RevaComm, a Honolulu-based enterprise digital transformation company, has been awarded a federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant to help the U.S. Air Force deliver software to its airmen more efficiently.
The Phase II SBIR award was secured in partnership with Pacific Air Forces, 15th Wing TRON team, AFRL (Air Force Research Labs) and AFWERX. The combined effort will create a sustainable and agile software development process that would meet the needs of end users, and deliver value to airmen within a few months, reducing the bureaucratic overhead of software delivery.
“The SBIR really helps small businesses to be able to contribute their skill sets to the greater good,” said RevaComm president Elden Ito. “We fill a need that the Air Force has while being able to work out of our island state and support our local economy.”
The proposed model leverages DevSecOps (Development Security Operations) and a Continuous ATO (Authority to Operate) process.
‘We are pleased to have been awarded Phase II of the SBIR to continue to work with TRON Pacific Air Forces,” said RevaComm vice president of operations Brett Kimura. “Through this partnership, we have made significant progress on PUCKBOARD, a project to help automate flight scheduling for the aircrew on C-17’s throughout the 15th Wing, PACAF, and possibly the rest of the Air Force.
“Advancing this software development initiative will allow them to refocus on their mission and reduce the burden on support staff to ensure that crew are scheduled on flights appropriately,” Kimura added.
The SBIR is a highly competitive program that encourages domestic small businesses to engage in Federal research and and development that has the potential for commercialization. Its goal is to stimulate high-tech innovation within the United States while meeting specific needs and building a stronger national economy. In this instance, the Air Force was looking for partners to bring commercially available technological solutions to the Air Force so they could rapidly scale and quickly incorporate best practices.
RevaComm was awarded the Phase I of the SBIR in the spring of 2019 where they sought to conduct feasibility of bringing DevSecOps, Agile software, and UX and software training for airmen to PACAF’s 15th Wing. During this time RevaComm applied for and was awarded matching funds through the HISBIR matching program developed and managed by the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation (HTDC).
After completing Phase I, they applied for Phase II, which was awarded and commenced in August 2019. RevaComm will continue to work with the PACAF’s TRON team through 2021 to bring software solutions to airmen quickly and prove that this is a sustainable model that can improve and influence how software is delivered within the DOD (Department of Defense).
In Phase III, when appropriate, RevaComm will be given the opportunity to pursue commercialization objectives. No government funding is provided for Phase III, but may involve non-SBIR funded research and development or production contracts for products, processes or services intended for us by the U.S. Government.
About RevaComm
RevaComm is a locally owned, Honolulu-based, enterprise digital transformation company that focuses on turning organizational challenges into powerful digital abilities through fresh experiences and great technology. Their approach integrates business consulting, design and technology to improve human performance and engage key audiences to help businesses and organizations become faster, smarter and better than their competitors.