In-Q-Tel backs tools for improving intell analysis
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The group invests in two cloud-based technology providers to automate the work of data scientists and improve application testing.
In-Q-Tel, the intelligence community’s IT investment arm, has entered into strategic partnerships with two providers of cloud-based technologies, aiming to make it to easier for analysts to discover, visualize and share mission-critical data, as well as test applications before deployment.
The investment in Socrata Inc. is intended to give analysts the tools to derive more value out of data without requiring technical expertise. Socrata’s technologies can transform raw data from multiple sources into more sophisticated and useful resources, such as apps, reports, maps, visualizations, dashboards and application programming, according to company officials.
In-Q-Tel and Socrata officials will work together to further develop Socrata’s data consumerization platform for internal analysts. “The Socrata data platform is quick to deploy, easy to use and can be adapted to a wide range of applications, allowing business analysts to do what data scientists have historically done,” said Robert Ames, senior vice president of Information and Communication Technologies at In-Q-Tel.
Socrata’s technology portfolio includes an open data portal, which lets users move data to the cloud for users to review, compare, visualize and share; GovStat, which lets agencies measure the impact of their programs against data, perform broad analysis and share results with the public automatically; and API Foundry, which lets developers rapidly create APIs and developer documentation.
Meanwhile, a partnership with AppThwack will support improvements in the company’s cloud-based app testing platform. The move will shore up the intelligence community’s ability to quickly test application compatibility, functionality and performance before deployment. The company will expand features for testing apps on real phones, tablets and other form factors, as well as extend the platform’s utility and longevity, Trent Peterson, AppThwack co-founder, wrote in a blog.
Apps today must function and perform across myriad devices, operating system versions, network configurations and other variables, and as a result, more companies are turning to automation to help them navigate this difficult landscape, he said.
AppThwack provides cloud-based access to real, physical device labs for automated Android and iOS app testing through its website, tool integrations and APIs, Peterson said. Test reports are generated in minutes and provide high-level trends, low-level logs, high-resolution screenshots and detailed performance profiles, he noted.
“AppThwack’s technology provides an excellent user interface and easy to read reports, making it easier to quickly identify problems before deploying mobile applications,” said Jay Emmanuel, senior vice president of In-Q-Tel’s Mobility practice.