TECHSOFT has received a 2009 Industry Appreciation Excellence Award for Information Technology from Team Santa Rosa and the Pensacola Chamber of Commerce.
The award was announced September 24 during the 2009 Industry Appreciation Luncheon held by Team Santa Rosa and the Pensacola Chamber of Commerce at the Scenic Hills Country Club. The luncheon is held annually to celebrate the accomplishments of existing businesses in the area. Among the guests this year was Florida Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp.
TECHSOFT was among 17 local companies to be honored. The award recognized the contributions the company made in the past year to Escambia County’s economic growth, as well as its corporate citizenship.
"Not only does TECHSOFT contribute significantly to the Escambia County's economy with the salaries paid to our local employees and purchases from local vendors, but TECHSOFT and our employees are involved in making Pensacola a better place, both for work and play," said TECHSOFT Vice President Dan Shanholtz.
TECHSOFT provides financial support to a variety of professional and civic organizations, including ITGulfCoast, AFCEA, Pump-A-Pint, and the Pensacola Christmas Parade.
In addition, TECHSOFT team members serve on numerous committees, including the Technology Committee of the Santa Rosa School Board IT, the Internet Services Advisory Committee at PJC, and the Computer Programming and Applications Advisory Committee at PJC.
"I'm pleased that TECHSOFT has won this award, it is nothing compared to the pride I have for being a part a team that not only cares about the local community, but actively works to make it better," Shanholtz said.
TECHSOFT's community involvement is expected to continue to grow not only in Pensacola, but also in Charleston, South Carolina, where the company operates a satellite office.
TECHSOFT Wins Navy Web-Based Training Course Development Contract
TECHSOFT has been awarded a task to develop a web-based Test Control Officer course for the Defense Activities Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) command.
The award, announced September 11, includes a six-month courseware development effort, plus hosting of the course and help desk support for one year with three option years.
This task is under an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity contract with the Naval Education and Training Professional Development and Technology Center (NETPDTC) in Pensacola that TECHSOFT won in 2008.
NETPDTC is located on Saufley Field in Pensacola, Florida, and is responsible for providing the Naval Service with quality products and services to support and enhance education, training, career development, and personnel advancement.
TECHSOFT has developed training for the U.S. Navy and other defense customers since 1993, ranging from instructor-led courses and computer-assisted training products, to highly interactive web-based training, and has designed automated electronic classroom systems for the Navy and other customers.
TECHSOFT Achieves CMMI® Maturity Level 3 Rating, Gains a Competitive Edge
TECHSOFT is proud to announce that it has received a Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI®) Maturity Level 3 rating for the Software Engineering Institute's (SEI) CMMI® for Development.
CMMI® is a comprehensive method of process improvement that addresses the development and maintenance of products and services through their entire life cycle. The prestigious CMMI® Maturity Level 3 (ML3) rating is rapidly becoming a mandatory requirement for many government contracts, and is rare for small companies.
"It is a tremendous accomplishment for a company of fewer than 50 people to achieve CMMI® Maturity Level 3," said TECHSOFT President and CEO Tom Pigoski. "It took a lot of effort by a lot of talented people, and as TECHSOFT bids against other small businesses, the rating will give us a tremendous competitive edge."
TECHSOFT's accomplishment was announced by the SEI following a formal "Class A" Standard CMMI® Appraisal Method for Process Improvement (SCAMPISM) appraisal was conducted in May by certified SEI Lead Appraiser Dr. Gary Lunsford. The SEI, a part of Carnegie Mellon University, is a federally-funded research and development center sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense.
TECHSOFT is a licensed SEI Partner with a staff of CMMI® experts who work closely with government and industry clients to train, mentor, and provide the tools needed for successful process improvement. The company serves as the Enterprise Process Office for Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Atlantic (SPAWAR Atlantic). In the past two years, TECHSOFT's CMMI® experts have assisted SPAWAR Atlantic's Charleston, S.C. and New Orleans business units, as well as General Dynamics' Ordnance and Tactical Systems group in Niceville, FL in achieving CMMI® ML3.
"We certainly we have the skills to achieve CMMI® ML3, as evidenced by our work in New Orleans, Charleston, and with civilian companies, and it was time we did it for ourselves," Pigoski said. "The rating proves TECHSOFT has disciplined, repeatable systems and software engineering processes that are ingrained in the way we do business."
The SEI has collected empirical data that indicates that organizations who achieve CMMI® ML3 increase their productivity and improve the quality of their products.
TECHSOFT's formal SCAMPISM appraisal involved the company's Tools Development, Web-Based Training, and Innovative Security Technologies projects. Nearly 2,000 artifacts, including plans, policies, standard operating procedures, and other technical documentation, were reviewed by the appraisal team.
TECHSOFT Assists General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems in Achieving CMMI® Maturity Level 3
TECHSOFT has assisted General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems of Niceville in its achievement of a Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI®) Maturity Level 3 rating.
The CMMI® Maturity Level 3 (ML3) success was announced following a formal "Class A" Standard CMMI® Appraisal Method for Process Improvement (SCAMPISM) appraisal conducted in March 2009.
"Our engineering teams, using these processes, consistently deliver quality design, analysis, testing and production of warhead and payload systems for warfighters," said Dan Paul, Vice President of GD-OTS. "This CMMI® Maturity Level 3 rating validates our commitment to robust systems engineering processes and strengthens our capability to achieve cost, schedule, and technical requirements."
General Dynamics' Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GD-OTS) is a business unit of General Dynamics specializing in the design, development, and production of warheads for tactical missiles, rockets, ammunition, and bombs.
TECHSOFT began assisting GD-OTS Niceville with their CMMI® program in June 2006, providing onsite mentoring, training, oversight, and appraisal services. As a result, GD-OTS met its aggressive process improvement goals of achieving CMMI® Maturity Level 2 by December 2007 and CMMI® ML3 by March 2009.
The SCAMPI appraisal was conducted by SEI-certified Lead Appraiser Orris E. Burns III, who was assisted by four appraisal team members. During the SCAMPISM, the appraisal team reviewed 2,300 unique artifacts and conducted formal interviews with 25 GD-OTS executives, project leaders, and process area practitioners.
In the final findings briefing, Burns praised the GD-OTS team for "the smoothest appraisal I've ever participated in"
- a sentiment echoed by the rest of the appraisal team. Burns also commended GD-OTS for the company's overall professionalism, exceptional working environment, technical expertise, and rapid assimilation of new technology.
TECHSOFT Assists SPAWAR New Orleans in Achieving CMMI® Maturity Level 3
TECHSOFT's Engineering Process Services team has assisted Space and Naval Warfare (SPAWAR) Systems Center Atlantic's New Orleans business unit in their achievement of CMMI® Maturity Level 3.
TECHSOFT's team of CMMI® experts provided appraisal services to SPAWAR New Orleans, including a gap analysis, a Standard CMMI® Appraisal Method for Process Improvement (SCAMPISM) Class B appraisal, and finally a formal SCAMPISM Class A appraisal in May.
Both SCAMPISM appraisals were led by TECHSOFT President Tom Pigoski, who is a Software Engineering Institute (SEI) Certified Lead Appraiser. TECHSOFT is an SEI Partner.
SPAWAR Systems Center Atlantic is responsible for providing systems and software engineering in support of the U.S. Navy, as well as other Department of Defense and government activities worldwide. By achieving CMMI® Maturity Level 3, SPAWAR New Orleans has moved closer to having a world-class engineering capability, and has established defined, controlled engineering processes that give the organization a competitive edge in the global market.
Five SPAWAR New Orleans programs representing a cross-section of the engineering disciplines found at the Command were involved in the CMMI® effort. They included the Support Equipment Maintenance System (SEMS); the Metrology Automated Systems for Uniform Recall and Reporting (MEASURE); the Career Management System/Interactive Detailing (CMS/ID); Reserve Headquarters Support (RHS); and the Customer Support Center (CSC-Help Desk).
During the formal Class A SCAMPISM, the appraisal team reviewed 2,400 unique documents and interviewed 60 personnel from SPAWAR New Orleans.
SPAWAR New Orleans' Maturity Level 3 rating is valid for three years, but the projects involved are already preparing to participate in the organization-wide SPAWAR Atlantic Maturity Level 3 appraisal slated for 2010.
TECHSOFT a Sponsor of the 2009 Pump-A-Pint Community Blood Drive
The 2009 Pump-A-Pint Community Blood Drive is gearing up for its fifth year, and TECHSOFT is proud to serve as a sponsor for this lifesaving community effort.
Pump-A-Pint, an annual blood drive competition among area businesses, will be held from May 11th through May 15th at various locations in Pensacola, Fort Walton Beach, and Panama City.
TECHSOFT is maintaining and hosting the Pump-A-Pint website (www.pumpapint.com). The comprehensive site serves as a one-stop resource, with addresses, dates, and contact information for donation locations; event photos; and challenges by participating companies to stimulate competition in the hopes of increasing donor participation.
The Pump-A-Pint drive began in 2005 when the Northwest Florida Blood Center, the Escambia/Santa Rosa Bar Association, and several downtown groups decided to add some fun and competition to the routine blood drive. In 2007, the event received the America's Blood Centers Award for Excellence for Most Creative Blood Drive.
During the past four years, the event has grown a remarkable 70 percent. To date, the drive has collected 1,140 units of blood and helped potentially save over 3,435 lives in our area hospitals. This year's goal is to collect 650 units.
TECHSOFT's Chief Engineer Certified by the Software Engineering Institute as SCAMPISM Lead Appraiser
Edd Burns, Chief Engineer for TECHSOFT, Inc., has been certified by the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) as a SCAMPISM Lead Appraiser.
The Standard CMMI® Appraisal Method for Process Improvement (SCAMPISM) is designed to provide benchmark quality ratings relative to Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI®) models.
Burns joined TECHSOFT in 1993, and was authorized by the SEI as an Introduction to CMMI® Instructor in 2005. In 2007, Burns was authorized by the SEI as a SCAMPISM Lead Appraiser.
In 2008, the SEI changed their approach for authorizing lead appraisers and began a certification process. Burns was in the first group of authorized lead appraisers to become certified lead appraisers. His certification as a SCAMPISM Lead Appraiser was announced by the SEI in late March 2009.
To become certified as a lead appraiser, Burns had to satisfy the previous qualifications for an authorized Lead Appraiser and successfully pass the new Lead Appraiser Certification Exam.
The SEI's current requirements to become a SCAMPISM Lead Appraisers include:
- Participation as an appraisal team member on two SCAMPISM A appraisals or one SCAMPISM A appraisal and two SCAMPISM B or C appraisals within the prior 24 months.
- At least 10 years of project management and engineering experience in systems or software engineering.
- A minimum of two years of experience managing technical personnel.
- An advanced degree in a related technical area or equivalent experience.
- Completion of the 3-day Introduction to CMMI® course.
- Completion of the 5-day Intermediate Concepts of CMMI® course.
- Completion of the 5-day SCAMPISM Lead Appraiser Training.
- Successfully pass a certification exam.
- Observation performing a SCAMPISM A Appraisal.
TECHSOFT Expands Business Operations with New Office in Charleston, SC
TECHSOFT announced that it has expanded its operations by opening a new branch office in Charleston, S.C.
The new office space will allow TECHSOFT to expand the systems engineering and process improvement services it currently provides to its Charleston clients, including Space and Naval Systems Center Atlantic's (SPAWAR Atlantic) Charleston site. TECHSOFT will continue to operate primarily out of its Pensacola headquarters on Garden Street, which it has occupied for 15 years.
TECHSOFT serves as the Engineering Process Office for SPAWAR Atlantic's Charleston site, with a staff of Capability Maturity Model® Integration (CMMI®) experts who work closely with the government to train, advise, and provide the tools needed to successfully improve their engineering processes.
"TECHSOFT has enjoyed a long history of working with the Department of the Navy in the Charleston area, so it was natural for us to create a base there to expand our operations," said TECHSOFT President Tom Pigoski. "Today's economy is challenging businesses and government entities to operate more efficiently, and we have seen an upswing in clients implementing CMMI®. Our new presence in Charleston allows TECHSOFT respond faster and more efficiently to our clients."
TECHSOFT's new facility, which includes multiple offices and a conference room, is located at:
Bank of America Building
Suite 500
5900 Core Ave.
North Charleston, SC 29406
Phone Number: (843) 225-5367 and 5368
