The U.S. Defense Department has released a new rule in which major contractors--defined as organizations whose covered segments allocated a total of more than $11 million in independent research and development (IR&D) and bid and proposal (B&P) costs to covered contracts during the preceding fiscal year--must enter project information into the Defense Innovation Marketplace for costs to be allowable. This regulation aims to create better communication between what the military needs and where companies invest their funding.

Real changes are afoot and your company needs to flex with the times. In reading the out-takes from the 2013 federal budget handed down by the executive branch, small businesses serving the Defense and intelligence markets need to tune their offerings in order to be responsive. First, let's quote Mary Ann Lawlor's article in AFCEA Magazine's Signal Connections (2/13/12):

January was an intense month for me personally with my daughter’s return from Afghanistan as I sorted out some challenging career options associated with the ending of myself imposed sabbatical as an unemployed Navy pensioner, but all that is loose change relative to events impacting the IC during 2012’s first month.

As expected, President Obama's fiscal year 2013 defense budget request reflects significant changes in the force structure of the military, adjustments in major weapons systems, and a proposal for two consecutive rounds of base realignment and closure (BRAC).

Lt. Col. Jay Kanavos, USAF (Ret.), brings two totally opposite perspectives to his participation in AFCEA’s Lexington-Concord Chapter: from the air and from the ground.

“Operating and Defending the Cyberspace: Tomorrow’s Playbook” is the theme of the first of the TechNet Land Forces trio of events that have evolved from the previous LandWarNet conference.

An interesting conversation on the AFCEA LinkedIn Group illustrates how complicated government procurement has become.

AFCEA International is dedicated to academics through the AFCEA Educational Foundation, which offers awards, scholarships and grants.

A flurry of diplomatic activity in recent months and the intervention of high-level Pentagon officials helped the NATO nations to move forward on the Alliance Ground Surveillance system. The surveillance system is designed to provide commanders with a more comprehensive picture of the situation on the ground.

When it comes down to it, you — yes, you — are the last line of cyber defense against the endless hordes of cyber criminals, terrorists and foreign agents. Digital technology now touches almost every living person and as time moves on its reach will only continue to grow. With technology reaching us all and being incorporated into more parts of our daily lives, you can no longer rely on someone else to protect you. Whether it is defending your data at work, or defending your personal data at home, being an effective cyber defender is a continuous responsibility.