organizations may dive into a hybrid cloud environment where it is a challenge to get sponsors. First, one must do business with an agency and understand their requirements in detail; they will have different priorities from a regular “for profit” company. You will also need an agency to sponsor your application. Once these basic hurdles are achieved, then one can begin to study cloud reference architecture. During the interview, James Leach gave several guidelines. >> You need to understand FedRAMP more as a maturity model than a checklist for compliance. >> You need to understand the controls but, more importantly, how the mandates are implemented. Commercial companies can expend considerable resources to achieve FedRAMP certification, only to get frustrated in the end. FedRAMP is not a walk in the park and must be taken seriously.

Fun fact #1:   90% of software developed today comprises third-party apps. Fun fact #2:  48% of organizations have over one hundred tools in the toolchain. What could go wrong? Today, we sat down with Ben Chicoski from CloudBees. He discusses the evolution of software development, emphasizing the importance of testing in the software delivery lifecycle. CloudBees acquired Launchable to use AI to analyze test patterns and results to surface only important tests. He highlights that up to 80% of tests are unnecessary, consuming significant developer time.  CloudBees leverages AI and machine learning to optimize testing, reduce waste, and improve efficiency.  The conversation also touches on the importance of continuous improvement, trustworthy pipelines, and the future challenges and opportunities in federal software development. This discussion includes release orchestration and how it addresses the unintended consequences of increased development speed. https://content.leadquizzes.com/lp/fk1JL_FgeQ Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn   https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-gilroy/ Want to listen to other episodes? www.Federaltechpodcast.com

Growth always brings challenges. In today’s episode, we talk about how the DoD can manage the challenge of development in several aspects of identity management. Like most federal agencies, the DoD has made a move to the hybrid cloud; this alone adds to the complexity of the identification process. However, in addition to the 1.3 million active-duty service members, they must contend with reserves, DoD civilians, veterans, and many more. Oh, did we mention mobile? The official designation of the process of validating identity is called Identity Credentialing and Access Management, or ICAM. During this interview, experts from Akamai suggest: >> Consider applying AI/ML to help analyze identity data. >>> Fast Identity Online (FIDO) FIDO standards exist, and one can consider applying FIDO to simplify identity. Akamai has worked with both Defense and Civilian agencies to enable technologies like CAC/PIV and YUBIkey. Further, their well-known enterprise access management gives them the ability to protect web applications as well as mobile devices. Many organizations are tasked with managing millions of individuals. Very few are associated with capabilities that can have as serious consequences as the DoD.

Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn   https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-gilroy/ Want to listen to other episodes? www.Federaltechpodcast.com When you watch a spy movie you get the impression that the federal government’s intelligence agencies have unlimited funds for intelligence, satellites, and anything else that sounds mysterious. Well, today’s interview will reinforce the concept that every federal agency has a limited budget. Money is allocated to buy test tubes at NIH or purchase intelligence data. There may be situations where federal agencies may not be able to access information from the dark web, or they may get overwhelmed with the volume of data produced on any given day. Today, we sat down with McDaniel Wicker to talk about how Babel Street is positioned to provide reliable data to federal agencies. Babel Street began with a focus on foreign language knowledge acquisition. During the interview, McDaniel shared how Babel Street has grown into a service that can provide a wide range of information for various clients. McDaniel’s company has the technology to sift through information in a wide variety of languages to understand sentiment. As a result, they are positioned to do expensive, original research or even just confirm suspicious activity for an agency. Listen to the interview to get a better perspective on how the federal government can leverage artificial intelligence and multiple sources to provide timely information that can result in responsible decisions.  

Want to make the most out of your next podcast appearance? https://content.leadquizzes.com/lp/fk1JL_FgeQ Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn   https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-gilroy/ Want to listen to other episodes? www.Federaltechpodcast.com According to the MIT Technology Review, the federal government has over 26,000 websites. What good is it if citizens cannot access the information they require? Today, we have Angela Mercado from RELI Group discuss User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) for federal websites. One of the many impacts of COVID was American citizens were trying to get information from federal websites and were frustrated. As a result, in December of 2021 the White House issued Executive Order 14058, which had an emphasis on improving user experience for federal web sites. Angela Mercado likes to focus on the phrase “Human Centered Design.” This means to gather as much data from users as one and to seek to optimize their experience. During the interview she reviews heat maps, surveys, Net Promoter Score, and a myriad of tools to diagnose a faltering website. The goal is to reduce user frustration, have their commercial website experience like a federal website, give the user a seamless experience and to take advantage of automation and Artificial Intelligence to accomplish these tasks. For example, AI tools can be used to scan federal websites to determine if they follow accessibility standards. She gives listeners a great overview of the UI/UX work done by the GSA as a proponent of improved user experience for federal websites. Want to make the most out of your next podcast appearance?

 Want to make the most out of your next podcast appearance? https://content.leadquizzes.com/lp/fk1JL_FgeQ Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn   https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-gilroy/ Want to listen to other episodes? www.Federaltechpodcast.com Every software developer knows about the meeting in February 2011 at a skiing lodge in Utah. Seventeen people met to produce the “Agile Software Manifesto.” Large software projects were falling left and right. This was a group of experienced developers who thought interaction and flexibility were keys to producing complex code effectively. They introduce concepts like iteration and technical debt to the general audience. Twenty- three years later we see a distortion of these concepts in the federal government’s approach to software development. They may launch an application quickly and suboptimal, and then expect to iterate. However, this process has been distorted to a point where 70% of the federal IT budget is spent on this “iteration” under the guise of Operations and Maintenance. Today, we sat down with Sonny Hashimi, the Head of Global Sector for Unquirky. He has experience in the commercial world as well as the federal government. His last federal title was Commissioner, Federal Acquisition Service for the GSA. He has seen this flawed software development strategy from many angles. He suggests that proprietary software should be replaced by open-source methods that will allow for rapid change in code. That way, patches, and changes in direction of application development can be accomplished in a timely manner. This change would free up millions of dollars to accomplish improvements in federal systems. Listen to hear his diagnosis of the problem and the options he provides.

https://content.leadquizzes.com/lp/fk1JL_FgeQ Connect to John Gilroy on LinkedIn   https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-gilroy/ Want to listen to other episodes? www.Federaltechpodcast.com Forrester is well-known for conducting surveys with technology leaders and releasing conclusions. Today, we sat down with Sam Higgins, a Principal Analyst for Forrester, and looked at several studies he has participated in regarding the public sector and Artificial Intelligence. We begin with some findings showing that 35% of global public sector organizations indicate an interest in implementing AI. Reduced cost, improved security, and automation are general benefits that have been reported. This global view has been reinforced in the federal government with several programs including the AI test beds at the Department of Energy, Project Linchpin from the Army, and even the Air Force designating a Chief Data and AI Office. During the interview, you will hear some surprising findings. One study shows that the responsibility for AI Strategy most often resides in the technology department, not official leadership. Forrester is well-known for conducting surveys with technology leaders and releasing conclusions. Today, we sat down with Sam Higgins, a Principal Analyst for Forrester, and looked at several studies he has participated in regarding the public sector and Artificial Intelligence. We begin with some findings showing that 35% of global public sector organizations indicate an interest in implementing AI. Reduced cost, improved security, and automation are general benefits that have been reported. This global view has been reinforced in the federal government with several programs including the AI test beds at the Department of Energy, Project Linchpin from the Army, and even the Air Force designating a Chief Data and AI Office. During the interview, you will hear some surprising findings. One study shows that the responsibility for AI Strategy most often resides in the technology department, not official leadership.