Category Archives for News
MetroStar Systems is Hosting Reston’s Mashable Social Media Day!
MetroStar Systems is proud to be hosting Reston’s Mashable Social Media Day event tomorrow, Saturday June 30th. Come join us and those in social media, advertising and tech-related fields from around the area to talk about the advent of social media and what the future holds in store for this growing field. “This Saturday is [...]
Code & Compete: Promoting Health Surveillance via Social Media
Can social media track outbreaks of illnesses? Tracking trends on Twitter may be the first step. MetroStar Digital had the pleasure of working with the U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) to launch an online competition challenging developers to create an application that would identify [...]
Analyzing the Social Media Output of Euro 2012 with Zoomph
The Euro 2012 football (or “Soccer” to you Americans out there) tournament is well underway, with each participating country having played at least one match. There have been a few surprises in the results during the early portions of the group stage. The Italians are on the outside looking in as they attempt to advance [...]
FedTalks2011
I had the pleasure of attending FedTalks2011 – an event held October 11, 2011 at the Warner Theater in Washington D.C. The event was hosted by FedScoop and brought together “the greatest minds in government and business technology to discuss how innovation can aid in the way government works.” I was introduced to top White [...]
We are STARS too! The GSA 8(a) STARS II program
MetroStar Systems is proud to announce it was recently awarded the new GSA 8(a) STARS II Government-Wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC). The contract is a multiple award, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract vehicle, with a five-year base period and one five-year extension option. This program is reserved exclusively for qualifying certified 8(a) small businesses as prime contractors per Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 19.8. The contract promotes small business utilization for IT services purchases.
8(a) STARS II Features:
- A multiple-award, indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract vehicle
- A five-year base with one five-year option
- A $10 billion program ceiling
- Limited protestability
- Directed Order Authority: Directed task orders up to $4 million each are allowed for federal civilian and Department of Defense activities
8(a) STARS II Benefits:
- 8(a) socioeconomic credit transferable to the agency
- Pre-competed, easy to use contracts
- Access to proven 8(a) small business technology providers
- Shortened procurement lead time
- A low user access fee (0.75 percent) built into contractor’s ceiling prices
In April 2011, MetroStar Systems successfully graduated from the SBA 8(a) program. As we are still classified as a Small Business, the GSA 8(a) STARS II award allows us to continue providing support in designing, developing, and implementing innovative technological tools across federal agencies. GSA has already evaluated and prequalified our technical capabilities, service offerings, and pricing through a competitive process for streamlined contracting and shortened procurement times. More information about the 8(a) STARS II GWAC program can be found here: http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/105243
In addition to this new GWAC, MetroStar Systems has a variety of contract vehicles that allow government agencies to easily procure our products and services including: GSA Schedule 541, GSA Schedule 70, GSA Schedule 874, the Army and Air National Guard IDIQ, and SeaPort-e.
COMPUTERWORLD Recognizes The MetroStar Advantage!
ComputerWorld recently released its annual report recognizing the 100 Best Places to Work in IT for 2011. I am excited to announce that MetroStar Systems made the list with an impressive showing at #85 overall! We also finished in the Top 10 of the Small Business Category and #2 in the South Atlantic Region. In a region filled with many tech companies, it is also noteworthy to mention that MetroStar Systems is the only IT firm in Reston, Virginia ranked in the report.
Our commitment to employee learning and development gave us a significant edge in the selection process. ComputerWorld created a special employer profile for each of the Top 100 companies and our Employer Profile highlights our innovative employee training, career development, and recognition strategies.
We are excited to see that our dedication to excellence is being recognized by the one of the “leading sources in technology news and information for IT influencers nationwide.” This special recognition also comes on the heels of a fruitful 2010 where we were awarded accolades for significant growth. Job satisfaction, working in an enjoyable environment, employees benefits, and excellent employee morale add significant value to the quality of work we are able to provide to our clients, and acknowledgement for being a leader in this area only serves to strengthen our reputation. Special thanks to all of our team members who make MetroStar Systems one of the Best Places to Work in IT everyday!
National Capital Area Tour de Cure 2011
The National Capital Area Tour de Cure is taking place this Sunday, June 5th 2011 at the Reston Town Center in Reston, VA. The Tour de Cure is a series of fundraising events hosted by the American Diabetes Association (ADA). The Tour de Cure is a “premier cycling event held in 80 locations in 33 states” that last year featured over 49,000 participants who helped raise over $19 million to support the ADA’s mission. The event is family friendly and features rides for all ages and cycling levels from the 10 mile ride to the big 100 mile ride.
Registration is still open and you can also check-in on the morning of the event. For all the information you need to know and to register, visit the National Capital Area Tour de Cure website at www.diabetes.org/nationalcapitaltourdecure
MetroStar Systems is proud to be a sponsor for this event and we will also be supporting the event with our MyStanly Twitter display tool. If you are participating in the event or if you are in the Reston area on Sunday, stop by our booth! You can follow the conversation on Twitter by searching the hashtag #TourdeCureDC, follow @TourdeCureDC, and keep track of MyStanly’s #TourdeCureDC feed.
Tech@State: Serious Games Conference
The Department of State’s Tech@State team will be hosting the 5th edition of Tech@State events at the Jack Morton Auditorium in the Media and Public Affairs building of George Washington University on Friday May 27 and Saturday May 28. Over 200 attendees will “explore the mechanics of games, business and sustainability, design, education, international aspects, games for social change and much more.”
MetroStar Systems will be supporting the Tech@State team with our MyStanly twitter moderation/display application, and our CEO Ali Manouchehri is slated to speak on two separate panels on Day 1. He will first address the topic of “Games, Business and Sustainability” and then present with a panel about “Military and Government games”. The event features an impressive collection of government, academic, non-profit, and industry experts/tech innovators who will be sharing their experiences and exploring many aspects of serious games. The agenda and complete schedule is now available at the Tech@State blog.
Here are some additional URL links that may be helpful if you are interested in attending or want more information:
- Tech@State website: http://tech.state.gov/
- Tech@State: Serious Games event registration: http://techatstate-srsgames.eventbrite.com/
- Event Agenda & Schedule: http://tech.state.gov/profiles/blogs/serious-games-content-and
- Bios of speakers & panelists: http://tech.state.gov/profiles/blogs/serious-games-speaker-bios
For those of you who cannot attend the event, you are in luck! This event will be live streamed on Tech@State’s UStream channel: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/tech-state. You can also follow the conversation on twitter by searching the hashtag #TechAtState and following our live tweets @metrostarsystem.
You Beta Believe It: FCC.gov reimagined and redesigned for Open Government
On Tuesday, April 5th, MetroStar Systems announced our support in the successful development and redesign of the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) FCC.gov website into a new digital platform: http://beta.fcc.gov!
StarLabs
When I started working here at MetroStar Systems, approximately 8 months ago, one of the very first things I remember being told was, “No Idea is a bad idea”…and I have learned that mantra definitely holds true. It’s great to be in an environment where no matter how off the wall your idea may be, it’s always taken into consideration, provided feedback and sometimes given the green light to make it happen. While most of the daily work hours are spent getting things done for clients, many of our developers and engineers spend their after-hours coming up with tools and solutions to help enhance and improve internal processes. As all these great ideas floated around, it was only a matter of time, something was created to house them…thus, StarLabs was born.
StarLabs is where our engineers and artists collaborate and share innovative projects. It allows those unfamiliar with MetroStar Systems to learn more about the behind the scene things we do and the people who bring them to life.
One of the current projects we feature on StarLabs is Visualize It, which provides a rich user experience for navigating and exploring SharePoint Libraries. It is a powerful solution for not only finding data but also discovering data. An example of how Visualize It works can be found on this blog! See the top of the page, the little guy holding the “Visual Search” banner. Click on it and type in a keyword like “SharePoint” and watch Visualize It in action.
Currently, Visualize It, is available for free download. System administrators can download it and implement it to their SharePoint Portals. If you test it out, please let us know your feedback!
Learn more about StarLabs and the different projects we are working on by visiting http://labs.metrostarsystems.com