Welcome to The Wrap for Thursday, August 20!
From the newsroom at MeriTalk, it’s the quickest read in federal tech news. Here’s what you need to know today:
SAP’s Braun on AI Results
We’re back with another article in our AI Profile Series, this time with Jamison Braun, senior vice president and managing director for
SAP
’s U.S. public services business. In a recent interview with MeriTalk, Braun told us that AI progress should be measured by mission results rather than the number of pilots underway. “AI amplifies readiness; it doesn’t create it,” Braun said, adding, “The next phase belongs to agencies that end up turning trusted insights into governed action at mission scale.” The government’s 3,611 reported AI use cases may sound impressive, but Braun called that activity, not proof that adoption or mission outcomes have scaled. His answer is refreshingly unglamorous: Find one stubborn bottleneck, map the data, decisions, handoffs, exceptions, and authority around it, then solve for a measurable result. Agencies also need stronger operating foundations, he said, because AI ambition is moving faster than modernization. Please click through for all of Braun’s AI insights.
The
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA) is putting a much bigger number atop its electronic health records contract, boosting the ceiling to nearly $27 billion as deployments continue. The latest: VA is adding nearly $17 billion to the contract ceiling for its Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM) program, which already near $10 billion. The agency said deployment complexities pushed spending toward the existing limit faster than planned. The agency also proposed three one-year optional ordering periods that could keep the
Oracle Health
contract running through May 16, 2031. That gives VA more runway for a modernization effort that is still far from the finish line. As of July, the Federal EHR was live at 14 of 164 medical centers, with additional launches scheduled for August and October and 26 more sites planned for 2027. Beyond that, the roadmap gets hazy – VA has not publicly released a deployment schedule past 2027.
The
Defense Innovation Unit (DIU)
is going after the barriers that keep promising commercial technology from reaching military users, launching a new Bridge Program focused on classified infrastructure, cybersecurity accreditations, and test and evaluation. DIU Director Owen West said rapidly delivering prototypes is “no longer good enough” if successful technologies then stall during clearance, authorization, or budgeting. Within one year, DIU aims to open co-use classified facilities nationwide, cut cyber authorization timelines in half, and create more agile testing opportunities for young companies. The program has already contracted for nine additional commercially owned and operated classified sites across the country, alongside facilities announced in Pennsylvania. Sarah Pearson, who will lead the effort, said DIU also plans to shift cybersecurity work earlier into prototype development. The bigger objective: Move commercial technology into military use faster and at scale.
My Cup of IT: Cyber Vigilantes Wanted
In this week’s edition of My Cup of IT, MeriTalk Founder Steve O’Keeffe takes a look at Uncle Sam’s cyber posse – and the Trump administration’s push to enlist vetted private companies for offensive cyber operations against foreign cyber-enabled criminal organizations. ICYMI: A new presidential memorandum gives the government 60 days to build the framework, including rules for private-sector cyber surveillance and “cyber effects” operations. The target list could include ransomware gangs, scam networks, and other cybercrime operations. But O’Keeffe notes the approach comes with serious complications: attribution can get messy, criminal infrastructure may sit on innocent systems, and operations could create consequences well beyond their intended targets. The shift marks a notable change from a federal cyber playbook long centered on defense, intelligence sharing, and law enforcement. Now, Washington wants more offensive muscle in the fight.
Once again, let’s “call IT a day,” but we’ll bring you more tomorrow. Until then, please check the MeriTalk breaking news website throughout the day for the latest on government IT people, progress, and policy.
And finally, please hit the news tip jar (with leads, breaking news, or simply your two cents) at newsstaff@meritalk.com.
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