AIS wins AFRL contract

ROME, N.Y. — Assured Information Security, Inc. (AIS) recently landed an Agile Cyber Technology 3 (ACT 3) contract, a $950 million indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) pact from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). Both organizations are located in the Griffiss Business and Technology Park in Rome.

The contract for technical documentation, technical reports, software, and hardware serves as a vehicle for rapid execution of critical needs, says Dan Kalil, chief commercial officer at AIS. Essentially, that means any federal government agency with a rapid need can award AIS a contract up to $950 million in a simple and expedited manner, he says.

“It enables very timely interactions between the federal government and AIS,” he notes, adding that it is critically important. “Particularly when you think about cyberspace and cybersecurity ... you need the ability to not only respond rapidly but also to get out ahead of it.”

Since the work will all be done for the Air Force and partner organizations, the need for agility and quickness can be a matter of life and death, Kalil stresses. AIS is one of five companies to receive this contract award from AFRL.

The pact comes on the heels of the company celebrating 20 years since earning its first government contract. It was May 2002 when AIS, which was founded in June 2001, secured its first contract, which was also from AFRL.

“Starting AIS was one of the biggest risks I’ve ever taken and earning our first contract was a huge milestone that made it all worth it,” AIS CEO Charles Green said in a statement. “It gave us all the confidence we needed and set the trajectory for AIS for decades to come.”

Since that first deal, AIS has completed 376 contracts and is currently fulfilling another 44.

The company also holds 17 patents and has 11 more filed.

Looking back, Kalil contends that AIS was truly ahead of the industry that was supporting the AFRL at the time, and he attributes that to the company’s success.

“We were the generation that wanted to turn cyber into launch speed,” he says. It was all about novel, next generation, tomorrow capabilities but having them today.

The company is blessed to have such a strong relationship with the AFRL, he adds, and the ACT 3 contract is just another example of that great working relationship.

The contract is also symbolic of AIS as a company, he says. As a small and nimble organization, its motto has always been, “Just go do it.” 

The motto has served the business well. Along with marking 20 years of government contracts, AIS has also grown to more than 200 employees and additional offices in Rochester and Syracuse in New York; Augusta, Georgia; Baltimore, Maryland; and Lorton, Virginia.

The plan for the next 20 years is to stay at the forefront of cyber technology and help customers stay agile, Kalil says. “The next 20 years are filled with innovation and agility.”

Just over a year ago, AIS launched AssuredTek, a cybersolutions company in the data-protection field. Before that, it acquired cybersecurity firm GreyCastle Security in 2016 as part of its initiative to grow its “ecosystem” into new areas.