Weekly GEOINT Community News

NGA Launches $1.2M Geomagnetic Data Challenge; SAIC Announces Organizational Leadership Changes; More

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NGA Launches $1.2M Geomagnetic Data Challenge

Last week, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) launched MagQuest, a $1.2 million global open innovation challenge. NGA calls upon solvers to submit novel approaches to geomagnetic data collection for the World Magnetic Model. MagQuest is designed to attract new ideas to increase the efficiency, reliability, and sustainability of geomagnetic data collection. With this challenge, NGA aims to inspire solvers to apply their expertise to spaceborne, aerial, terrestrial, and other potential solution areas. MagQuest is open to domestic and international participants. Those interested in participating should submit their concepts by 4:59 p.m. EST May 16. Click here to learn more. 

NGA to Leverage Planet’s High-Revisit Imagery, Automated Processing

NGA also announced last week it is exercising a six-month option for a $5.9 million contract to Planet to advance the use of high revisit imagery and automated processing to augment and facilitate the agency’s analysis processes. NGA exercised the option to continue development and evaluation of the broader National System for Geospatial Intelligence community needs for Planet’s commercial imagery to inform customers’ future technical requirements.

XYO and Geon Network Announce Partnership to Improve Location Data for AR App

Geospatial cryptonetwork XYO announced a new partnership with Geon Network, a provider of augmented reality-enhanced location-based services. The partnership will generate and leverage rich location-based data to improve “Geons,” AR objects that can be placed anywhere in the world by consumers, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and others. The collaboration will leverage XYO’s ability to collect and make geospatial data available, while improving functionality and user verification at Geon Network’s more than 1.5 million existing AR objects around the globe.

SAIC Announces Organizational Leadership Changes

SAIC announced that in conjunction with its previously reported CEO transition, the role of the COO will be eliminated April 1. SAIC’s customer-facing business groups and Solutions and Technology Group, which previously reported to the COO, will now report to CEO-elect Nazzic Keene. The company’s corporate functions will also report to Keene as part of a broader initiative to operate within a flatter structure. During the transition process, CEO Tony Moraco will continue on as CEO/executive transition advisor until July 31. However, during this transition, Keene will be primarily responsible for the day-to-day operation of the business.

Concurrently, Michael LaRouche has joined SAIC to take over the general manager role for the National Security Group and will report to Keene effective immediately. LaRouche joins the company from Raytheon where he was vice president of a $900-million business unit developing cyber solutions and supporting commercial, intelligence, and defense customers. Also as part of SAIC’s new structure, Mark Escobar, former general manager of the National Security Group, will now serve as chief of business operations. The newly formed Business Operations organization encompasses business development operations, corporate communications, corporate IT, contracts, procurement, government affairs, program operations, security, and facilities.

Peer Intel

Juliane Gallina, who formerly worked as a CIA officer and currently oversees key accounts with IBM U.S. Federal, will take over the role of chief information officer at the CIA April 1, the agency announced last week.

Maxar announced the appointment of James C. Lee as General Counsel, effective April 1. Lee spent the past 15 years at Aramark Corporation, most recently serving as SVP and deputy general counsel, responsible for the legal functions of Aramark Uniform Services, the nation’s second largest uniform services provider with 21,000 employees. Lee was instrumental in Aramark’s $1 billion purchase of Ameripride in 2018.

Image Credit: NOAA

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