The DataOps NoVa Meetup wrapped up its first 101 series at Karsun Solutions in Herndon, Virginia. Launched in October 2019, this group introduces modern data practices to the Northern Virginia tech community. The first series included discussions and demonstrations from DataOps vendors StreamSets and Dataguise. Wrapping up this series was the introduction to data encryption using middleware components as a viable option to the rapidly emerging issue of sensitive data management in legacy platforms. That session was led by a member of the Karsun Innovation Center (KIC).
Those that attend monthly Meetup events are also invited to attend training workshops at Karsun Solutions. The 101 series culminated with a three day data engineering workshop from StreamSets. Around thirty participants enhanced their data pipelines skills with a combination of vendor-led presentations and hands-on challenges using the StreamSets DataOps platform. At the conclusion of the workshop, most participants had the opportunity to be fully certified as an Expert StreamSets Developer.
The next training series will also include several Meetups featuring vendor discussions and demonstrations, ending with a multi-day workshop. DataOps NoVa March will feature speakers from DataKitchen. This presentation on DataOps Workbenches will be held Thursday, March 19th at 6:00 pm at Karsun Solutions in Herndon. Interested participants may RSVP on the Meetup website.
Shaunak Ashtaputre and the Karsun Data Practice
DataOps NoVa is organized by the Karsun Solutions Data Practice and hosted at the training center at Karsun Solutions in Herndon, Virginia. The practice area formed within the Karsun Innovation Center in 2018. This employee-centric unit melds DevSecOps practices with data integration resources into training and prototyping initiatives.
Shaunak Ashtaputre, an industry expert with more than 20 years of experience, leads the Data Practice and co-organizes the DataOps NoVa Meetup. His extensive background includes experience in business intelligence, data platforms, and data warehousing. In addition to the topic introductions at the monthly Meetups he also speaks at industry events. He will present “Data Pipelines and Delivery in Multi-Tenanted Cloud-Based Data and Analytics Platforms” on March 11th at the rvatech/DataSummit in Richmond, Virginia.
About Karsun Solutions
Karsun Solutions is a fast-growing, innovative, enterprise modernization firm serving the U.S. government. Our teams deliver software development, cloud, and advanced analytics solutions to customers at agencies like the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Aviation Administration, and General Services Administration. The Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Washington Business Journal, and Inc. all recognize Karsun Solutions among the fastest growing companies in the Washington, DC region. We are an established firm, with a DCAA Approved Accounting System, CMMI Level 5 – DEV appraisal, and AWS Government Competency as well as ISO 9001, ISO 20000 and ISO 27001 certifications
FCW (Federal Computer Week), a publication for federal technology executives, named Karsun Solutions Chief Operating Officer Terry Miller to its annual Federal 100 list. The Fed 100 is a list of 100 men and women who personify what’s possible in federal IT. Honorees will be recognized at the 2020 Fed 100 Gala on March 19.
Miller works with the operations, business development, and technology teams to prepare Karsun for customer delivery excellence. Prior to joining Karsun, he served as the Public Sector COO for Visionary Integration Professionals. He also held various leadership positions at CSC and Harris Corporation. Prior to joining private industry, he served as the Associate Director of Intergovernmental Affairs at The White House. In this capacity, he was the liaison between the President and state and local government elected officials.
He was also the 2019 Industry Chair of the American Council for Technology-Industry Advisory Council’s (ACT-IAC) highly regarded Partners Program, a training and professional development curriculum that pairs “rising star” leaders from government and industry. New under Miller’s leadership, the group formed three challenge teams to provide direct solutions to government agencies (GSA, NASA, SBA). He is also a graduate of the Partners Program and was the Chair of the Management of Change (MOC) event in 2013.
Miller is the second Karsun Solutions executive named to the prestigious list. In 2015, Co-Founder and Chief Architect Kartik Mecheri was honored. At that time, Mecheri was recognized for support to the General Services Administration’s agile delivery teams and innovation lab 18F. He and his team created a robust repository of proven, free code for this and other federal agencies.
About Karsun Solutions
The enterprise modernization experts, Karsun Solutions enables IT transformation for its government customers including the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Aviation Administration and General Services Administration. An innovation-based and performance-driven culture, Karsun Solutions teams deliver extraordinary software development, cloud and advanced analytics solutions to their customers. The organization’s commitment to quality includes a DCAA Approved Accounting System, AWS Government Competency, a CMMI Level 5 – DEV appraisal plus ISO 9001, ISO 20000 and ISO 27001 certifications.
HERNDON, VA – Capitalizing on rapid growth across its portfolios, Karsun Solutions, an enterprise modernization firm serving the U.S. government, announced the appointment of multiple IT industry leaders to key business development and client solutions roles. Those appointments include industry veterans Neal Smith to Senior Director of Digital Transformation, PJ Henry to Director and Megan Mattingly to Capture Manager. Karsun Solutions also announced an expansion of Director Jason Marceau’s responsibilities into the firms expanding Business Solutions Practice.
Karsun Solutions serves customers at agencies including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Department of Transportation (DOT) and General Services Administration (GSA). The firm won multiple $100 million plus contracts growing its revenue by more than 1500% over its first ten years. In September 2019 it moved into a new 75,000 square foot headquarters, a reflection of the more than 2400% growth in headcount.
“As a rapidly growing company, Karsun Solutions exists in a space different from more established firms with similar-sized contracts,” said Senior Director of Business Development Juan Robles. “Growing our capture and solutions teams gives Karsun the ability to leverage resources not typically available to smaller organizations.”
With a strong pipeline, leadership at Karsun Solutions is prioritizing the growth of its capture and solutions infrastructure as it launches into the next decade. The Karsun Solutions Capture Team adds industry veteran PJ Henry. Henry, a 25-year industry veteran, joins as a Director of Business Development. With extensive public sector experience, his resume includes time as a capture lead for the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice and Department of Transportation at Booz Allen Hamilton. Henry was also previously a senior business development lead for the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice and the State Department at LMI.
In addition to a growing capture infrastructure, Karsun Solutions has also named Neal Smith a Senior Director of Digital Transformation in its Business Solutions Practice. Smith is a seasoned digital transformation executive. Prior to Karsun Solutions, he served at Salient CRGT and Maga Design. Smith has over 23 years of experience in IT services sales, delivery. Smith brings together customer focus and technical innovation to solutions for the federal government.
Megan Mattingly also recently joined Karsun Solutions as a Capture Manager. Bringing nine years in capture and business development, her background includes deep experience in Mergers and Acquisitions.
About Karsun Solutions
Karsun Solutions serves customers at agencies including DHS, DOT and GSA. It is guided by an innovation-based and performance-driven culture. Its teams deliver extraordinary software development, cloud and advanced analytics solutions to its customers.
In November 2019 GSA awarded the company a spot on its COMET BPA. It also has work at GSA under the $35 million Database and Middleware Systems (DMS) Task Order awarded in October 2018. Last year the company also began work in its FEMA GMM program. DHS awarded Karsun Solutions this five-year single award BPA with a ceiling value of $80 million. It was the first award won by Karsun Solutions under a Full and Open Competition. The company also continues to work under the FAA SSD contract, a five-year Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract with a $145 million ceiling value.
Growth across the firm’s public sector portfolios resulted in a bevy of national and regional awards. This includes both repeated recognition on the Inc. 5000 and in the Washington Business Journal. Its commitment to quality includes a DCAA Approved Accounting System, AWS Government Competency, a CMMI Level 5 – DEV appraisal plus ISO 9001, ISO 20000 and ISO 27001 certifications.
Continuing the momentum from the celebration of its first ten years in operation, Karsun Solutions’ leadership laid out its 2020 vision at a recent employee All Hands event. Employees gathered at the company’s new 75,000 square foot headquarters in Herndon, Virginia. Speaking to groups gathered in the new training rooms Co-Founder Kartik Mecheri and Sundar Vaidyanathan, along with the Karsun executive team, detailed an ambitious plan for 2020.
In their introduction the Mecheri and Vaidyanathan praised Karsun teams, observing they were responsible for the company’s rapid growth. They revealed organization-wide headcount grew by over 2400% and just over 1600% by revenue since its founding ten years ago. In preparation for the next decade, they discussed the company’s expanding senior leadership, strengthening of infrastructure, and planned roadmap.
Ben Marglin, Vice President Client Solutions, emphasized Karsun’s continued commitment to its customers across the U.S. government. Current customers include the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Transportation, and General Service Administration. Marglin praised delivery wins in all of the organization’s portfolios. He highlighted continuing growth among the delivery teams and the strength of Karsun’s staffing pipeline. He concluded with a commitment to support these core programs through the expansion of the Innovation Center and PMO resources.
Terry Miller, Chief Operating Officer, outlined plans for investment in Karsun’s next growth phase. The company continues to lead with a competency-based approach. This places capabilities in modern software development, cloud solutions, and advanced analytics at the forefront of the firm’s strategic vision. To grow these areas the organization plans to nurture proposal, capture, and solutions units including ramping up staffing and training initiatives.
Included in this competency-based plan is a continued commitment to the Karsun Innovation Center (KIC). Badri Sriraman, Vice President Innovation Center, concluded the session by delving into new campaigns from each of the center’s five practice areas. As of 2019, Karsun announced publicly two practice areas, Data and DevSecOps. Under the new plan, KIC will establish an additional three practice areas Lean, Solution, and Development. Each of these is employee-centered, offering Work from KIC days, monthly Innovation Town Halls, and employee-led training. In order to connect all employees to the wealth of resources available through the KIC, participants were invited to take a quiz, pairing them with their ideal practice area.
As it cements its place among the contracting community, Karsun Solutions continues a commitment to enterprise modernization expertise. Beyond its founders’ broad vision it has a dedicated commitment to quality and innovation. In 2019 it was appraised at CMMI Level 5- DEV, a feat achieved by just over 50 teams at the time of its appraisal. It was also recognized by the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Washington Business Journal, and Inc. for continuous year over year growth. As an emerging player, it was named to the Northern Virginia Technical Council Tech 100 and in early 2020 G2xchange’s NXT UP 2020 list. With continuing confidence in its key practice areas, Karsun Solutions is poised to Do Extraordinary in 2020 and beyond.
Karsun Solutions concluded 2019 celebrating its ten year anniversary. In addition to early enterprise modernization leadership, it cemented a decade-long commitment to innovation through the Karsun Innovation Center (KIC). By combining industry leadership with ingenuity Karsun won multiple $100+ million prime contracts with IT modernization work at agencies including DHS, FAA, and GSA.
Today, the Innovation Center leads teams in researching emerging technologies, forming industry relationships, and developing customer prototypes. Karsun wraps up 2019 celebrating the innovative spirit driving these first ten years. From automation to zombie code the Innovation Center and Karsun leadership teams are IT leaders, lending expert counsel and educating the community on best practices in emerging technology.
ACT-IAC
Karsun Solutions Chief Operating Officer Terry Miller kicked off 2019 as the Industry Chair for the American Council for Technology and Industry Advisory Council’s (ACT-IAC) Partners Program. One of three professional development programs offered by ACT-IAC, the Partners Program pairs senior industry and government leaders together for a series of in-depth sessions throughout the year. This year’s program concluded with a series of panel presentations at the organization’s annual Imagine Nation ELC conference. In addition to the Partners Program, Senior Director of Business Development Juan Robles is an Industry Vice Chair for the Voyagers Program. Participants graduating from both the programs become ACT-IAC Fellows. In total two Karsun leaders became Fellows in 2019, Sudhir Duggineni and Shaunak Ashtaputre. Satish Alluri was selected for the 2020 Voyagers class. The addition of Satish will bring Karsun’s total number of ACT-IAC Fellows to ten.
AI/ML and RPA
In addition to ACT-IAC fellowships, Karsun experts also join the organization’s working groups. Manish Bhatia from Karsun’s Cloud Solutions practice is a member of both ACT-IAC’s Intelligent Automation Working Group and Igniting Innovation Selection Committee. This fall the working group released its Robotic Process Automation (RPA) playbook. The playbook is designed for government organizations considering RPA pilots or accelerated development.
Business Leadership at Scale
The Washington Business Journal honored Karsun Solutions CEO Sundar Vaidyanathan as a member of its 2019 Minority Business Leader Award class. Honorees are among the region’s top 25 minority business leaders. That spring he also joined the TiE DC panel on Scaling and Growth. With Sundar and Co-Founder Kartik Mecheri at the helm, the Karsun’s leadership expanded, including the addition of industry veteran Ben Marglin as the new VP of Client Services, as Karsun received a series of awards for growth and innovation in 2019.
CMMI Level 5 DEV
In February 2019, Karsun Solutions announced its software development unit was appraised at CMMI Level 5 DEV. At this level, an organization continually improves its processes based on a quantitative understanding of its business objectives and performance needs. At the time of the appraisal, fewer than 50 organizations in the United States were rated CMMI Level 5 DEV.
COMET BPA
The General Services Administration (GSA) announced in November 2019 Karsun Solutions was one of twelve vendors selected for a spot on the CIO Modernization and Enterprise Transformation (COMET) BPA. The vehicle is intended to create a multiple award BPA on GSA’s IT 70 Schedule. It is the successor to 2014’s CAMEO contract. Karsun’s GSA DMS program also celebrated its first anniversary this year.
DevOps Innovation Practice
The KIC spun off its new DevOps practice led by Samir Bham. It is the second of several practice areas launching from the Innovation Center. An employee-focused research and development unit, it enables the adoption of DevSecOps practices. This practice, along with the Data Practice launched in 2018, hosts weekly Work from KIC workshops held in the new Herndon Headquarters.
Employee Development
Karsun Solutions invested in employee development early in 2019. The firm took the opportunity to train the more than 150 team members impacted by the partial government shutdown. These team members returned to work in February with new skillsets in microservices, domain driven design, web application security and cloud solutions.
FEMA Grants Management Modernization
This year Karsun began work on the FEMA Grants Management Modernization (GMM) program. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) awarded Karsun Solutions the Agile development contract. The program will streamline grants management across the agency’s 40+ grant programs through a user-centered, business-driven approach. This five-year single award Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) with a ceiling value of $80 million was awarded under Full and Open Competition. It was Karsun’s first Full and Open contract win.
Government Competency
Karsun Solutions received its AWS Government Competency in 2019. This designation recognizes that Karsun Solutions has deep experience developing solutions for government customers delivering mission-critical workloads and applications on Amazon Web Services. Leading up to the competency announcement the cloud solutions and DevSecOps practices shared some of their favorite AWS case studies.
Office Opening
In September Karsun Solutions moved into its new 75,000 square foot headquarters in Herndon, Virginia. The new facility supports teams servicing Karsun’s DHS, FAA, and GSA portfolios. It is also home to the Karsun Innovation Center and training facilities.
Records Digitization
Karsun Solutions Co-Founder and Chief Architect Kartik Mecheri appeared on Government Matters TV in April. On the program, he broke down NARA 2022 and the future of records digitization. Tune in to learn more about Karsun’s modernization approach.
SEC One IT
In March, Karsun Solutions announced the Securities and Exchange Commission awarded KHS Solutions, LLC a spot on the SEC One IT contract. SEC One IT is an indefinite delivery-indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract with a ceiling value of $2.5 billion. KHS Solutions, LLC is an SBA approved 8(a) Mentor Protégé Joint Venture between Karsun Solutions (Mentor) and Mindcubed (Protégé).
Test Automation
Automation Test Lead Aditi Mulay spoke at several industry events throughout 2019 including Agile Testing Days and SeleniumConf London. Fellow automation test lead Ricardo Mediavilla joined her for Agile 2019. A trainer and mentor to QA teams Aditi speaks on Object Oriented Programming approaches to automation frameworks. She advocates for automating in the right manner and ensuring tests are reusable and maintainable.
Zombie Code
In October Karsun Solutions as part of its mentor-protégé JV KHS Solutions shared “Zombie Code,” a look at the importance of dead code analysis. This practice is already part of Karsun’s development methodology. It is also one of many ways the Innovation Center proactively prototypes solutions to common modernization problems while building a roadmap for adoption among Karsun’s delivery teams. The Zombie Code video was a special Halloween release on LinkedIn. Follow Karsun there for the latest on enterprise modernization, corporate growth and award wins.
Karsun kicked off its ten year anniversary celebration this year. During an event in its new Virginia headquarters, it recognized the dedicated team members responsible for the organization’s early and sustained growth. It also affirmed its commitment to team member development over the next ten years. Throughout 2019 Karsun celebrated its love for community, continuous learning, and excellence. Team Karsun embraced these culture-defining moments while preparing for the next decade to come.
Karsun Academy Transforms Government Shutdown into Growth and Learning Opportunity
The Oklahoma FAA SSD team initially planned to return from winter break to a week of Red Hat training. However, they soon faced the partial government shutdown impacting federal contractors at the beginning of 2019. Rather than grinding to a standstill, the Karsun community came together during this uncertain time. In addition to the planned Red Hat training, Karsun arranged for additional professional development courses. This continuation of the Karsun Academy program allowed team members to train on topics from solutioning to project management instead of taking paid time off.
From Hacklahoma to Southampton Karsun Connects with Students
In addition to team development through Karsun Academy, the IT recruiting team and innovation teams extended development resources to college students throughout the year. Hitting the ground running after the shutdown some Karsun Oklahoma City team members joined the University of Oklahoma for Hacklahoma 2019. At this hackathon, they mentored students and spoke on DevOps practices. Students were also given the option to connect virtually with Karsun recruiters after the event.
In the spring and fall, Jason Marceau, a Director with Karsun’s GSA DMS program, returned to the University of Southampton for a series of events with graduate analytics students. In partnership with the Centre for Operational Research, Management Science and Information Systems (CORMSIS), Karsun held a hackathon, challenging students to uncover insights behind U.S. government spend data. In October, Jason returned to reprise his popular talk on leveraging internship experience in academic and professional settings.
The Karsun Innovation Center (KIC), the organization’s in-house research and development unit, also sponsored a senior capstone at George Mason University this year. Mentored by Shanmuga Palanivelu and Badri Sriraman, these students developed a rapid prototyping tool for microservices. Karsun technical recruiters and hiring managers also attended fairs at the university in addition to holding virtual information sessions with Master of Information Technology students at Virginia Tech.
Opening Doors, Supporting Communities Abroad
Karsun Solutions sponsors several organizations supporting students and communities abroad. In the spring it was the event sponsor for the Organization to Provide EducatioN’s (OPEN) annual Rasika concert. The event raises money for the charity benefitting more than 33,000 children and 105 schools. In the fall Karsun supported Bridges to Community. This organization connects service-learning groups with communities in Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.
Celebrating with Families at Home
Fun is a Karsun core value and just as essential to team development. The summer family picnic is one of the yearly traditions which anchor the Karsun events calendar. This year the Oklahoma team and Karsun leadership gathered at the Frontier City amusement park. Meanwhile, the Virginia team celebrated their picnic at Ticonderoga Farms. The Oklahoma team recently held a second event, a winter festival held at an indoor arcade. In addition to these family-oriented events, the employee led events committee plans monthly activities in both locations.
Learn from Experts, Work from KIC
In September, Karsun and the Innovation Center moved into the organization’s new 75,000 square foot headquarters. Utilizing its new facilities, the innovation team strengthened its practice areas including a new DevSecOps innovation center practice and hosting Work from KIC days. The team also hosts monthly innovation town halls and is the home of the DataOps NoVa community Meetup. Investing in the resources used by many employees during the shutdown at the start of the year, the Innovation Center solicits feedback through a web application and shares its roadmap in its town hall sessions.
Find a Place at One of the Fastest Growing Companies in DC
Karsun Solutions celebrated its fifth Inc. 5000 win with its annual August ice cream parties. The festivities do not stop there! Team Karsun also celebrated awards from the Virginia Chamber of Commerce (Fantastic 50) and Washington Business Journal (Fast 75), culminating with the Northern Virginia Technology Council Tech 100 in December. Both Virginia and Oklahoma teams will continue hiring throughout 2020. Sign-up for the monthly Extraordinary Life newsletter for the latest on employee celebrations, company awards, and job openings.
Less than a month after opening its brand new 75,000 square foot headquarters Karsun Solutions celebrated its tenth anniversary. The new office, which houses the organization’s Innovation Center, training facilities and improved amenities, is one symbol of Karsun’s rocketing growth. The firm also won a bevy of awards throughout 2019. This year it received honors for innovation, leadership, and growth, capping off a fantastic first decade.
Repeatedly Recognized for Growth
Karsun Solutions consistently wins awards for year-over-year growth. In August, it ranked for the fifth consecutive year on the Inc. 5000. Companies listed are among the fastest growing private companies in the United States. It also received recognition from the Virginia Chamber of Commerce (Fantastic 50) and Washington Business Journal (Fast 75) for growth this year.
Building a Leadership Legacy
In March, the Washington Business Journal honored Karsun Solutions CEO Sundar Vaidyanathan with its 2019 Minority Business Leader Award. Honorees are among the region’s top 25 minority business leaders. Sundar along with co-founder Kartik Mecheri have lead Karsun throughout this explosive ten year growth period. They both sought opportunities to engage employees as the firm scaled. Together they host monthly Coffee with Leadership events and Orientation Q&A sessions. The innovation team recently launched monthly town halls to inform team members of the latest process improvements at Karsun. In addition to his 2019 award, in 2017 Karsun was recognized by Washington SmartCEO twice, as both a Best-Run organization and Future 50 organization.
Honored for Innovation
Finally, Karsun prides itself on continual reinvestment in innovation. It sponsors an in-house research and development unit, the Karsun Innovation Center. This year it was recognized twice for its innovative spirit. In the spring Karsun was named a finalist for the 2019 Moxie Award. Then this fall the Northern Virginia Technology Council named the organization to its Tech 100 list. This is a list of the most innovative firms in the region. The Innovation Center has a new permanent home and training facility at Karsun’s recently opened Herndon headquarters. The center plans to roll out a number of new initiatives for Karsun employees and the IT community in 2020.
About Karsun Solutions
The enterprise modernization experts, Karsun Solutions enables IT transformation for its government customers including the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Aviation Administration, and General Services Administration. An innovation-based and performance-driven culture, Karsun Solutions teams deliver extraordinary software development, cloud, and advanced analytics solutions to their customers. The organization’s commitment to quality includes a DCAA Approved Accounting System, AWS Government Competency, a CMMI Level 5 – DEV appraisal plus ISO 9001, ISO 20000 and ISO 27001 certifications.
HERNDON, VA- The Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC) announced Karsun Solutions, an enterprise modernization firm serving the U.S. government, ranked among the organization’s 2019 Tech 100 list. The largest technology council in the nation, NVTC is the trade association for the technology community in Northern Virginia. Honorees will be recognized at a ceremony on December 9th at the Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner.
“With a unique vision and dedication to industry innovation, Karsun Solutions stands out as a leader in the region and beyond. We’re excited to announce Karsun Solutions as an NVTC Tech 100 honoree,” stated Bobbie Kilberg, President and CEO, Northern Virginia Technology Council.
The Tech 100 is a list of groundbreaking companies, leaders and innovators within the region’s technology community. These technology companies and executives demonstrated dedication, vision and innovation within the region’s technology industry. This year’s program attracted over 180 nominations throughout the Greater Washington area. Each nomination was carefully reviewed and considered by a panel of judges. One hundred tech companies and 25 executives comprise the 2019 NVTC Tech 100 awards list. The honorees represent the region’s diverse and thriving technology ecosystem.
“We are honored to be recognized as one of Northern Virginia’s premier technology companies,” said Karsun Solutions CEO Sundar Vaidyanathan. “We are committed to continual investment in innovation and technological leadership.”
Celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, Karsun Solutions invested in internal research and development early in its history. In addition to this Tech 100 ranking, it was recently recognized as a finalist for the Moxie Award DC which celebrates boldness and innovation. Karsun Solutions reinvests in infrastructure and quality initiatives to ensure innovative technology drives high-performance delivery. This year its software development unit was appraised at CMMI Level 5 – DEV. At the time of appraisal, fewer than 50 organizations were rated at this level. It was also recently awarded AWS Government Competency status.
A long-term commitment to innovation underpins Karsun’s successful growth strategy. It continually ranks among the fastest growing companies in the greater Washington, D.C. region. The firm joined the Inc. 5000 five-year honor roll in August and was recognized among the Washington Business Journal 75 Fastest Growing Private Companies in October. In September the company opened a new 75,000 square foot headquarters in Herndon, Virginia.
About Karsun Solutions
The enterprise modernization experts, Karsun Solutions enables IT transformation for its government customers including the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Aviation Administration and General Services Administration. An innovation-based and performance-driven culture, Karsun Solutions teams deliver extraordinary software development, cloud and advanced analytics solutions to their customers. The organization’s commitment to quality includes a DCAA Approved Accounting System, AWS Government Competency, a CMMI Level 5 – DEV appraisal plus ISO 9001, ISO 20000 and ISO 27001 certifications.
About the Northern Virginia Technology Council
The Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC) is the membership and trade association for the technology community in Northern Virginia. As one of the largest technology councils in the nation, NVTC serves about 1,000 companies from all sectors of the technology industry, as well as service providers, universities, foreign embassies, nonprofit organizations, and governmental agencies. Through its member companies, NVTC represents about 350,000 employees in the region. NVTC is recognized as the nation’s leader in providing its technology community with networking and educational events; specialized services and benefits; public policy advocacy; branding of its region as a major global technology center; initiatives in targeted business sectors and in the international, entrepreneurship, workforce and education arenas; and the NVTC Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity that supports the NVTC Veterans Employment Initiative and other priorities within Virginia’s technology community. Visit NVTC at http://www.nvtc.org
HERNDON, VA – The United States General Services Administration (GSA) awarded Karsun Solutions LLC a spot on the CIO Modernization and Enterprise Transformation (COMET) blanket purchase agreement (BPA). COMET is intended to create a multiple award BPA on GSA’s IT Schedule 70. BPA awards were made to twelve companies.
COMET modernizes mission critical applications at GSA. It is the IT services vehicle for the Federal Acquisition Service (FAS). COMET replaces the CIO Application, Maintenance, Enhancements and Operations (CAMEO) contract which GSA awarded in 2014.
“We are thrilled for the opportunity to continue our transformational work at GSA,” said Chief Executive Officer Sundar Vaidyanathan. “Innovative solutions are part of our DNA and have been our hallmark since our founding.”
“Enterprise transformation at GSA is integral to the government modernization practice at Karsun Solutions and we are very happy to be able to continue our more than 15-year history of helping drive innovative IT modernization practices within GSA FAS,” said Chief Architect, Kartik Mecheri.
In 2018, Karsun Solutions was awarded the $35 million GSA Database and Middleware Systems (DMS) task order through the Alliant Solutions Partner LLC JV. Under that single award contract, Karsun supports the GSA’s Office of the Chief Information Officer (GSA IT) through services to manage, support and modernize its database and application middleware server infrastructure. This same JV was the prime on the $121 million CAMEO SB contract which was one of the predecessor contracts to COMET.
About Karsun Solutions
Karsun Solutions modernizes enterprise systems enabling agencies to make the next technological advancement their next opportunity to elevate mission capability. IT solutions from Karsun are tailored to meet agencies’ unique needs and optimize operations. These solutions adapt and stay relevant to current trends while using secure, digital architecture built to last. It is a proven modernization partner whose expertise elevates agency capabilities and ensures every next opportunity is within reach.
The American Council for Technology and Industry Advisory Council (ACT-IAC) announced the release of the first volume of its Intelligent Automation Playbook. This playbook is designed for agencies considering Robotic Process Automation (RPA), running pilots or accelerating deployment. By automating administrative tasks RPA may also address the shrinking federal workforce and decreasing budgets.
The President’s Management Agenda, Cross-Agency Priority Goal 6 encourages shifting from low-value to high-value work. This imperative challenges agencies to find efficient solutions for administrative processes. These include tasks like data entry, completing forms using information read in a document and extracting then processing data. In addition to improving efficiency, accuracy, auditability and compliance, RPA adoption should reduce cycle time and increase citizen and employee satisfaction.
The playbook addresses implementation from organizational readiness through operating and maturing RPA. The playbook was preceded by the Intelligent Automation Primer, released in January 2019. This is suggested reading for those unfamiliar with intelligent automation and RPA.
The playbook and primer were developed by ACT-IAC’s Intelligent Automation Working Group. Manish Bhatia, from Karsun Solutions Cloud Practice, is a member of the working group. In May he shared his thoughts on the solutions demonstrated at ACT-IAC’s Igniting Innovation event.
Karsun Solutions supports ACT-IAC’s professional development and working group programs. ACT-IAC programs build relationships between government and industry. Like many Karsun team members, Manish is deeply connecting to the IT contracting industry through ACT-IAC. In March, Karsun Solutions spotlighted his involvement in these emerging technology communities.