VATC opens new applied research and technology division in St. Petersburg, FL

Visual Awareness Technologies and Consulting Inc. (VATC) of Tampa, FL, announced on November 8 that it has opened a new division and office dedicated to applied research and technology in St. Petersburg, FL VATC’s new tech incubator will serve as a hub of innovation to support the development of technology solutions to serve the interoperability and mission readiness needs of customers throughout military, intelligence and law enforcement communities.

“This new office opening is representative of VATC’s present growth and vision,” said VATC Co-founder and Chief Operations Officer Mike Vaughn. “As mission environments become more complex, technology must enable realistic training conditions in a rapidly changing environment. This new division will allow VATC to create innovative, top-of-the-line technology that keeps our clients the best prepared in the world.”

VATC’s new division will be led by Shands Pickett, vice president of applied research and technology and a subject-matter expert in intelligence services, mission-readiness and technology engineering. The team will include technology engineers and developers with experience in the Department of Defense and intelligence communities. Products being developed by the operation include a digital media replicator to simulate web content for exercises, a CDB Builder to compile multi-dimensional geospatial data, and a forthcoming planning and analysis system to track and visualize training task competition.

“Our new office opening represents a unique approach to developing software and technology for defense environments,” said Pickett. “Other contractors answer government requirements by asking software engineers, who have likely never served or gained experience within these specialized communities, to develop code and create products that often don’t achieve government’s intended effects. At VATC, we’re able to leverage our Special Operations experience working at the tactical and operational levels in active theaters around the world to develop technology solutions that start with the service member.”

VATC’s headquarters will remain in Tampa, where the company employs dozens of experts in training and exercise, intelligence services and human performance to support Special Operations, conventional and partner nations’ forces.

Source: VATC