Current Events

TECHSOFT Director Receives Master’s Degree, Accepted to Doctoral Program in Information Assurance

Michael Shanholtz, TECHSOFT’s Director of Network Engineering, has received a Master of Science in Information Assurance (MSIA) from Norwich University and has been accepted into the Doctoral Program for Computer Information Systems with a concentration in Information Assurance (DCIS) at Nova Southeastern University.

Both universities are designated as National Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education (CAEIAE), which is an outreach program designed and operated initially by the National Security Agency (NSA) in the spirit of Presidential Decision Directive 63, National Policy on Critical Infrastructure Protection, May 1998.

The goal of the program is to reduce vulnerability in our national information infrastructure by promoting higher education in information assurance, and producing a growing number of professionals with information assurance expertise in various disciplines.

Shanholtz’s experience in the field of network and computer security includes projects for the U.S. Navy, the NSA, and numerous regional clients of TECHSOFT’s during the past eight years. Shanholtz is a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) and is a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT).

TECHSOFT, Inc. President Receives Outstanding Contribution Award from IEEE Computer Society

Thomas Pigoski, President and CEO of TECHSOFT, Inc., has received an Outstanding Contribution Award from the IEEE Computer Society.

The award came as a result of Pigoski’s “outstanding technical and leadership contributions” as project editor of the new ISO/IEC/IEEE 14764 international standard.

The new standard establishes the process for managing and executing software maintenance activities. It is a collaborative effort involving the IEEE Computer Society, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission), who form the specialized system for worldwide standardization.

ISO/IEC/IEEE 14764 was sponsored by the Software & Systems Engineering Standards Committee of the IEEE Computer Society. It was approved by the IEEE Standards Board in March 2006. Pigoski’s award was initially announced in July 2007.

With nearly 90,000 members, the IEEE Computer Society is the world’s leading organization of computer professionals. The Society is dedicated to advancing the theory, practice, and application of computer and information processing technology.

Pigoski founded TECHSOFT in 1990 following a 20-year career in Naval cryptology, during which he planned, established, and directed the operation of software activities for large-scale U.S. Department of Defense systems. He is the author of two books and frequently lectures at national and international software conferences.

TECHSOFT Provides CMMI^®, Risk Md Systems Engineering Courses for SPAWAR Charleston

TECHSOFT's Engineering Process Services team recently provided several classroom training courses for Space and Naval Warfare (SPAWAR) Systems Center Charleston (SSC-C) in Charleston, South Carolina and Norfolk, Virginia.

From July through September, more than 100 SPAWAR engineers and project managers received CMMI^®, systems engineering, and risk management training.

SSC-C is responsible for providing systems and software engineering in support of the U.S. Navy, as well as other Department of Defense and government activities worldwide. TECHSOFT serves as the Engineering Process Office (EPO) for SSC-C, with a staff of CMMI^® experts who work closely with SSC-C to train, advise, and provide the tools necessary for successful process improvement.

The recent classes included:

July 17-19 and Aug 20-22 courses on "The Software Engineering Institute's (SEI) Introduction to CMMI^®, Version 1.2 at SSC-C".

The class utilized standard SEI material to cover the new V1.2 CMMI^® Product Suite and reinforced key concepts of the model and each maturity level. The SEI-authorized instructors also tied the model to the specific tools and processes implemented at SSC-C.
An August 20-22 Systems Engineering Fundamentals course in Charleston, S.C, and a September 18-20 System Engineering Fundamentals course in Norfolk, Va.

The three-day Systems Engineering Fundamentals course is an introduction to the application of Systems Engineering concepts for product design and development. It addresses the full Systems Engineering process, including requirements, architectures, design, integration, qualification, modeling, and decision analysis.
A September 25-28 Integrated Risk Management course, which is a new offering at SSC-C. The 4-day classroom course primarily focused on risk process execution. It is designed to teach the spectrum of risk management skills needed by engineers and managers working on a range of programs and projects.

In addition to classroom training, TECHSOFT has also developed several web-based training courses that are a permanent part of SSC-C’s eTraining portfolio. Included are Risk Management, Introduction to SSC-C Process Improvement, Introduction to Systems Engineering, and Introduction to Architecture Development web-based training courses.

TECHSOFT Awarded Telecommunications Support Contract Under SeaPort-e

September 2007—TECHSOFT was recently awarded a $614,340 contract under their Prime SeaPort-e Multiple Award Contract (MAC). The contract is to provide data technician services, including computer and network hardware and software administration; database management and development; application programming maintenance; and application support services requirements necessary to support automated operations for Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station (NAVCOMTELSTA) Jacksonville's Pensacola Division.

The mission of the NAVCOMTELSTA Base Communications Office (BCO) is to provide base telecommunications services to Navy shore activities, home ported and visiting fleet units, and authorized Navy activities within the NAVCOMTELSTA Pensacola Division Area of Responsibility (AOR). This includes all customers located at NAS Pensacola, the Center for Information Dominance (CID), Saufley Field, NAS Whiting Field, Naval Support Activity (NSA) Panama City, and NSA Mid-South Millington.

The contract will provide telecommunications support services on Government-owned switches and associated hardware and software; systems programming; support of fiber and copper telecommunications cable plants including analog, digital, and ISDN lines; and support of end user devices for approximately 11,700 users. NAVCOMTELSTA BCO is responsible for the day-to-day management and administration of base telecommunications.

TECHSOFT Recognized by Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce

September 2007—Three local employers received awards for outstanding commitment to, and investment in, the Pensacola Bay Area, as part of Florida's annual "Industry Appreciation Program". Recognized by the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce for "Innovation" is ActiGraph, LLC; for "Entrepreneurship," Overgroup Consulting, LLC; and for "Business Expansion," Technical Software Services, Inc. All are now eligible, along with other Florida winners, for the state-wide "Governor’s Business Diversification Awards" to be announced later this month.

"These employers, along with other Pensacola industries and major employers, have helped the Chamber's Economic Development Council reach exciting goals," said Blaise Adams, vice chair, Economic Development. "In just the past five years alone, new and expanding businesses have created 3,000 jobs and added $235.1 million in capital investments."

Actigraph, LLC, acknowledged for innovative leadership, is "currently a $3 million company with conservative plans to evolve into a $30+ million company within five years," said, Jeff Arnett, President. ActiGraph’s current customer base is focused primarily within the research industry which includes, locally, The Andrews Institute Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine and active customers in over 40 countries.

Noted as a company expanding its operations in 2006, investing capital and creating jobs for Floridians, is Technical Software Services, Inc. "TECHSOFT is now in a position to support a 25% increase in our Pensacola staff and over the next five years we expect continued growth," said Tom Pigoski, President/CEO.

Overgroup Consulting, LLC is an information technology business recognized for its entrepreneurship. "We strive to create software that is fun to use, that our clients can use and adapt to quickly, that requires minimal training and just makes sense," said Ross Overstreet, co-founder with Bill White.

Pensacola News Journal Article

TECHSOFT Launches New Risk Management Web-Based Training for Space and Naval Warfare (SPAWAR) Systems Center Charleston

June 2007—TECHSOFT has successfully developed and launched a new risk management web-based training (WBT) course for Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Charleston (SSC-C).

SSC-C is responsible for providing systems and software engineering in support of the U.S. Navy, as well as other Department of Defense and government activities worldwide. TECHSOFT serves as the Engineering Process Office (EPO) for SSC-C, with a staff of CMMI^® experts who work closely with SSC-C to train, advise, and provide the tools needed for successful process improvement.

The new Risk Management WBT was introduced in early May and is intended for all of SSC-C's program and project risk managers as an introduction to risk management.

The course is crucial because risk management is an integral part of professional program/project management and leadership at every level, and must be proactive to ensure that undesirable consequences are anticipated as early as possible in a project's life cycle.

Risk management is also an essential ingredient of the technical management process and includes process steps that result in the identification of potential risks, assessment of risk impact, development of risk reduction strategies, and monitoring of risk status.

The Risk Management course is entirely web-based and is comprised of three lessons that take between 6 and 8 hours to complete. Upon course completion, the student will be familiar with:

Risk management concepts and principles
Implementing the continuous risk management process
Basic risk management skills for each function of the risk management paradigm
Use of the key methods and tools
Tailoring continuous risk management to a project
Components of a risk and the exposure levels
Risk management tracking database
Risk Identification Worksheet (RIW) and other risk reporting vehicles

The new Risk Management WBT is a permanent part of SSC-C's eTraining portfolio, joining earlier web-based training developed by TECHSOFT, which includes Introduction to SSC-C Process Improvement, Introduction to Systems Engineering, and Introduction to Architecture Development courses.

TECHSOFT's Teresa Doran Published in International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) Magazine

May 2007—An article authored by Teresa "Terry" Doran of TECHSOFT has been published in the April issue of INSIGHT – a publication of the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE).
Doran, a senior process engineer in TECHSOFT's Engineering Process Services Department, is an international systems and software standards development expert.

Her article, titled "IEEE 1220: A Practical Standard for Systems Engineering," serves as an introduction to the newly-revised IEEE Std. 1220TM-2005 systems engineering standard originally developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc. (IEEE) in 1995.

As Doran explains in the article, the latest revision to IEEE 1220 makes it easier for industry, government, and academic systems engineering organizations to apply the detailed processes and practices found in the standard. The revision also completes the initial alignment of IEEE 1220 with its closest-related International Organization for Standardization (ISO) systems standard.

Publication of IEEE 1220 as ISO/IEC 26702 now launches the next phase of the standards' integration and continues the evolution toward harmonization of the two large systems and software standards collections.

The non-profit IEEE is the world's leading professional association for the advancement of technology and a leading developer of standards that underpin many of today's technologies. By adopting IEEE standards, corporations, organizations, universities and government agencies practice sound engineering; reduce their development time, cost, and risk; and increase quality and safety.

Doran's article has also appeared in a past issue of IEEE's Computer magazine.

Doran is a member of the IEEE Computer Society's Golden Core and serves on their Technical Advisory Board. She is also an INCOSE member.

TECHSOFT Leads Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Charleston to CMMI^® Maturity Level 3

March 2007—TECHSOFT's Engineering Process Services team has successfully led Space and Naval Warfare (SPAWAR) Systems Center Charleston to CMMI^® Maturity Level 3 (ML3).

SPAWAR Systems Center Charleston (SSC-C) is responsible for providing systems and software engineering in support of the U.S. Navy, as well as other Department of Defense and government activities worldwide. April's achievement marks the first time a SPAWAR Systems Center has reached CMMI^® ML3 – considered the benchmark for world-class systems engineering.

"This achievement is the culmination of four years of planning, training, and preparation. There was a tremendous amount of hard work and close coordination involved," said TECHSOFT President Tom Pigoski. "By practicing at CMMI^® Maturity Level 3, SPAWAR Charleston’s programs have proved they are engineering products of exceptional quality for their clients. That directly benefits our warfighters, who are the primary users of the tools produced by SPAWAR Charleston."

CMMI^®, or Capability Maturity Model^® Integration, is a comprehensive method of process improvement that addresses the development and maintenance of products and services through their entire lifecycle.

TECHSOFT serves as the Engineering Process Office (EPO) for SSC-C, with a staff of CMMI^® experts who work closely with SSC-C to train, advise, and provide the tools needed for successful process improvement.

To reach ML3, nine SSC-C programs had to successfully pass a rigorous Command-level formal "Class A" Standard CMMI^® Appraisal Method for Process Improvement (SCAMPI^SM) appraisal led by a Senior Member of the Software Engineering Institute (SEI). The SCAMPI took three weeks to complete.

The nine programs represented a cross-section of the engineering disciplines found at the Command.

"The SCAMPI included more than 90 interviews with SSC-C project team members and the review of thousands of documents generated by the programs," said TECHSOFT Engineering Process Services Director Sandee Guidry. "The major benefit is that no stone is left unturned. When it’s over, the organization has clearly documented processes and knows every strength and weakness. They can then teach others to follow the correct path – and that makes the organization stronger as a whole."

That feedback is "worth its weight in gold," said James Ward, Executive Director of SSC-C.

"This appraisal represents a good sampling of programs across the organization, and we’re raising the standards of engineering excellence," Ward said.

SSC-C's ML3 rating is good for three years, but the Command is already preparing to start work toward CMMI^® Maturity Level 4.

TECHSOFT Celebrates 17 Years in Business

March 2007—Local technology company TECHSOFT celebrated its 17th anniversary on April 30, following a year of rapid growth and the successful completion of several major projects.

"Our 17th year was by far our best yet, with new contracts at Space and Naval Warfare (SPAWAR) Systems Center Charleston, SeaPort-e, and growth projects in our local business," said TECHSOFT President Tom Pigoski. "Our staff has worked very hard, and achieved major success."

TECHSOFT has expanded its business with several local clients, including Pensacola Junior College, the First Circuit Court, and the Studer Group. The company has occupied the same location at 31 West Garden Street for the past 13 years.

Among the company’s accomplishments this year:

Awarded a 5-year $14 million contract to provide a variety of technical services to the Space and Naval Warfare (SPAWAR) Systems Center in Charleston, S.C.
Led SPAWAR Systems Center Charleston to Capability Maturity Model (CMMI^®) Integration Maturity Level 3.
Awarded a Prime SeaPort-e Multiple Award Contract to provide engineering, technical, and programmatic support services to the US. Navy and Marine Corps.
Became the first U.S. Value Added Reseller for the SecureD^® line of encrypted disk products.
Provided technical engineering support for Pensacola Junior College's Alternative Strategies for Continuing Education and Nursing Development (ASCEND) project.
Awarded a major training task from the U.S. Navy to provide a web-based training application for the Center for Information Dominance at Corry Station.
Completed a 3,000 square foot expansion of the company's downtown office.

SOFT is focused on continuing to vices to its clients. That goal will further be reinforced as TECHSOFT completes its current effort to achieve CMMI^® Maturity Level 3 – considered the benchmark for world-class systems engineering.

"In our 18th year we will see continued growth in our Process Engineering Department as our reputation as consultants for CMMI^® implementations grows," Pigoski said. "We also expect increased growth in our Network Services group both in Pensacola and with Naval shipboard programs, and completing our own internal CMMI^® Maturity Level 3 assessment."

TECHSOFT Selected to Create Lean Six Sigma Program for SPAWAR Systems Center Charleston

March 2007—Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Charleston (SSC-C) has selected TECHSOFT to create and maintain certain elements of the center's Lean Six Sigma (LSS) Program.

SSC-C is responsible for providing systems and software engineering in support of the U.S. Navy, as well as other Department of Defense and government activities worldwide. TECHSOFT serves as the Engineering Process Office for SSC-C, with a staff of Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI^®) experts who work closely with SSC-C to train, advise, and provide the tools needed for successful process improvement. SSC-C has implemented CMMI^® and LSS to improve stable, mature processes.

TECHSOFT will provide the following for SSC-C:

Develop and maintain Lean Six Sigma processes and procedures to support the SSC-C Command efforts.
Develop a website to maintain program information and provide central access to new documentation.
Schedule and track all Lean Six Sigma events.
Develop Net-centric software solutions to aid in implementing and tracking Lean Six Sigma Command Efforts.
Provide technical process support for Lean Six Sigma and CMMI^® implementations at SSC-C.

SecureD^® Awarded the Common Criteria Evaluation Assurance Level 4+

November 2006—SecureD^® has been awarded the Common Criteria Evaluation Assurance Level 4, augmented with AVA_VLA.3. This augmentation implies that, in addition to evaluation for EAL4, SecureD^® has been analyzed for vulnerabilities by the National Security Agency.

SecureD^® products are user friendly, Operating System independent, 100% hardware implementations of full disk encryption from High Density Devices (HDD). This certification along with the previously attained FIPS 140-2 Level 3 certification makes it the most secure full disk encryption product commercially available on the market for "data at rest".

Commercialization of SecureD^® products has been supported by the Office of the Secretary of Defense through a program, known as Common Information Centric Security (CICS), managed by SPAWAR Systems Center in Charleston, SC.

"Achieving EAL-4+ certification for SecureD^® is another milestone in a list of accomplishments made by the CICS team", says Stein Aamot, President of HDD. "This certification will add a higher level of confidence for our users that SecureD^® is the right technology for protecting their sensitive data storage."

The SecureD^® product line includes products for laptops, desktops and mobile data requirements and comes in Serial ATA (S-ATA), Parallel ATA (P-ATA), and external USB drive configurations. Security for the devices is controlled by a Key Token implementation, which is created and governed by an available Key Management System (KMS). The KMS implementation provides flexibility in the use of Key Tokens for a wide variety of requirements. Pricing for the individual products vary based upon the capacity and configuration. For more details on SecureD^® products, visit www.SecureDataEncryption.com.

TECHSOFT's Director of Engineering Process Services Wins National CMMI^® Award

November 2006—Sandee Guidry, Director of Engineering Process Services for TECHSOFT, Inc., has received top honors at a national Capability Maturity Model^® Integration (CMMI^®) conference.

Guidry, a featured speaker at the 6th Annual CMMI^® Technology Conference and User Group, received the 2006 Outstanding Presentation for Systems Engineering award for her presentation titled "Systems Engineering Revitalization using CMMI^®." The presentation detailed her experience to date as a consultant to a large government systems engineering organization.

The conference was held Nov. 13-16 in Denver, Colorado and was sponsored by the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) and Carnegie Mellon University's Software Engineering Institute (SEI).

In addition to her award-winning presentation, Guidry also presented a half-day tutorial titled "Lessons Learned in Successfully Implementing CMMI^®." The tutorial discussed extensive research that has identified critical success factors others used for implementing organizational transformation, and highlights successful CMMI^® implementation strategies.

Organizations participating in the 6th Annual CMMI^® Technology Conference and User Group include defense, aerospace, and commercial companies; CMMI^® Transition Partners; Department of Defense organizations; small companies specializing in systems and software engineering development, tools, and processes; and other government agencies.

Guidry is an SEI-Authorized SCAMPI^SM Lead Appraiser and CMMI^® Instructor.

TECHSOFT Featured in Northwest Florida's Business Climate Magazine Article

November 2006—TECHSOFT is proud to announce that the company is featured along with other downtown Pensacola technology companies in an article in the NW Florida's Business^® Climate Magazine.

The article, titled "High Tech Comes to Town," is featured in the Second Annual Downtown Pensacola Special Edition of the magazine, which is distributed by Ballinger Publishing.

According to the article, Downtown Pensacola has recently attracted several high-tech companies, bringing approximately 300 employees who contribute to the local economy. Businesses attribute the growth to the mild meteorological climate, friendly business climate, and a sense of community and cooperation that encourages start-ups.

TECHSOFT, which has occupied its downtown office for 12 years, knows the benefits firsthand.
"Our staff is very excited and we are very proud to have been chosen to participate in the article," said TECHSOFT Vice President Dan Shanholtz. "TECHSOFT has a long history at its downtown location, which not only provides a central location and great infrastructure for our operations, but also puts many resources and activities within walking distance for our employees. It's a win-win situation for everyone."

TECHSOFT's portion of the article gives a history of the company and outlines the four primary business focuses: process engineering, software engineering, training course development, and network design and support.

Read the full article!

TECHSOFT Senior Engineer Authorized by the Software Engineering Institute as SCAMPI^SM Lead Appraiser

October 2006—Edd Burns, Senior Software Engineer for TECHSOFT, has been authorized by the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) as a SCAMPI^SM CMMI^® Lead Appraiser.

The Standard CMMI^® Appraisal Method for Process Improvement (SCAMPI^SM) is designed to provide benchmark quality ratings relative to Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI^®) models.

Burns joined TECHSOFT in 1993, and was authorized by the SEI as an Introduction to CMMI^® Instructor in 2005.

To become a lead appraiser, Burns met the SEI's qualifications for SCAMPI^SM Lead Appraisers, which include:

Participation as an appraisal team member on two SCAMPI^SM A appraisals or one SCAMPI^SM A appraisal and two SCAMPI^SM B or C appraisals within the prior 24 months.

At least 10 years of project management and engineering experience in systems or software engineering.

A minimum of two years of experience managing technical personnel.

An advanced degree in a related technical area or equivalent experience.

Completion of the 3-day Introduction to CMMI^® course.

Completion of the 5-day Intermediate Concepts of CMMI^® course.

Completion of the 5-day SCAMPI^SM Lead Appraiser Training.

Observation conducting a SCAMPI^SM A Appraisal.

His final authorization was granted after successfully conducting a SCAMPI^SM A Appraisal in the presence of an SEI-authorized observer. Burns was observed while conducting an appraisal of a major program with four projects at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center (SPAWAR) in Charleston, S.C.

TECHSOFT Awarded Major Training Development Task for the U.S. Navy

September 2006—TECHSOFT recently was awarded a major training development task for the U.S. Navy. The one-year effort valued at over $300K involves converting over 150 hours of classified podium-based training to a web-based training (WBT) application. TECHSOFT was chosen for this task based upon its successful track record of producing quality WBT for a variety of clients.

The WBT will be compatible with the Navy’s Learning Management and Learning Content Management Systems (LMS/LCMS) and be SCORM-compliant. Deployment of the finished product will be at the Center for Information Dominance, Corry Station in Pensacola, Florida.

TECHSOFT uses a process-driven approach to development of training curricula, with a dedicated team of instructional designers, software engineers and media/graphics specialists on staff.

TECHSOFT Named as U.S. Value Added Reseller for SecureD^® Line of Encrypted Disk Products

September 2006—High Density Devices (HDD) of Norway has named TECHSOFT as their first United States based Value Added Reseller for the SecureD^® line of encrypted disk products.

The SecureD^® technology provides operating system independent, 256-bit AES encryption of the entire disk through an innovative hardware implementation. The product line is certified under Common Criteria EAL 4+ and U.S. Standard FIPS 140-2, Level 3 and offers ATA/SATA implementations for laptops, desktops, and portable USB disk drives. The products are shipping now from TECHSOFT in the USA.

About High Density Devices
High Density Devices is an innovative team of Norwegian IT encryption experts researching, developing, and designing hardware based security and encryption solutions. Located in the southern Norwegian town of Mandal, High Density Devices has gained a reputation, among national experts as well as international market leaders, as being a rapidly growing developer of technological hardware security solutions.

About TECHSOFT
TECHSOFT has represented the Office of the Secretary of Defense in the commercialization of the SecureD^® products and now has teamed with HDD to provide sales, marketing and support for the products in the United States.

TECHSOFT Completes Network Tests for the U.S. Navy

September 2006—TECHSOFT recently completed three WAN/LAN network tests onboard U.S. Navy ships in the Pacific, Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, and at shore network operations centers in Wahiawa, HI, and Norfolk, VA.

TECHSOFT Engineers tested Unclassified, Secret and Special Compartmented Information WANs and LANs aboard the USS DONALD COOK (DDG 75), USS WARRIOR (MCM 10) and the USS RENTZ (FFG 43). Tests were conducted in port and at sea, with TECHSOFT engineers monitoring the tests onboard the ships and from the NOCs.

International Systems and Software Standards Development Expert Teresa Doran joins TECHSOFT Team

September 2006—Teresa "Terry" Doran has joined TECHSOFT as a senior process engineer in the Engineering Process Services Department.

Most recently with the Systems and Software Consortium, Inc. and the Northrop Grumman Corporation, Doran comes to TECHSOFT with more than 20 years of government and commercial software systems experience. She is an international expert and is currently leading projects for IEEE and ISO systems and software engineering standards development.

A New York native, Doran earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from St. John’s University in Jamaica, NY. She is a member of the IEEE Computer Society’s Golden Core and serves on their Technical Advisory Board. Doran is also a member of the International Council on Systems Engineering.

TECHSOFT Assistant Director Authorized as Software Engineering Institute Instructor

August 2006—Michael Knox, Assistant Director of Engineering Process Services for TECHSOFT, has been authorized as a Course Instructor for the Software Engineering Institute’s (SEI) Introduction to CMMI^® Course.

The 3-day SEI Introduction to Capability Maturity Model Index (CMMI^®) Course describes the fundamentals of model-based process improvement, illustrates the benefits of process improvement, and introduces Capability Maturity Model^® Integration (CMMI^®) fundamental concepts.

To become an authorized instructor, Knox completed a 3-day SEI Introduction to CMMI^® course and a 5-day SEI Intermediate Concepts of CMMI^® course; was accepted by SEI as a candidate instructor based on previous training and process experience; and completed the 3-day SEI CMMI^® Instructor course, which includes presenting course modules to fellow candidates.

His final authorization was granted after successfully teaching an official class in the presence of an SEI-authorized observer. Knox was observed while teaching the Introduction to CMMI^® course for 25 employees at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center (SPAWAR) in Charleston, SC.

There are approximately 350 SEI-authorized Introduction to CMMI^® course instructors worldwide.

PJC Partners with TECHSOFT for ASCEND Project to Expand Nursing Program

July 2006—Pensacola Junior College (PJC) has selected TECHSOFT to provide technical engineering support for the college’s Alternative Strategies for Continuing Education and Nursing Development (ASCEND) project.

"The ASCEND project is one of several concurrent initiatives aggressively undertaken by Pensacola Junior College as part of the college’s long-term plan to expand and qualitatively enhance its nursing programs," said PJC Project Director Dr. Keith Samuels. "Funding for this project was gained through the hard work of PJC’s Nursing Department and our grant writers, and we look forward to working with TECHSOFT."

ASCEND is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. As part of the project, the college plans to expand and enhance its Instructional Decision Support System (IDSS), incorporating portable handheld devices to allow mobile data collection, enhancing the existing database structures and applications that are used to manage courses and to report on student progress.

Under the contract, TECHSOFT will develop software applications to store course outcomes, objectives, and learning strategies in the IDSS relational database. In addition, software will be developed to match course assessment for each student to the course objectives.

The primary effort is the development of two assessment tools: a PDA-based application for assessing clinical performance and a web-based application for building and managing a departmental test bank. The PDA application will allow faculty to upload data on students from the database, conduct clinical assessments linked to course objectives, and download the results to the database to be integrated into student records.

Student assessment data, by being linked to specific course objectives, will help faculty and department staff recognize specific course objectives that are proving most difficult to students. Students will have access to the results of their clinical assessments.

TECHSOFT has enjoyed a close working relationship with Pensacola Junior College since 1998, and has assisted the college with developing and implementing technically innovative programs such as their IDSS.

"Our work with PJC has been very rewarding, and TECHSOFT values this opportunity to assist Dr. Samuels in enhancing the technical resources available to the Nursing Program at PJC," said Bob David, Vice President of Operations for TECHSOFT. "PJC's commitment to providing stellar educational programs is one of our community’s best assets. The quality students graduating from PJC are greatly valued by local employers as well as those across the Gulf Coast."

TECHSOFT Awarded a Prime SeaPort-e Multiple Award Contract

June 2006—TECHSOFT was recently awarded a Prime SeaPort-e Multiple Award Contract (MAC) that will allow the company to provide engineering, technical, and programmatic support services to the U.S. Navy and the Marine Corps.

“SeaPort-e provides TECHSOFT with an opportunity to grow our presence at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center in Charleston, S.C., as well as a means to increase our customer base and grow our presence along the Eastern Seaboard and the Gulf Coast,” said TECHSOFT President Tom Pigoski. “This is especially important for our rapidly growing SEI/CMMI^® process engineering practice.”

The award is a result of the recent SeaPort-e Rolling Admissions solicitation that expanded the SeaPort-e user base from the Naval Sea Systems Command, its field activities and affiliated Program Executive Offices (PEOs), to include the Naval Air Systems Command, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, Naval Supply Systems Command, Military Sealift Command, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Naval Supply Systems Command, Strategic Systems Programs, and the United States Marine Corps.

SeaPort-e is an electronic, web-based portal where requests for services are managed from "cradle to grave." This paperless system promotes time efficiency and a reduction in administrative costs. Competition on a task order basis results in cost savings in addition to the already capped fees and pass-through rates established on the SeaPort-e multiple award contracts (MACs). Additional information regarding SeaPort-e is available at www.seaport.navy.mil and seaporte.techsoft.com.

TECHSOFT Receives $14 Million Contract From Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Charleston

June 2006—Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center (SPAWAR) Charleston has awarded TECHSOFT a $14 million contract for support in the oversight and management of technical network operations, applications research and transference of new technologies.

“This is another fantastic win for TECHSOFT,” said company President Tom Pigoski. “We have had a very successful working relationship with SPAWAR Systems Center Charleston for several years, and our work there is expanding. This contract provides the vehicle to fuel that expansion.”

Under the five-year contract, TECHSOFT will serve as prime contractor to SPAWAR Charleston’s Code 70 Chief Engineer, which supports a variety of communications and Information Warfare programs that either directly support or relate to the overall effectiveness of U.S. Navy and other government entities to maintain strategic and tactical dominance.

TECHSOFT will offer support in a variety of technical areas, including Systems Engineering, Security Engineering, Software Engineering, Testing and Evaluation Engineering, Training and Course Development, and Process Engineering.

TECHSOFT Providing Process Improvement Support for Centurum

May 2006—TECHSOFT has been awarded a contract with Centurum Information Technology in Charleston, S.C. to provide consulting support on implementing process improvement with the goal of attaining Capability Maturity Model Index (CMMI^®) Maturity Level 2.

A leading provider of IT solutions to the military and federal government, Centurum provides vital IT and engineering services as well as powerful software tools that help clients better manage and leverage their information assets. Achievement of CMMI^® Level 2 will assist them in improving the consistency and predictability their development activities.

Under the terms of the Centurum contract, TECHSOFT will:

Develop and review CMMI^®-compliant processes, documents, templates, and Standard Operating Procedures.
Provide training on SEI/CMMI accepted procedures.
Conduct the Standard CMMI^® Appraisal Method for Process Improvement (SCAMPI) Class C, B, and A appraisals to benchmark the progress toward the attainment of overall Maturity Level 2 for the company.

TECHSOFT is a licensed Software Engineering Institute Partner (SEI Partner) with SEI-certified instructors and appraisers, who teach and conduct CMMI^® appraisals for government and commercial organizations throughout the United States.

TECHSOFT Completes Major Office Expansion

April 2006—TECHSOFT, a Pensacola-based technology and software company, recently completed a 3,000 square-foot expansion of its downtown office.

TECHSOFT has occupied the same location at 31 West Garden Street for the past 12 years. Rapid expansion of the company’s information technology business prompted the addition of new office space and renovation of existing facilities. Additionally, TECHSOFT’s Data Center underwent a major expansion and upgrade, including:

Upgrades and additions to the server farm.
Upgrades and additions to the Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) to provide short-term power backup.
Installation of a diesel-fueled Power Generator for major power interruptions.
New technology partnerships to provide additional product options for new and existing clients.

“TECHSOFT has seen exceptional growth over the last two years through expanded contracts with the Department of the Navy and the addition of several regional clients,” said TECHSOFT Vice President Dan Shanholtz. “We fully expect the growth to continue - especially in our role as Managed Service Provider (MSP) to agencies of the Department of Defense and organizations in Northwest Florida who rely on us to manage their information technology infrastructure via the Internet.”

TECHSOFT has been on the cutting edge of innovation since 1990, providing software and website development; eCommerce; Managed Services; computer and network support and security; process engineering with SEI/CMMI® training and appraisals; and WBT and CBT training development for government and commercial clients.

SecureD^® Data Encryption Device Achieves CC EAL4 and FIPS 140-02 Level 3 Certifications

December 2005—SecureD^® is a real-time, user-transparent, hardware/firmware implementation of the AES encryption algorithm with a 256 bit key inserted in the data path between the CPU and the hard-disk. SecureD^® is a device that was designed and developed by High Density Devices (HDD). Congressionally sponsored appropriations in FY03 thru FY06 have provided funding to support the joint US – Norwegian refinement of this product with the ultimate goal of cost-effective production and commercialization. TECHSOFT is the government’s prime contractor in executing this project. SecureD^® is available in Laptop, Desktop, and USB/Firewire portable disk configurations.

Learn more about SecureD^®.

TECHSOFT Director of Engineering Process Services Wins National CMMI^® Award

December 14, 2005—Sandee Guidry, Director of Engineering Process Services for TECHSOFT, recently received top honors at a national Capability Maturity Model^® Integration (CMMI^®) conference.

Guidry received the 2005 Outstanding Presentation for CMMI and Process Improvement Award at the 5th Annual CMMI^® Technology Conference and User Group for her paper titled "Practical Experiences and Lessons Learned in Implementing CMMI^®." The conference was held Nov. 14-17 in Denver, Colorado and was sponsored by the National Defense Industrial Association and Carnegie Mellon University’s Software Engineering Institute.

Organizations participating in the conference included defense, aerospace, and commercial companies; CMMI^® Transition Partners; Department of Defense organizations; small companies specializing in systems and software engineering development, tools, and processes; and other government agencies.

Guidry is an SEI-Authorized SCAMPI Lead Appraiser and CMMI^® Instructor.

Article By TECHSOFT President Thomas Pigoski Published in Leading Software Engineering Manual

December 13, 2005—A paper written by Thomas Pigoski, President and CEO of TECHSOFT, has been published in a leading software engineering manual featuring selected works from an international group of software experts.

Pigoski’s article, titled “Software Maintenance,” was published in November in the third edition of Software Engineering, Volume 1: The Development Process. The book is the first of two volumes published by the IEEE Computer Society to assist users in preparing for the examination required to become a Certified Software Development Professional.

The book contains a selection of papers by authors from educational institutions and companies in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, and Germany. Topics include specifying, designing, testing, and maintaining software. Pigoski’s paper addresses all aspects of software maintenance, including the overall maintenance process, measurement, planning, management, and documentation.

Pigoski founded TECHSOFT in 1990 following a 2 in Naval cryptology, during which he planned, established, and directed the operation of software activities for large-scale U.S. Department of Defense systems. He is the author of two books and frequently lectures at national and international software conferences.

TECHSOFT Leads SSC-Charleston to CMMI^® Maturity Level 2

April 28, 2005—James Ward, Executive Director, SPAWAR Systems Center - Charleston (SSC-C) announced “…that SSC-C has achieved Capability Maturity Model^® Integration (CMMI^®) Maturity Level 2. This is a significant achievement and particularly noteworthy in that SSC-C is the first SPAWAR Systems Center to achieve CMMI^® Maturity Level 2.”

TECHSOFT, as a licensed Software Engineering Institute Partner (SEI Partner), developed SSC-C Command processes, sample documents, training, templates, and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). We provided consulting support on implementing CMMI^® process improvement. We also performed mini-assessments to benchmark the progress toward the attainment of overall Maturity Level 2 for the Command. Our SEI Authorized instructors taught the SEI's Introduction to CMMI^® course on several occasions in Charleston, SC, Norfolk, VA and Destin, FL. We also developed a web based tutorial, Process Improvement Web Based Training (PI-WBT). In addition, TECHSOFT developed a software tool, Electronic Plan Builder (ePB), a “Turbo Tax” type application that guides users through the process of creating SSC-C project plans that are CMMI^® compliant. All of these elements were vital to SSC-C’s success.

In his announcement James Ward went on to say, “This effort culminates one phase of our overall process improvement effort and puts us well on the way to becoming a World Class Systems Engineering Organization. The next phase is achieving CMMI^® Maturity Level 3.”

TECHSOFT will continue to provide the support necessary for SSC-C to obtain this higher level achievement. Ward closed with, “Empirical data from the SEI indicates that our customers can expect improved productivity, reduced defects, decreased cycle time, and delivery of products on time and within budget.”

Learn more about services offered by TECHSOFT, SEI/CMMI.