Looking to better understand what drives this 8(a) and HUBZone Certified firm in its business pursuits and in the drive behind TECH YEAH, a networking and economic development conference that highlights West Virginia-based companies leading technology innovation, we caught up with Trilogy Innovations President and CEO Brandon Downey; COO and Vice President Randy Cottle; and Director of Business Development, Scott Dix to discuss the opportunities available in the State, the role of Trilogy in fostering and developing talent, understanding agency readiness, and its unique partner/friend view.
The Strength of West Virginia
A West Virginia based software and system engineering firm, Trilogy’s leadership team has a strong footing in the region and was frustrated by the lack of visibility that most West Virginia-based technology companies were experiencing – both inside and outside of the state. “TECH YEAH was created in response to that and as a way to showcase all of the great government agencies in the state and the innovative tech companies that are supporting them.”
A quick check reveals that the FBI, NASA, the CDC, and the Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory are among a slew of Federal agencies that call the region home.
In its first year, the conference doubled anticipated attendance. This year the event has grown, kicking off with a golf tournament and networking event, followed by a full day of panelists from across the Federal Civilian space who will share insights on things industry needs to know, including contract updates and insights on cutting edge technologies, cloud and digital transformation.
Understanding that even locals may not realize the capabilities of companies within the state, the event creates a platform for these leading-edge companies to share their capabilities with representatives of government agencies and to enlighten large corporations that may be seeking partners. “There are lessons we have learned, among them is that we are stronger together.”
The Role of Trilogy
Applying skills in cyber security, software development, data analytics, artificial intelligence and more, Trilogy leverages its talented, experienced workforce to solve customer needs, when and where those solutions align. “Some customers are familiar with the latest technical trends but they might not have the experience to realize the full benefits they bring to their organization. We take a more consultative approach to problem solving to ensure that the challenge is fully understood in lieu of jamming a product into place that might only address part of the need.”
The team is also focusing on workforce development. They are working with the State’s academic institutions to identify opportunities in the curriculum to bridge the gap between the classroom and industry. This ensures students leave colleges and universities with the potential for a rich professional career. “We offer an intensive internship program that gives students hands-on, practical knowledge and experience that they will be able to use and apply in real-world situations.”
As a partner to several vendors, Trilogy serves as the only Red Hat training facility within a 150 mile radius. “We’re providing certification opportunities for people from all over the region while giving students the chance to hit the ground running post-graduation.”
Agency Readiness
While some agencies may believe they are ready to embrace the buzzword technologies, to meet the legislative demands and demands of stakeholders, many within the government are familiar with emerging technologies but may be unfamiliar in how to leverage or adopt them. This is where Trilogy shines the brightest. Trilogy understands that adoption is more than procuring technology and requires investments in infrastructure, workforce upskilling, and building partnerships to further an agencies readiness.
Part of supporting tech readiness means leveraging the relationships, skillsets, experience, and perspective of a broader network. Trilogy often invites its friends in government and in industry to come together when there is willingness on both sides to hear and to learn. “We won’t push but if a customer is ready, they come, they learn, and we are all better educated for when the time comes to move something forward.”
Partnerships and Opportunity
The Trilogy team has developed an extensive network that encompasses both government and industry. But just as importantly, they have helped to connect many others along the way. “We approach everything knowing there is an abundance of work out there. We believe that one good turn will beget another. If we can help someone, if we can provide the support someone needs to achieve their goals, we trust in that greater good. We know we are often invited to participate because we are seen as good partners and we want to maintain that wherever we go.”
Relationships: Small and Large Business and JVs
As the government increases its focus on small business, there is a change in how large businesses are approaching partners in the small business community. For many larges, this has meant an active shift in culture and a deliberate repositioning of how they view those relationships. For partners on both sides of the table it requires a focus on integrity and on playing the long game; one that doesn’t sacrifice tomorrow for today.
The Trilogy leadership touts their top-notch operations team for much of its success with partners and with its JV. “Our experienced operations team keeps things running smoothly, stays focused on scalability, and ensures that we deliver on the promises we make.” They also give credit to a growing number of large businesses who understand they must approach their own partner relationships from a different vantage point.
Supporting Local
Beyond its work to elevate and give a platform to the IT community in West Virginia, Trilogy is focused on supporting the local community, including promoting entrepreneurship and technology in area schools.
It has also launched a new initiative called TIPS (Training and Internship Program Services) which will focus on providing an avenue for industry certifications and security clearances for interns then place them with local small businesses. “Working with us through these internships they will develop skills, receive their training in industry accepted certifications and walk away with the security clearance they need to start working right away. At the end of the day, it’s for the greater good because if you give good, you get good. That’s just our philosophy.”
About Trilogy Innovations
Trilogy Innovations, Inc. (Trilogy), is a 8(a) and HUBZone certified small business concern located in Bridgeport, WV. Since 2015, Trilogy has supported Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Criminal Justice Information Service (CJIS) Division by providing Application Development, Agile Planning and Management, Application Modernizations, Software Architecture and Design, Cloud Services and Data Analytics. Currently, our architects and lead engineers/developers support numerous FBI systems including National Crime Information Center (NCIC), Next Generation Identification (NGI), National Data Exchange (N-DEx), National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), and Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) by delivering modern applications which leverage cloud-based architectures and platforms. Trilogy’s professionals consist of certified product owners and developers that operate within the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) and other agile framework on multiple government contracts including SAFe positions. Trilogy’s focus is to partner with the government from both technical and business line perspectives. Our experience ranges from applying technology from machine learning to cloud architectures and application development to solve business line and end user needs. We listen to our customers and end users to understand their problem(s) to provide the most effective solutions.
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