Maybe there's an easier way to find cloud vendors

If you’re an enterprise customer looking to find the right cloud vendors, then InspectorJones.com might be the right stop for you, according to The Sacramento Bee. Inspector Jones is said to give companies a way to find the best fit for their company, focusing on reviews of cloud service quality. These reviews cover things like security measures, compliance with standards, company health, data centers, and general track record, The Sacramento Bee reported.

Damian Bramanis, Inspector Jones founder, described what it was like beginning such a venture, telling the Bee that the “search was painstaking. There are a lot of cloud vendors, and it's not easy to figure out who's good and who's not."

GD Electric Boat wins $9.5M contract mod for sub work

General Dynamics Electric Boat has won a $9.5 million contract modification with the U.S. Navy for maintenance and modernization work on the submarine USS Hartford.

This modification is part of a $67 million contract awarded to General Dynamics Electric Boat in April 2012.

Under the contract, the company will perform work at the company’s shipyard in Groton, Conn., General Dynamics said in a release. The USS Hartford is a Los Angeles-class attack submarine.

Work is expected to be completed by September.

The cloud is nice, but don't forget collaboration

Cloud computing is the topic of conversation all over the market, with more and more companies and government agencies making the big switch, but with such popularity comes a risk of missing the point: the challenges of managing and collaborating on files are not automatically solved by moving to the cloud, said Gigaom.com.

Who made 2012's biggest deals?

Our dedicated group of mergers and acquisition experts combed through the 103 deals in our annual round up and picked the best deals in a variety of categories.

This year we have thirteen categories and some are noteworthy for the size but size isn’t the deciding factors. These transactions in many cases were transformative and either created new players or took established companies and strengthened their position in the market.

103 deals chasing the next big thing

Several factors were at play in the 103 mergers and acquisitions that closed in 2012, but two common themes were transformation and anticipation.

The prevailing wisdom says that in a market where budget uncertainty rules the day, investing millions in an acquisition might not be a wise use of resources. But government contractors are forever in search of the next hot opportunity. That above all else is what Washington Technology’s annual M&A roundup teaches us.

The growing legend of Richard Spires' departure

It’s time for the Homeland Security Department and Richard Spires to come clean on why the widely hailed CIO has been on leave for the last month.

I know it’s a personnel matter, but this is a political appointee who is one of the stars of the government IT world. He’s been credited with being a catalyst for change at DHS. As recently as last month, he won the Eagle Award from FCW for his work at the department.

United States, China form cybersecurity working group

The United States is teaming up with China through a working group on cybersecurity that the two countries are forming, according to secretary of state John Kerry, The Times of India reported Read More

iRobot wins $28.8M contract mod for Navy robot systems

iRobot Corp. has won a $28.8 million contract modification to provide the U.S. Navy with Man Transportable Robotic System production systems, as well as related parts and services.

The Man Transportable Robotic System is a small robotic vehicle used by explosive ordnance disposal technicians to conduct remote reconnaissance, or either disarm or dispose of explosive devices, the Defense Department said in an announcement. Read More

Cybersecurity policy looking more like ballistic policy

President Barack Obama has the authority to initiate a preventive cyber strike if there is threat of an attack on the United States, meaning that the United States now has the authority to attack foreign nations, in the cyber domain, regardless of whether the country is already involved in conflict with them, HSToday reported.

ITT Exelis rearranges execs in Electronic Systems sector

ITT Exelis has named Rich Sorelle as the new leader of the company's Electronic Systems division. He previously was the vice president and general manager of the division's integrated electronic warfare systems business area.

Joe Rambala will take Sorelle’s place as the leader of that business.