AFCEA International Scores Big with Conference March 11, 2008
Posted by Reginald Johnson in Afganistan, Electronics, Government, Homeland Security, IT/IT Security, International, Iraq, Iraq & Afganistan, Military.add a comment
The Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA) held it’s seventh annual Homeland Security Conference late last month. The event was held at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center in downtown Washington, D.C. It was well organised. The focus of the conference was on “Building on Progress. A Promising Future.” This focus was special and unique because it explored and indetified major IT issues surrounding homeland security. Protecting the nations goes beyond protecting its borders. The conference had government and industry IT professionals, CIOs, and program managers involved in operations, policy and procurement in attendence.
There was a lot of information that was packed into so few days. There were eight track sessions that dealt with everything from border security to regional readiness and response. But what I thought was the most interesting section was the geospatial solutions.
Most people don’t really think about geospatial stuff; but rest assured that they are familiar with the outputting product. Global Positioning System (GPS) is a direct result of geospatial data. GPS is a space-based navigational and positioning system. The space segment of the system is a network of up to 24 orbiting satellites that continuously transmit radio signals that allow the user segment – a GPS receiver anywhere on earth – to calculate its own three-dimensional position, velocity, and time. A GPS satellite is also known as a space vehicle (SV).
The United States government is using GPS to track known areas of interest and locate known terrorists. The new direction that GPS and mapping is heading with companies like ERSI, I am very excited to see what the human can help create with technology.
The conference had some really great speakers. W. Ralph Basham, Commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection gave an interesting speech. And Chief Cathy Lanier, Chief of Police, District of Columbia gave ever inpiring remarks during one of the luncheons. Others major presenters were Ms. Julie Myers, Assistant Secretary, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Department of Homeland Security and Maj Gen Martha Rainville, USAF (Ret.), Assistant Administrator, National Continuity Programs, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
There was an area reserved for exhibitors as well. The area was called Solutions Showcase and had over 65 exhibits that showcased the latest homeland security technologies. Everything from communications equipment, emergency response systems, network and information security was shown to all attendees.
AFCEA International was established in 1946. It is a non-profit membership organisation that services the military, government, industry, and academia as an ethical forum for advancing professional knowledge and relationships in the fields of communications, IT, intelligence, and global security.
If you are interested in learning more about AFCEA International, visit http://www.AFCEA.org.
