OREANDA-NEWS. November 19, 2015. IBM (NYSE:IBM) today announced that it is providing access to the IBM Cloud as part of the First Responder Application Challenge that runs through Dec.14. IBM and its partner Vencore, Inc., in coordination with USGIF and APCO, have teamed up to develop an application ecosystem that enables the development and delivery of predictive analytic and mobile applications that can significantly improve the operational capability of first responders, be built and delivered on the cloud, and apply data and innovation to solve real-world problems.

This challenge continues IBM’s focus on growing an ecosystem to drive further U.S.  Federal and public sector cloud adoption. IBM also announced today the addition of five new federal partners to focus on advancing hybrid cloud. IDC’s U.S. Government Private Cloud Infrastructure as a Service 2014 Vendor Assessment cited IBM Cloud as playing a “leading role for federal hybrid clouds,” and indicated that Bluemix, IBM’s Cloud Platform, coupled with the capability to “deliver innovation for new cloud workloads” is a “game changer” for the federal market. In addition, in its latest Federal Cloud Computing Competitive Landscape Snapshot, Deltek showed IBM leading the market for contracts won between 2011-2015.

Bluemix, which will be used by challenge participants, is proving to drive innovation in government. Last April, participants in NASA’s Space App Challenge used Bluemix, resulting in thousands of new Bluemix users. IBM is currently working with Book Zurman, Inc., a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), on the Department of Veterans Affairs Care Coordination Challenge, developing proposed solutions that combine cognitive capabilities with Bluemix applications.

As part of a U.S. Federal Partner Acceleration Program, IBM has boosted the public sector ecosystem surrounding Bluemix. The team has hosted more than 70 events, including hackathons, challenges and workshops for the federal market and the federal system integrator community. With the growing entrepreneurial, developer and startup ecosystem supporting the federal government, academia and other business areas, the Washington Metropolitan area is ripe for this type of innovation. 

“The best innovation takes place when you drive toward a common goal. And it’s no different in government, where an ecosystem of developers, academia, technologists and others come together to address challenges,” said Anne Altman, general manager of IBM U.S. Federal and Government Industries. “With Bluemix, we bring a cloud platform that can help all those involved in championing better solutions for our first responders through innovation to quickly build and implement new solutions.”

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s First Responder Network Authority’s (FirstNet) vision for the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (NPSBN) includes providing an ecosystem where innovative applications are available to first responders that help improve how they carry out their duties and ultimately save lives and property. 

During the challenge, participants will work directly with vendors and universities to build software applications that use a variety of real-time remote sensing data, field data, GIS tools and other content to create mobile and web-based apps. Solutions will be created using an operational application ecosystem which will allow first responders and solution providers to work together in a virtual environment designed specifically for delivery of effective, tailored first responder applications.

Vencore has developed an application ecosystem using its Intelligent Data Exploitation and Analytics System (IDEAS). Using the latest technology available from IBM, IDEAS delivers predictive analytic solutions, mobile applications, development services and collaboration services to enable first responders to define needs and work directly with providers to build and deploy tailored solutions that meet those needs.

“Our IDEAS platform brings together first responders with both content provider and app developers in a collaborative and secure environment with the objective of delivering value-added applications that directly address unmet needs in the public safety community,” said Kent Matlick, senior vice president and general manager of Vencore’s Mission Integration Group. “Vencore’s solution makes these apps easily accessible to the entire public safety community.”

To win the challenge, participants must build the best solution that addresses one or more of five unmet needs, e.g., Improving 9-1-1 services, Emergency Tracking, First Responder Assistant Apps, Easier Access to Information, Preparation and Fire Prevention, have a fully functioning app installed and running on Bluemix or IDEAS, and submit a written description of how the app functions. Details on the challenge, including criteria, rules, prizes and other information can be found here. Registration is open until Dec. 11. 

IBM launched Bluemix with a \\$1 billion investment in 2014, growing rapidly to become the largest Cloud Foundry deployment in the world. The open-standards-based Bluemix catalog includes more than 120 tools and services spanning categories of big data, mobile, Watson, analytics, integration, DevOps, security and Internet of Things. IBM Bluemix was recently shown to be the "developers’ choice" of PaaS, and is growing 10-times faster than the overall PaaS market, according to research firm ESG.

For more information about IBM Cloud, visit: http://www.ibm.com/cloud-computing.