Like a good horse for a range-roving cowboy. Like a decent hammer for a carpenter. A business developer needs tools to hunt down the right business opportunities and to efficiently engage the right clients. Several news tools have come to my attention recently and several older ones that still provide great value. This blog entry is one of several, over the next weeks, to highlight what’s available for the current BD practitioner in the federal/defense market. If you have been a BD professional for awhile and are not updated, this will help. If you’re still learning, this will be even more help. In any case, having the right tools is vital.

A new nonskid deck coating developed at NRL, and now undergoing final development and ship testing, promises to be more durable, hold its color longer, and be more resistant to spilled chemicals. Because the new material, called siloxane, will last longer compared with traditional nonskid deck coating, it will also be cheaper in the long run.

Coalition and interagency partners have a lot of hard work ahead of them if they want to operate better together in the future, but with the right attitudes enabled by the best technology, the way ahead has plenty of promise.

Several themes emerged during the second day of TechNet Land Forces South in Tampa, Florida, but the most dominant topic was the budget. Lt. Gen. Bradley A. Heithold, USAF, vice commander, U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM), discussed the implications the funding cuts will have on special operations forces (SOF). As one of the people involved in drafting the new budget, he assured the audience that every choice was made carefully with focus on critical objectives. The SOF budget grows under the new plan as force numbers increase toward 12,000 forces.

Actively participating in AFCEA calls for enthusiasm and commitment. The deep devotion one Philadelphia Liberty Bell Chapter member brings to every aspect of his life demonstrates that he has the right stuff.

The Web isn’t the only medium taking advantage of viewers’ newly acquired talent of techno multitasking.

Engagement Theaters that center on rubber-meets-the-road topics are one of the latest features of AFCEA International conferences. Located on the exhibit floor, these 50-minute forums appeal to industry and government personnel alike.

Through the Members-Only Forum, AFCEA offers its members a way to reach out to one another to find answers, share solutions or even just announce company or chapter news.

From the WikiLeaks scandal to border security, the key theme of TechNet Land Forces South day one was that in the interagency environment, trust is a critical element of success.

Systems and technologies undergoing scrutiny at the U.S. Army's next Network Integration Evaluation this fall will first have to pass muster in the service's newly opened laboratory at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. The new lab facility is expected to reduce the risk associated with some new technologies and systems. It also is designed to save time, money and integration headaches during future evaluation exercises.