NJVC® Cloud Computing Expert Kevin Jackson to Speak at NIST Cloud Computing Forum & Workshop IV on Nov. 3 in Gaithersburg, Md.

VIENNA, Va., Oct. 28, 2011 — NJVC^®, one of the largest information technology solutions providers supporting the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) , is pleased to announce that Kevin Jackson, general manager, cloud services, will participate in the “Security Assumption Buster Panel”  during the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cloud Computing Forum & Workshop IV on Nov. 3 in Gaithersburg, Md.

 

Security Assumption Buster Panel

 

Date:  Nov. 3, 2011

Time:  11:40 a.m. – 12:40 p.m.

Location:  NIST, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, Md.

Presenters:
 

• Curt Barker, panel chair and  chief cybersecurity advisor, NIST
• Kevin Jackson, general manager, cloud services, NJVC
• Bill Newhouse, scientific advisor, cybersecurity, research & development computer security division, NIST

This expert panel will address common fallacies and misconceptions about cloud computing security and also discuss the NIST approach to risk management as the federal government continues to transition IT operations to the cloud. 

Between 500 and 700 participants are expected to participate in the Cloud Computing Forum & Workshop IV, which will take place on Nov. 2 – 4.  This workshop will provide information on the U.S. Government Cloud Computing Technology Roadmap initiative and provide an update on NIST efforts to help develop open standards in cloud interoperability, portability and security.

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About NJVC

NJVC is one of the largest information technology solutions providers supporting the U.S. Department of Defense. We provide innovative and high-quality IT solutions to the government and commercial organizations, and specialize in supporting highly secure IT enterprises, particularly for the intelligence and defense communities. To learn more, visit www.njvc.cm.

 

Contact

Michelle Snyder
703.893.7609      
michelle.snyder@njvc.com

Dara Dirth
571.405.2741      
dara.dirth@njvc.com

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NJVC® General Manager, Cloud Services, Kevin Jackson to Moderate “Cloud Computing and the Intelligence Mission” Panel at GEOINT 2011 Symposium

Vienna, Va., Oct. 13, 2011 — NJVC® , one of the largest information technology (IT) solutions providers supporting the U.S. Department of Defense, is pleased to announce that Kevin Jackson, General Manager, cloud services, will serve as the moderator for the GEOINT 2011 Symposium panel, “Cloud Computing and the Intelligence Mission,” on October 19 in San Antonio.

 

Event: “Cloud Computing and the Intelligence Mission” panel
Date: Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2011
Time: 2 – 4 p.m. (central)
Location: Room 103, Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, San Antonio

 

Panelists:

• Don Cotter, CTO, Department of Homeland Security
• Bob Gouley, Editor, CTOvision.com
• Dr. Robert C. Norris, Director, Enterprise Architecture and Atandards, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
• Michele Weslander Quaid, Chief Technology Officer and Innovation Evangelist, Google Federal

Description:

 

Cloud computing, a new approach in the provisioning and consumption of IT, has been described as a means to cut federal IT budgets. This panel of esteemed intelligence community technologists will discuss the implementation of cloud solutions (private, public, community and hybrid) from public and private providers specific to intelligence community customers.

 

Jackson heads the new NJVC cloud services business unit, and joined the company in 2010. A prolific blogger and first-time book author on cloud computing, he was recently named one of the “Most Powerful Voices in Security” by SYS-CON MEDIA.

 

Visit the NJVC booth (#601) in the GEOINT 2011 Exhibit Hall, Oct. 16 – 19, 2011.

 

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About NJVC

 

 

NJVC is one of the largest information technology solutions providers supporting the U.S. Department of Defense. We provide innovative and high-quality IT solutions to the government and commercial organizations, and specialize in supporting highly secure IT enterprises, particularly for the intelligence and defense communities. To learn more, visit http://www.njvc.com/ .

 

Contact

 

Michelle Snyder
703.893.7609
michelle.snyder@njvc.com

 

Dara Dirth
571.405.2741
dara.dirth@njvc.com

 

( Thank you. If you enjoyed this article, get free updates by email or RSS - KLJ )

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NJVC® Spotlights Cyber Security and Automated IT at Gartner Symposium/ITxpo® 2011

VIENNA, Va., Oct. 4, 2011 — NJVC^®, one of the largest information technology solutions providers supporting the Department of Defense, announces its lineup for the Gartner Symposium/ITxpo^®, Oct. 16 - 20 at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel in Orlando, Fla.
Visit the NJVC booth (#206) on the tradeshow floor to meet with company representatives and earn about NJVC’s extensive and proven portfolio of IT solutions for government and commercial customers. NJVC will provide the following live demonstrations for attendees:

• Cyber Dashboard – Take a tour and learn how NJVC customers have benefited from this inexpensive yet highly effective cyber tool that provides customizable, real-time situational awareness visualization across an entire IT enterprise.
• Streamlined NJVC Automation Products, Services and Solutions™ – SNAPSS™ is a suite of cost-effective solutions that automate and streamline IT enterprise services for customers no matter the location of their users.
  • Persistent Desktop Instance™ – Discover NJVC’s new service—PDI™— a virtual desktop available from “thick” customers (desktops or laptops), thin/zero client devices and mobile devices. PDI provides users access to a single workstation containing their documents and installed software, regardless of the viewing client or location. PDI provides a “disconnect and resume” capability giving users agility of “computing on the go.”
  • Provisioned Self Services™ – Learn about PSS™—an innovative, virtual storefront for an enterprise’s software library. PSS users can easily search out the software needed for a task and request it to be installed on their workstations. PSS puts the power in the hands of users to virtually request and receive the software applications necessary to do their jobs, while maintaining central configuration control of the enterprise.
  • Agile Dashboard™ – Gain knowledge how the Agile Dashboard enables the visualization of core devices across an organization’s entire IT enterprise. This cost-effective tool allows real-time visualization to quickly resolve any issues without major impact to users and the enterprise.
  • Self Help™ – Learn about the NJVC Self Help solution under SNAPPS: a live chat, problem resolution tool. Users can communicate with help desk personnel in real time, using screen sharing, video and/or audio.
  More than 8,500 senior business and IT strategists, including more than 2,000 chief information officers, are expected to attend the Gartner Symposium/ITxpo.

 

 ( SNAPSS™, Persistent Desktop Instance™, Provisioned Self Services™, Agile Dashboard™ and Self Help™ services are available to support private cloud platforms or on the Federal Community Cloud through the GSA Infrastructure-as-a-Service blanket purchase agreement )

• ###
  

  About NJVC

  NJVC is one of the largest information technology solutions providers supporting the U.S. Department of Defense. We provide innovative and high-quality IT solutions to the government and commercial organizations, and specialize in supporting highly secure IT enterprises, particularly for the intelligence and defense communities. To learn more, visit www.njvc.com.
  
  

  About Gartner Symposium/ITxpo

  Gartner Symposium/ITxpo is the IT industry's largest and most strategic conference, providing business leaders with a look at the future of IT. For more than 10,000 IT professionals from the world's leading enterprises, Gartner's annual Symposium/ITxpo events are key components of their annual planning efforts. Attendees rely on Gartner Symposium/ITxpo to gain insight into how their organizations can use technology to address business challenges and improve operational efficiency. For more information, please visit http://www.gartner.com/technology/symposium/orlando/index.jsp.
  

  Contact

  Michelle Snyder
  703.893.7609      
  michelle.snyder@njvc.com
  
  Dara Dirth
  571.405.2741      
  dara.dirth@njvc.com
  

( Thank you. If you enjoyed this article, get free updates by email or RSS - KLJ )

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NJVC® to Demonstrate Enterprise Automation at GEOINT 2011

VIENNA, Va., Oct. 6, 2011 — NJVC®, one of the largest information technology solutions (IT) providers supporting the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), is pleased to offer live, compelling demonstrations on the company’s Streamlined NJVC Automation Products, Services and Solutions™ (SNAPSS™) at GEOINT 2011 Symposium—the largest intelligence event in the United States—on Oct. 16 – 19 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio.

Visit the NJVC booth (#601) on the expo floor to meet company experts and learn about NJVC’s extensive and proven portfolio of IT services, particularly geared for DoD and intelligence customers. Experience the following thought-provoking demonstrations:

• SNAPSS™ – SNAPSS™ is a suite of cost-effective solutions that automate and streamline IT enterprise services for customers no matter the location of their users.
• Persistent Desktop Instance™ – Discover NJVC’s new service—PDI™— a virtual desktop available from “thick” customers (desktops or laptops), thin/zero client devices and mobile devices. PDI provides users access to a single workstation containing their documents and installed software, regardless of the viewing client or location. PDI provides a “disconnect and resume” capability giving users agility of “computing on the go.”
• Provisioned Self Services™ – Learn about PSS™—an innovative, virtual storefront for an enterprise’s software library. PSS users can easily search out the software needed for a task and request it to be installed on their workstations. PSS puts the power in the hands of users to virtually request and receive the software applications necessary to do their jobs, while maintaining central configuration control of the enterprise.
• Agile Dashboard™ – Gain knowledge how the Agile Dashboard enables the visualization of core devices across an organization’s entire IT enterprise. This cost-effective tool allows real-time visualization to quickly resolve any issues without major impact to users and the enterprise.
• Self Help™ – Learn about the NJVC Self Help solution under SNAPSS: a live chat, problem resolution tool. Users can communicate with help desk personnel in real time, using screen sharing, video and/or audio.
• AV Room Automation – Investigate unified communications through an intuitive control interface. Explore the possibility of standardizing your enterprise with a catalog of pre-engineered solutions to fit every need.

 More than 200 exhibitors will showcase their services and products at the GEOINT 2011 Symposium Exhibit Hall. Approximately 4,000 people are expected to attend the symposium, including the leadership of the intelligence, defense and homeland security communities.

( SNAPSS™, Persistent Desktop Instance™, Provisioned Self Services™, Agile Dashboard™ and Self Help™ services are available to support private cloud platforms or on the Federal Community Cloud through the GSA Infrastructure-as-a-Service blanket purchase agreement )

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About NJVC

NJVC is one of the largest information technology solutions providers supporting the U.S. Department of Defense. We provide innovative and high-quality IT solutions to the government and commercial organizations, and specialize in supporting highly secure IT enterprises, particularly for the intelligence and defense communities. To learn more, visit http://www.njvc.com/ .

Contact

Michelle Snyder
703.893.7609
michelle.snyder@njvc.com

Dara Dirth
571.405.2741
dara.dirth@njvc.com

( Thank you. If you enjoyed this article, get free updates by email or RSS - KLJ )

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Mr. Jeffrey Kaplan Talks About The Cloud Channel

This afternoon I had a very interesting discussion with Mr. Jeffrey Kaplan, Managing Director of THINKstrategies and founder of the Cloud Computing Showplace. His firm is focused entirely on the business implications of the transition of the technology industry from product-centric to services-driven solutions, including Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Cloud Computing and Managed Services. Mr. Kaplan is also the Founder of the Cloud Computing Showplace (www.cloudshowplace.com), a vendor-independent, online directory and best practice resource center regarding SaaS, Platforms-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), including Managed Services with nearly 1,800 companies divided into over 90 categories.

 
Our conversation focused on the evolution of the system integrator within the public sector marketplace. One of his key goals was to dispel the myth that system integrators and their channel partners will be displaced by the rapidly growing list of cloud providers. In his view, system inegrator must quickly evolve their businesses to deliver cloud based solutions. Today's traditional information technology channel sales model will morph into a new cloud channel sales model.

If you're interested in learning more about this transition, you should consider attending the Cloud Channel Summit being held in Mountain View, Ca, November 7, 2011. the purpose of this conference is to:

• Foster greater communication about the channel opportunities in the Cloud Computing market.
• Give major Cloud vendors a venue where they can demonstrate that they are channel-friendly and discuss the business benefits of their channel programs.
• Give channel companies an opportunity to learn about industry best practices and the channel programs being offered by the leading cloud vendors so they can capitalize on these new market opportunities; and
• To provide an important networking opportunity for corporate executives and channel managers to interact and learn about what’s working and not in the rapidly evolving Cloud marketplace.

( Thank you. If you enjoyed this article, get free updates by email or RSS - KLJ )

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The Economic Benefit of Cloud Computing

(The following is the Executive Summary of a recent NJVC Executive Whitepaper. The full version is available at NJVC.com )

Cloud computing, as defined by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, is a model for enabling “… convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction.” NIST is implying the economies of scale that go with cloud computing when it refers to a pool of configurable computing resources.

Cloud computing is often referred to as a technology. However, it is actually a significant shift in the business and economic models for provisioning and consuming information technology (IT) that can lead to a significant cost savings. This cost savings can only be realized through the use of significant pooling of these “configurable computing resources” or resource pooling. According to NIST, this capability is an essential characteristic of cloud computing. Resource pooling is the ability of a cloud to serve multiple customers using a multi-tenant model with different physical and virtual resources dynamically assigned and reassigned according to demand.

Cloud computing economics depends on four customer population metrics:

1. Number of Unique Customer Sets (n)
2. Customer Set Duty Cycles (λ,f)
3. Relative Duty Cycle Displacement (t)
4. Customer Set Load (L)

These metrics drive the cloud provider’s ability to use the minimum amount of physical IT resources to service a maximum level of IT resource demand. Properly balancing these factors across a well characterized user group can lead to approximately 30-percent savings in IT resources, and enables the near real-time modification of the underlying physical infrastructure required for the delivery of the desired “illusion of infinite resources” synonymous with a cloud computing user’s experience.

When implemented properly, the cloud computing economic model can drastically reduce the operations and maintenance cost of IT infrastructures. A 2009 Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH) study concluded that a cloud computing approach could save 50 to 67 percent of the lifecycle cost for a 1,000-server deployment. Another Deloitte study confirmed that cloud deployments delivered greater investment returns with a shorter payback period when compared to the traditional on-premise delivery option.

In considering cloud computing for the Intelligence Community, security is an obvious concern. Given the legal and operational concerns, classified information should always be processed in properly protected and certified IC private or community clouds. If a secure cloud model can be designed, economic savings can certainly be realized.

When used to process unclassified information, sharing cloud computing resources can nominally provide the operational advantages of a private cloud with a cost closer to that of a public cloud due to the expected economies of scale from combined user communities.

The federal government is currently deploying a federal community cloud. Officially referred to as the General Services Administration Infrastructure as a Service Blanket Purchase Agreement (GSA IaaS BPA; item #4 in the White House CIO’s “25 Point Implementation Plan to Reform Federal Information Technology Management”), this Government Wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) vehicle is designed to implement a community cloud economic model to support the federal government. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) expects this community to provide approximately $20 billion in cloud computing services to a community made up of more than 25 agencies.

Using the BAH study as a guide, and assuming that community cloud economies mimic those expected from a hybrid cloud, transitioning IT services from an agency-owned IT infrastructure to the GSA IaaS platform should deliver benefit cost ratios of approximately 7:1.

Cloud computing provides some strong benefits and economic incentives. Selecting a public, private, hybrid or community cloud implementation will depend on a customer’s specific application, performance, security and compliance requirements. Proper deployment can provide significant savings, better IT services and a higher level of reliability.

1. Lower Costs
2. Cap-Ex Free Computing
3. Deploy Projects Faster, Foster Innovation
4. Scale as Needed
5. Lower Maintenance Costs
6. Resiliency and Redundancy

( Thank you. If you enjoyed this article, get free updates by email or RSS - KLJ )

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