Jan 26, 2012, post by Artur Nowak
Globecomm Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: GCOM), a leading global provider of communications solutions and services, announced that the Company has been awarded a one year managed service contract from a US Government agency valued at $2.6 million. Under the terms of the contract, Globecomm will provide IT support services relating to Internet connectivity and Voice over IP Telephony via its teleport facilities to multiple foreign locations.
About Globecomm Systems
Globecomm Systems Inc., or Globecomm, is a leading global provider of satellite-based managed network solutions. Employing our expertise in emerging communication technologies we are able to offer a comprehensive suite of system integration, system products, and network services enabling a complete end-to-end solution for our customers. We believe our integrated approach of in-house design and engineering expertise combined with a world-class global network and our 24 by 7 network operating centers provides us a unique competitive advantage. We are now taking this value proposition to selective vertical markets, including government, wireless, media, enterprise, and maritime. As a network solution provider we leverage our global network to provide customers managed access services to the United States Internet backbone, video content, the public switched telephone network or their corporate headquarters, or government offices. We currently have customers for which we are providing such services in the United States, Europe, South America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
Jan 12, 2012, post by Artur Nowak
A new benchmarking study of 19 of the world’s 20 leading economies found that the United Kingdom and the United States lead Group of 20 (G20) countries in their ability to withstand cyber attacks and to deploy the digital infrastructure necessary for a productive and secure economy. The index also found that several major economies–Argentina, Indonesia, Russia and Saudi Arabia–do not have cybersecurity plans and do not appear to be developing them. The index is at www.cyberhub.com .
The Cyber Power Index, developed by the Economist Intelligence Unit and sponsored by Booz Allen Hamilton, measures both the success of digital adoption and cyber security, and the degree to which the economic and regulatory environment in G20 nations promote national cyber power.
The Index allows visitors to compare the cyber power rankings of the G20 countries on a scale of 0-100 with 100 being most favorable. Each country’s ranking is a weighted mean of scores from four categories: Legal and Regulatory Environment; Economic and Social Context; Technology Infrastructure; and Industry Application. Each category features at least four underlying indicators, many of which are composed of sub-indicators. The European Union, the newest member of the G20, was not included in the study.
“The Cyber Power Index identifies those countries that understand what it takes to operate in a digital era…and those that don’t,” said Booz Allen Hamilton Vice Chairman Mike McConnell. “Many define a nation’s cyber power simply like other domains such as land, air or space. While cyber is a domain, a nation’s capabilities must be measured by more than their military might alone. The countries able to master the uses and security requirements of emerging technologies and societal shifts brought on by the cyber revolution will emerge as the cyber powers and the winners of the 21st century.”
Overall, the top five countries exhibiting cyber power, as measured by the index–the UK; the US; Australia; Germany; and Canada–illustrate that developed Western countries are leading the way into the digital era. The top five performers also rate highly across the board, ranking in the top seven in all four categories. The G20′s last member, the EU, was not analyzed.
The leading emerging market countries, Brazil, Russia, India and China (the BRICs), have some room for improvement; out of the 19 economies, they rank 10th, 14th, 17th, and 13th, respectively. There is also a wide discrepancy between the top and the bottom of the index. The UK, the top performer, scores around three times the amount of points on a scale of 0 to 100 as the worst performer, Saudi Arabia. Among other conclusions from the data:
– Cyber power relies on a solid foundation that includes technical skills for security and effective use of the cyber environment, high educational attainment levels, open trade policies, and an innovative business environment. The US has the most supportive economic and social context for fostering cyber power according to the index. This is driven by high tertiary education enrollment, research and development (R&D) investment, and an open trade environment. Asia’s rising influence is also apparent in this category, as China leads the trade indicator, while Japan and South Korea fill the number one and two positions, respectively, in technical skills.
– The gap in cyber capability between the U.S. and other countries is closing. While the U.S. has a broad and deep cyber power base, other nations such as South Korea and Japan are aggressively adopting greater levels of bandwidth and communications stability.
– Big does not always mean powerful. China has a large population and a powerful military. As a result the nation is often considered to be a cyber power. In reality, the Cyber Index found that the country’s true level of cyber power is in reality quite modest. Going forward, other countries are expected to be added to the Index, which could show the power of small countries such as Estonia. In contrast to China, Estonia is relatively tiny and hosts a modest military, yet that country’s well known ability to integrate advanced technology into its society could make a telling comparison.
– Germany’s comprehensive cyber policies are a key to its success. Germany leads the legal and regulatory framework category with a near perfect score (99.3 out of 100), followed by other Western countries that also performed well in the overall index. Germany is one of only five countries (the others being the UK; the US; France; and Japan) to have both a comprehensive national cyber plan and a comprehensive cybersecurity plan.
– Prioritisation of ICT access is higher in the developed world. There is still a clear divide between developed countries and emerging markets as measured by access to internet, mobile phones, and WiFi. The UK, US, and Germany lead Information Communications Technology (ICT) access, while Mexico, Indonesia, India, China, and South Africa have the lowest access scores. An exception is South Korea, which is fifth, despite having strong government policy towards improving access.
– The G20 countries have made limited technological progress within key industries. Australia is the top performer within the industry application category, which measures the ability of different industries (energy, health, transportation, government, and e-commerce) to leverage ICT developments, including security advancements. As an indication of uneven technological development across industries, Australia ranks first in the category overall, but only scores well within the electronic health indicator.
The Cyber Power Index anchors the Cyber Hub, a new platform also developed by the Economist Intelligence Unit and sponsored by Booz Allen Hamilton intended to help governments and businesses remain competitive in today’s cyber landscape. The Cyber Hub features a series of research papers and expert points of view examining cyber’s implications for the business community. Much of the content will focus on specific industry verticals: health, finance, transportation, energy, open government, and defense-security.
About Booz Allen Hamilton
Booz Allen Hamilton is a leading provider of strategy and technology consulting services to the US government in defense, intelligence, and civil markets, and to major corporations, institutions, and not-for-profit organizations. Booz Allen is headquartered in McLean, Virginia, employs more than 25,000 people, and had revenue of $5.59bn for the 12 months to March 31st 2011.
To learn more, visit www.boozallen.com . /quotes/zigman/1466656/quotes/nls/bah BAH -0.28%
About the Economist Intelligence Unit
The Economist Intelligence Unit is part of the Economist Group, the leading source of analysis on international business and world affairs. Founded in 1946 as an in-house research unit for The Economist newspaper, we deliver business intelligence, forecasting and advice to over 1.5m decision-makers from the world’s leading companies, financial institutions, governments and universities. Our analysts are known for the rigour, accuracy and consistency of their analysis and forecasts, and their commitment to objectivity, clarity and timeliness.
Oct 31, 2011, post by Artur Nowak
Raytheon Company technology reached orbit following today’s successful launch of NASA’s NPOESS Preparatory Project spacecraft. NPP is a polar-orbiting satellite that will function as a bridge between the current NASA Earth Observing System (EOS) and a new constellation of weather monitoring spacecraft known as the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS).
NOAA weather satellites are the backbone of life-saving weather forecasts and advance hazardous outlooks relied upon by individuals, businesses, emergency responders and the military every day. This year alone there have been 10 disasters surpassing $1 billion each, which has made the demand for advanced weather data even greater. Further, because of demographic trends and population growth, the United States may be even more vulnerable to extreme weather events in the future. Raytheon provides the technology, from space to ground, to support NOAA’s important weather mission.
At the heart of JPSS is an advanced weather and climate monitoring instrument responsible for nearly two-thirds of the spacecraft’s data collection requirements. The Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) is the primary instrument responsible for global imagery, land and sea surface temperature monitoring, cloud characterization and other key environmental data.
On the ground, a new Common Ground System built by Raytheon will feature a flexible design to manage nearly a terabyte of information daily to support enhanced environmental data records designed to meet NOAA’s and the U.S. Air Force Weather Agency’s critical weather forecasting responsibilities.
Supported by Raytheon technology in space and on the ground, JPSS will provide important advancements in weather forecasting, including:
- Better image resolution for greater detail across images;
- Improved nighttime monitoring of weather conditions;
- Faster data delivery to U.S. weather stations (by up to 75 percent); and
- Ability to handle 100 times the data of the current system, for more accurate weather and climate modeling.
About Raytheon: www.raytheon.com
