The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has continually worked to identify, adapt and deliver innovative and disruptive commercial technology solutions to enhance safety and effectiveness to maintain a competitive edge.
During Potomac Officers Club’s 2021 Border Protection Innovations and Technology Forum, Rachelle Henderson, chief information officer of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), will deliver a keynote dress to discuss innovation, emerging technologies and modernization that will support national security.
To register for the 2021 Border Protection Innovations and Technology Forum, as well as view upcoming opportunities, visit Potomac Officers Club’s Event Page.
Innovation teams across DHS identify and pilot emerging commercial technologies, adapts them for government use and transitions proven capabilities. The agency has worked with new technologies, such as Automated Targeting System (ATS), Border Watch and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), to further modernization efforts and advance national security.
The Office of the CIO (OCIO) provides mission-critical Information Technology (IT) services and products that enable ICE and DHS to meet their respective missions. OCIO has modernized vital IT systems, matured the organization to contemporary IT management disciplines, and significantly enhanced the cyber defense posture of the enterprise.
Prior to her current position, Henderson served with Border Enforcement and Management Systems as executive director. In the role, she delivered IT software solutions for all CBP operational and mission support organizations. She was also named as the lead for the DHS priority Unified Immigration Portal (UIP) program.
DHS agencies, such as ICE and CBP, have continued to modernize systems to increase efficiency. In July 2020, CBP agency used the Technology Modernization Fund to update its system for tracking and processing all imported goods.
The General Services Administration (GSA) announced CBP was awarded $15 million for its Automated Commercial Environment Collections Modernization project. “By the end of this project, CBP will have a cloud-based core collection system that will modernize both the underlying technology and the code base,” according to the description.
“This project will help CBP improve customs enforcement, revenue collections, and trade protections, which will result in long-term benefits to the agency, partner government agencies, the trade community, and the American public,” according to a statement Tuesday announcing the award. “The significance of this project is paramount in enabling lawful international trade, especially during this dynamic trade environment.”
Additionally, DHS announced in Jan. 2021 that a single contractor will migrate its two main data centers to a cloud environment. The final solicitation for the $3.4 billion Data Center and Cloud Optimization (DCCO) contract was posted Jan. 14. DHS is looking for greater efficiency, better quality data, more security and better mission support from its IT infrastructure.
The DCCO contractor will provide IT services to manage, operate, automate, optimize and modernize the DHS Hybrid Computing Environment, which consists of data centers and commercial and private cloud services.
To register for the 2021 Border Protection Innovations and Technology Forum, as well as view upcoming opportunities, visit Potomac Officers Club’s Event Page.
During Potomac Officers Club’s 2021 Border Protection Innovations and Technology Forum, experts across the government and industry will join together to discuss how new technologies have shaped the modernization across federal agencies, as well as how the industry’s partnerships and solutions can support these critical missions.
