Salesforce lands $5.6B Army contract for data analytics, cloud capabilities

In a press release Monday, Salesforce said the company’s offerings under the agreement will help connect the military’s disparate data sources and systems into a more unified platform ... We have thoughts.

Business
Defense Scoop

Dig Deeper

Labore reprehenderit eu labore eiusmod culpa commodo enim. Laboris laboris nisi sunt officia minim deserunt ex est non.

Our thoughts on the Salesforce contract
Beau Downey
Editor

I’m actually going to respond to the last two articles we’ve highlighted, so if you didn’t read the MeriTalk article on SBIR/STTR reauthorization, I recommend you check that out.

Salesforce says their contract is a major step toward accelerating military modernization and readiness for the DoW.

Congrats. Happy for you.

First, it’s an IDIQ, so the full amount is not guaranteed. But ceiling awards matter because they signal intent. The intent being signaled here is loud and clear if you are a small business: “We [the DoW] just invested more in one company than we do in the entire Small Business innovation program.”

That’s right. Each year, the department’s budget for SBIR/STTR is roughly $4 billion. And that money is spread across approximately 4,000 companies. The DoW relies on SBIR/STTR as the primary pathway for small business innovation and investment. For decades, companies have been told it is the front door for new capabilities—ones the department is very earnest that it needs. At the same time, those companies are repeatedly warned not to depend on SBIR/STTR funding to survive.

That contradiction is the problem.

Very few programs are actually designed to transition successful SBIR/STTR efforts into sustained capability. I know I’m not breaking any new ground by telling you about valleys of death, but the funding imbalance is conspicuous to say the least. Small businesses are expected to deliver breakthrough capabilities, absorb risk, and prove value at scale while being fragmented across short-term awards and uncertain transitions. Meanwhile, large firms receive structural positioning that shapes the market for decades.

That privilege is evident in the award itself. From the outside looking in, this isn’t an investment in innovation. Salesforce struggles to be innovative because they are a dot-com-era company trying to support modern needs. ‘Innovation’ is a euphemism for a big contract. New adaptive features aren’t really their style. That’s not me saying it. I’ve heard this from so many frustrated government users who were sold something they can’t use and who dread the cost of getting it fixed or updated. I believe hundreds of other small businesses, and frankly other primes, could have serviced the military better in this case.

At a time when leadership is saying go faster, decisions like this signal systemic preference for convenience at the expense of capability. The system is choosing risk aversion.

I hope lawmakers get to a resolution on SBIR/STTR soon. And I hope the recent momentum to change the structure of acquisitions adapts its signals to small businesses.

Salesforce lands $5.6B Army contract for data analytics, cloud capabilities

In a press release Monday, Salesforce said the company’s offerings under the agreement will help connect the military’s disparate data sources and systems into a more unified platform ... We have thoughts.

Business
Defense Scoop
Our thoughts on the Salesforce contract
Beau Downey
Editor

I’m actually going to respond to the last two articles we’ve highlighted, so if you didn’t read the MeriTalk article on SBIR/STTR reauthorization, I recommend you check that out.

Salesforce says their contract is a major step toward accelerating military modernization and readiness for the DoW.

Congrats. Happy for you.

First, it’s an IDIQ, so the full amount is not guaranteed. But ceiling awards matter because they signal intent. The intent being signaled here is loud and clear if you are a small business: “We [the DoW] just invested more in one company than we do in the entire Small Business innovation program.”

That’s right. Each year, the department’s budget for SBIR/STTR is roughly $4 billion. And that money is spread across approximately 4,000 companies. The DoW relies on SBIR/STTR as the primary pathway for small business innovation and investment. For decades, companies have been told it is the front door for new capabilities—ones the department is very earnest that it needs. At the same time, those companies are repeatedly warned not to depend on SBIR/STTR funding to survive.

That contradiction is the problem.

Very few programs are actually designed to transition successful SBIR/STTR efforts into sustained capability. I know I’m not breaking any new ground by telling you about valleys of death, but the funding imbalance is conspicuous to say the least. Small businesses are expected to deliver breakthrough capabilities, absorb risk, and prove value at scale while being fragmented across short-term awards and uncertain transitions. Meanwhile, large firms receive structural positioning that shapes the market for decades.

That privilege is evident in the award itself. From the outside looking in, this isn’t an investment in innovation. Salesforce struggles to be innovative because they are a dot-com-era company trying to support modern needs. ‘Innovation’ is a euphemism for a big contract. New adaptive features aren’t really their style. That’s not me saying it. I’ve heard this from so many frustrated government users who were sold something they can’t use and who dread the cost of getting it fixed or updated. I believe hundreds of other small businesses, and frankly other primes, could have serviced the military better in this case.

At a time when leadership is saying go faster, decisions like this signal systemic preference for convenience at the expense of capability. The system is choosing risk aversion.

I hope lawmakers get to a resolution on SBIR/STTR soon. And I hope the recent momentum to change the structure of acquisitions adapts its signals to small businesses.

Salesforce lands $5.6B Army contract for data analytics, cloud capabilities

In a press release Monday, Salesforce said the company’s offerings under the agreement will help connect the military’s disparate data sources and systems into a more unified platform ... We have thoughts.

Business
Defense Scoop
Our thoughts on the Salesforce contract
Beau Downey
Editor

I’m actually going to respond to the last two articles we’ve highlighted, so if you didn’t read the MeriTalk article on SBIR/STTR reauthorization, I recommend you check that out.

Salesforce says their contract is a major step toward accelerating military modernization and readiness for the DoW.

Congrats. Happy for you.

First, it’s an IDIQ, so the full amount is not guaranteed. But ceiling awards matter because they signal intent. The intent being signaled here is loud and clear if you are a small business: “We [the DoW] just invested more in one company than we do in the entire Small Business innovation program.”

That’s right. Each year, the department’s budget for SBIR/STTR is roughly $4 billion. And that money is spread across approximately 4,000 companies. The DoW relies on SBIR/STTR as the primary pathway for small business innovation and investment. For decades, companies have been told it is the front door for new capabilities—ones the department is very earnest that it needs. At the same time, those companies are repeatedly warned not to depend on SBIR/STTR funding to survive.

That contradiction is the problem.

Very few programs are actually designed to transition successful SBIR/STTR efforts into sustained capability. I know I’m not breaking any new ground by telling you about valleys of death, but the funding imbalance is conspicuous to say the least. Small businesses are expected to deliver breakthrough capabilities, absorb risk, and prove value at scale while being fragmented across short-term awards and uncertain transitions. Meanwhile, large firms receive structural positioning that shapes the market for decades.

That privilege is evident in the award itself. From the outside looking in, this isn’t an investment in innovation. Salesforce struggles to be innovative because they are a dot-com-era company trying to support modern needs. ‘Innovation’ is a euphemism for a big contract. New adaptive features aren’t really their style. That’s not me saying it. I’ve heard this from so many frustrated government users who were sold something they can’t use and who dread the cost of getting it fixed or updated. I believe hundreds of other small businesses, and frankly other primes, could have serviced the military better in this case.

At a time when leadership is saying go faster, decisions like this signal systemic preference for convenience at the expense of capability. The system is choosing risk aversion.

I hope lawmakers get to a resolution on SBIR/STTR soon. And I hope the recent momentum to change the structure of acquisitions adapts its signals to small businesses.

This is a pretty cool headline about a story that you should definitely read.

Labore reprehenderit eu labore eiusmod culpa commodo enim. Laboris laboris nisi sunt officia minim deserunt ex est non.

Category
Name
Our Thoughts
Beau Downey
Editor

Labore reprehenderit eu labore eiusmod culpa commodo enim. Laboris laboris nisi sunt officia minim deserunt ex est non. Labore reprehenderit eu labore eiusmod culpa commodo enim. Laboris laboris nisi sunt officia minim deserunt ex est non. Labore reprehenderit eu labore eiusmod culpa commodo enim. Laboris laboris nisi sunt officia minim deserunt ex est non.

Salesforce lands $5.6B Army contract for data analytics, cloud capabilities

In a press release Monday, Salesforce said the company’s offerings under the agreement will help connect the military’s disparate data sources and systems into a more unified platform ... We have thoughts.

Business
Defense Scoop

Dig Deeper

Labore reprehenderit eu labore eiusmod culpa commodo enim. Laboris laboris nisi sunt officia minim deserunt ex est non.

Our thoughts on the Salesforce contract
Beau Downey
Editor

I’m actually going to respond to the last two articles we’ve highlighted, so if you didn’t read the MeriTalk article on SBIR/STTR reauthorization, I recommend you check that out.

Salesforce says their contract is a major step toward accelerating military modernization and readiness for the DoW.

Congrats. Happy for you.

First, it’s an IDIQ, so the full amount is not guaranteed. But ceiling awards matter because they signal intent. The intent being signaled here is loud and clear if you are a small business: “We [the DoW] just invested more in one company than we do in the entire Small Business innovation program.”

That’s right. Each year, the department’s budget for SBIR/STTR is roughly $4 billion. And that money is spread across approximately 4,000 companies. The DoW relies on SBIR/STTR as the primary pathway for small business innovation and investment. For decades, companies have been told it is the front door for new capabilities—ones the department is very earnest that it needs. At the same time, those companies are repeatedly warned not to depend on SBIR/STTR funding to survive.

That contradiction is the problem.

Very few programs are actually designed to transition successful SBIR/STTR efforts into sustained capability. I know I’m not breaking any new ground by telling you about valleys of death, but the funding imbalance is conspicuous to say the least. Small businesses are expected to deliver breakthrough capabilities, absorb risk, and prove value at scale while being fragmented across short-term awards and uncertain transitions. Meanwhile, large firms receive structural positioning that shapes the market for decades.

That privilege is evident in the award itself. From the outside looking in, this isn’t an investment in innovation. Salesforce struggles to be innovative because they are a dot-com-era company trying to support modern needs. ‘Innovation’ is a euphemism for a big contract. New adaptive features aren’t really their style. That’s not me saying it. I’ve heard this from so many frustrated government users who were sold something they can’t use and who dread the cost of getting it fixed or updated. I believe hundreds of other small businesses, and frankly other primes, could have serviced the military better in this case.

At a time when leadership is saying go faster, decisions like this signal systemic preference for convenience at the expense of capability. The system is choosing risk aversion.

I hope lawmakers get to a resolution on SBIR/STTR soon. And I hope the recent momentum to change the structure of acquisitions adapts its signals to small businesses.

Salesforce lands $5.6B Army contract for data analytics, cloud capabilities

In a press release Monday, Salesforce said the company’s offerings under the agreement will help connect the military’s disparate data sources and systems into a more unified platform ... We have thoughts.

Business
Defense Scoop
Our thoughts on the Salesforce contract
Beau Downey
Editor

I’m actually going to respond to the last two articles we’ve highlighted, so if you didn’t read the MeriTalk article on SBIR/STTR reauthorization, I recommend you check that out.

Salesforce says their contract is a major step toward accelerating military modernization and readiness for the DoW.

Congrats. Happy for you.

First, it’s an IDIQ, so the full amount is not guaranteed. But ceiling awards matter because they signal intent. The intent being signaled here is loud and clear if you are a small business: “We [the DoW] just invested more in one company than we do in the entire Small Business innovation program.”

That’s right. Each year, the department’s budget for SBIR/STTR is roughly $4 billion. And that money is spread across approximately 4,000 companies. The DoW relies on SBIR/STTR as the primary pathway for small business innovation and investment. For decades, companies have been told it is the front door for new capabilities—ones the department is very earnest that it needs. At the same time, those companies are repeatedly warned not to depend on SBIR/STTR funding to survive.

That contradiction is the problem.

Very few programs are actually designed to transition successful SBIR/STTR efforts into sustained capability. I know I’m not breaking any new ground by telling you about valleys of death, but the funding imbalance is conspicuous to say the least. Small businesses are expected to deliver breakthrough capabilities, absorb risk, and prove value at scale while being fragmented across short-term awards and uncertain transitions. Meanwhile, large firms receive structural positioning that shapes the market for decades.

That privilege is evident in the award itself. From the outside looking in, this isn’t an investment in innovation. Salesforce struggles to be innovative because they are a dot-com-era company trying to support modern needs. ‘Innovation’ is a euphemism for a big contract. New adaptive features aren’t really their style. That’s not me saying it. I’ve heard this from so many frustrated government users who were sold something they can’t use and who dread the cost of getting it fixed or updated. I believe hundreds of other small businesses, and frankly other primes, could have serviced the military better in this case.

At a time when leadership is saying go faster, decisions like this signal systemic preference for convenience at the expense of capability. The system is choosing risk aversion.

I hope lawmakers get to a resolution on SBIR/STTR soon. And I hope the recent momentum to change the structure of acquisitions adapts its signals to small businesses.

Salesforce lands $5.6B Army contract for data analytics, cloud capabilities

In a press release Monday, Salesforce said the company’s offerings under the agreement will help connect the military’s disparate data sources and systems into a more unified platform ... We have thoughts.

Business
Defense Scoop
Our thoughts on the Salesforce contract
Beau Downey
Editor

I’m actually going to respond to the last two articles we’ve highlighted, so if you didn’t read the MeriTalk article on SBIR/STTR reauthorization, I recommend you check that out.

Salesforce says their contract is a major step toward accelerating military modernization and readiness for the DoW.

Congrats. Happy for you.

First, it’s an IDIQ, so the full amount is not guaranteed. But ceiling awards matter because they signal intent. The intent being signaled here is loud and clear if you are a small business: “We [the DoW] just invested more in one company than we do in the entire Small Business innovation program.”

That’s right. Each year, the department’s budget for SBIR/STTR is roughly $4 billion. And that money is spread across approximately 4,000 companies. The DoW relies on SBIR/STTR as the primary pathway for small business innovation and investment. For decades, companies have been told it is the front door for new capabilities—ones the department is very earnest that it needs. At the same time, those companies are repeatedly warned not to depend on SBIR/STTR funding to survive.

That contradiction is the problem.

Very few programs are actually designed to transition successful SBIR/STTR efforts into sustained capability. I know I’m not breaking any new ground by telling you about valleys of death, but the funding imbalance is conspicuous to say the least. Small businesses are expected to deliver breakthrough capabilities, absorb risk, and prove value at scale while being fragmented across short-term awards and uncertain transitions. Meanwhile, large firms receive structural positioning that shapes the market for decades.

That privilege is evident in the award itself. From the outside looking in, this isn’t an investment in innovation. Salesforce struggles to be innovative because they are a dot-com-era company trying to support modern needs. ‘Innovation’ is a euphemism for a big contract. New adaptive features aren’t really their style. That’s not me saying it. I’ve heard this from so many frustrated government users who were sold something they can’t use and who dread the cost of getting it fixed or updated. I believe hundreds of other small businesses, and frankly other primes, could have serviced the military better in this case.

At a time when leadership is saying go faster, decisions like this signal systemic preference for convenience at the expense of capability. The system is choosing risk aversion.

I hope lawmakers get to a resolution on SBIR/STTR soon. And I hope the recent momentum to change the structure of acquisitions adapts its signals to small businesses.

This is a pretty cool headline about a story that you should definitely read.

Labore reprehenderit eu labore eiusmod culpa commodo enim. Laboris laboris nisi sunt officia minim deserunt ex est non.

Category
Name
Our Thoughts
Beau Downey
Editor

Labore reprehenderit eu labore eiusmod culpa commodo enim. Laboris laboris nisi sunt officia minim deserunt ex est non. Labore reprehenderit eu labore eiusmod culpa commodo enim. Laboris laboris nisi sunt officia minim deserunt ex est non. Labore reprehenderit eu labore eiusmod culpa commodo enim. Laboris laboris nisi sunt officia minim deserunt ex est non.

Salesforce lands $5.6B Army contract for data analytics, cloud capabilities

In a press release Monday, Salesforce said the company’s offerings under the agreement will help connect the military’s disparate data sources and systems into a more unified platform ... We have thoughts.

Business
Defense Scoop

Dig Deeper

Labore reprehenderit eu labore eiusmod culpa commodo enim. Laboris laboris nisi sunt officia minim deserunt ex est non.

Our thoughts on the Salesforce contract
Beau Downey
Editor

I’m actually going to respond to the last two articles we’ve highlighted, so if you didn’t read the MeriTalk article on SBIR/STTR reauthorization, I recommend you check that out.

Salesforce says their contract is a major step toward accelerating military modernization and readiness for the DoW.

Congrats. Happy for you.

First, it’s an IDIQ, so the full amount is not guaranteed. But ceiling awards matter because they signal intent. The intent being signaled here is loud and clear if you are a small business: “We [the DoW] just invested more in one company than we do in the entire Small Business innovation program.”

That’s right. Each year, the department’s budget for SBIR/STTR is roughly $4 billion. And that money is spread across approximately 4,000 companies. The DoW relies on SBIR/STTR as the primary pathway for small business innovation and investment. For decades, companies have been told it is the front door for new capabilities—ones the department is very earnest that it needs. At the same time, those companies are repeatedly warned not to depend on SBIR/STTR funding to survive.

That contradiction is the problem.

Very few programs are actually designed to transition successful SBIR/STTR efforts into sustained capability. I know I’m not breaking any new ground by telling you about valleys of death, but the funding imbalance is conspicuous to say the least. Small businesses are expected to deliver breakthrough capabilities, absorb risk, and prove value at scale while being fragmented across short-term awards and uncertain transitions. Meanwhile, large firms receive structural positioning that shapes the market for decades.

That privilege is evident in the award itself. From the outside looking in, this isn’t an investment in innovation. Salesforce struggles to be innovative because they are a dot-com-era company trying to support modern needs. ‘Innovation’ is a euphemism for a big contract. New adaptive features aren’t really their style. That’s not me saying it. I’ve heard this from so many frustrated government users who were sold something they can’t use and who dread the cost of getting it fixed or updated. I believe hundreds of other small businesses, and frankly other primes, could have serviced the military better in this case.

At a time when leadership is saying go faster, decisions like this signal systemic preference for convenience at the expense of capability. The system is choosing risk aversion.

I hope lawmakers get to a resolution on SBIR/STTR soon. And I hope the recent momentum to change the structure of acquisitions adapts its signals to small businesses.

Salesforce lands $5.6B Army contract for data analytics, cloud capabilities

In a press release Monday, Salesforce said the company’s offerings under the agreement will help connect the military’s disparate data sources and systems into a more unified platform ... We have thoughts.

Business
Defense Scoop
Our thoughts on the Salesforce contract
Beau Downey
Editor

I’m actually going to respond to the last two articles we’ve highlighted, so if you didn’t read the MeriTalk article on SBIR/STTR reauthorization, I recommend you check that out.

Salesforce says their contract is a major step toward accelerating military modernization and readiness for the DoW.

Congrats. Happy for you.

First, it’s an IDIQ, so the full amount is not guaranteed. But ceiling awards matter because they signal intent. The intent being signaled here is loud and clear if you are a small business: “We [the DoW] just invested more in one company than we do in the entire Small Business innovation program.”

That’s right. Each year, the department’s budget for SBIR/STTR is roughly $4 billion. And that money is spread across approximately 4,000 companies. The DoW relies on SBIR/STTR as the primary pathway for small business innovation and investment. For decades, companies have been told it is the front door for new capabilities—ones the department is very earnest that it needs. At the same time, those companies are repeatedly warned not to depend on SBIR/STTR funding to survive.

That contradiction is the problem.

Very few programs are actually designed to transition successful SBIR/STTR efforts into sustained capability. I know I’m not breaking any new ground by telling you about valleys of death, but the funding imbalance is conspicuous to say the least. Small businesses are expected to deliver breakthrough capabilities, absorb risk, and prove value at scale while being fragmented across short-term awards and uncertain transitions. Meanwhile, large firms receive structural positioning that shapes the market for decades.

That privilege is evident in the award itself. From the outside looking in, this isn’t an investment in innovation. Salesforce struggles to be innovative because they are a dot-com-era company trying to support modern needs. ‘Innovation’ is a euphemism for a big contract. New adaptive features aren’t really their style. That’s not me saying it. I’ve heard this from so many frustrated government users who were sold something they can’t use and who dread the cost of getting it fixed or updated. I believe hundreds of other small businesses, and frankly other primes, could have serviced the military better in this case.

At a time when leadership is saying go faster, decisions like this signal systemic preference for convenience at the expense of capability. The system is choosing risk aversion.

I hope lawmakers get to a resolution on SBIR/STTR soon. And I hope the recent momentum to change the structure of acquisitions adapts its signals to small businesses.

Salesforce lands $5.6B Army contract for data analytics, cloud capabilities

In a press release Monday, Salesforce said the company’s offerings under the agreement will help connect the military’s disparate data sources and systems into a more unified platform ... We have thoughts.

Business
Defense Scoop
Our thoughts on the Salesforce contract
Beau Downey
Editor

I’m actually going to respond to the last two articles we’ve highlighted, so if you didn’t read the MeriTalk article on SBIR/STTR reauthorization, I recommend you check that out.

Salesforce says their contract is a major step toward accelerating military modernization and readiness for the DoW.

Congrats. Happy for you.

First, it’s an IDIQ, so the full amount is not guaranteed. But ceiling awards matter because they signal intent. The intent being signaled here is loud and clear if you are a small business: “We [the DoW] just invested more in one company than we do in the entire Small Business innovation program.”

That’s right. Each year, the department’s budget for SBIR/STTR is roughly $4 billion. And that money is spread across approximately 4,000 companies. The DoW relies on SBIR/STTR as the primary pathway for small business innovation and investment. For decades, companies have been told it is the front door for new capabilities—ones the department is very earnest that it needs. At the same time, those companies are repeatedly warned not to depend on SBIR/STTR funding to survive.

That contradiction is the problem.

Very few programs are actually designed to transition successful SBIR/STTR efforts into sustained capability. I know I’m not breaking any new ground by telling you about valleys of death, but the funding imbalance is conspicuous to say the least. Small businesses are expected to deliver breakthrough capabilities, absorb risk, and prove value at scale while being fragmented across short-term awards and uncertain transitions. Meanwhile, large firms receive structural positioning that shapes the market for decades.

That privilege is evident in the award itself. From the outside looking in, this isn’t an investment in innovation. Salesforce struggles to be innovative because they are a dot-com-era company trying to support modern needs. ‘Innovation’ is a euphemism for a big contract. New adaptive features aren’t really their style. That’s not me saying it. I’ve heard this from so many frustrated government users who were sold something they can’t use and who dread the cost of getting it fixed or updated. I believe hundreds of other small businesses, and frankly other primes, could have serviced the military better in this case.

At a time when leadership is saying go faster, decisions like this signal systemic preference for convenience at the expense of capability. The system is choosing risk aversion.

I hope lawmakers get to a resolution on SBIR/STTR soon. And I hope the recent momentum to change the structure of acquisitions adapts its signals to small businesses.

This is a pretty cool headline about a story that you should definitely read.

Labore reprehenderit eu labore eiusmod culpa commodo enim. Laboris laboris nisi sunt officia minim deserunt ex est non.

Category
Name
Our Thoughts
Beau Downey
Editor

Labore reprehenderit eu labore eiusmod culpa commodo enim. Laboris laboris nisi sunt officia minim deserunt ex est non. Labore reprehenderit eu labore eiusmod culpa commodo enim. Laboris laboris nisi sunt officia minim deserunt ex est non. Labore reprehenderit eu labore eiusmod culpa commodo enim. Laboris laboris nisi sunt officia minim deserunt ex est non.

This is a pretty cool headline about a story that you should definitely read.

Labore reprehenderit eu labore eiusmod culpa commodo enim. Laboris laboris nisi sunt officia minim deserunt ex est non.

Category
Name
Our Thoughts
Beau Downey
Editor

Labore reprehenderit eu labore eiusmod culpa commodo enim. Laboris laboris nisi sunt officia minim deserunt ex est non. Labore reprehenderit eu labore eiusmod culpa commodo enim. Laboris laboris nisi sunt officia minim deserunt ex est non. Labore reprehenderit eu labore eiusmod culpa commodo enim. Laboris laboris nisi sunt officia minim deserunt ex est non.

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