November 18, 2024 • 19 mins
Bernie Gauf has more than 30 years' experience leading the design, development and delivery of innovative technologies for defense industry customers. He is one of the founders of Innovative Defense Technologies (IDT) and has been the CEO since its inception in 2006, where he directs the company's efforts to deliver groundbreaking solutions.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
M and T Bank presents CEOs you should know powered
by iHeart Media.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Let's meet Bernie Goff.
Speaker 3 (00:07):
He is a chair and CEO for Innovative Defense Technology
is also known as IDT. They design and develop leading
in solutions that are transforming the speed at which the
DD is delivering software based warfare capabilities. Now, before we
talk more about Bernie's company, I first asked him to
talk a little bit about himself, where he's from and
his origin story.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Yeah. So I grew up in Washington, Illinois, which is
a small town in the central part of the state,
right outside of the Peoria, and then went to school
at the University of Illinois in Urbana, Champagne. That's about
ninety miles east of where I grew up and majored
in electrical engineering there.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
What'd you want to do when he got out of school?
Speaker 1 (00:48):
You know, when I was in school, I had an
opportunity to participate in a program they called a co
op program. So that was where you worked full time
for semester and then you would go to s and
so you alternated until you graduated. It was a way
to get work experience to decide, you know, what you
wanted to do after school, and it was also a
(01:09):
way for me to pay for college. And so when
I was in college, then I ended up working for
IBM Federal Systems Division, which is here in Manassas, Virginia.
And so it was through that experience that you know,
I really grew to enjoy working in the defense sector,
(01:29):
and then also that I enjoyed Virginia. But I also
learned that I didn't necessarily want to work for a
really large company when I graduated. So when I finished,
I was fortunate to be able to get started at
a small company. I was like the fourth employee, and
from there, over a career about twenty years, became the
(01:51):
president of that company, and we focused on work with
the Navy and like I said, in National Defense.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
And other eighteen years at IDT at Innovative Defense Technologies.
And I'm really curious about this because I always love
to hear origin stories about what attracts somebody to a job.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Now we know why they were interested in you.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
You've got a great resume, you certainly had the experience,
but coming in as chair and CEO really attracted you
about this job.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
In joining IDT, well, you know, from when I finished
at the prior job. You know, we sold that company
to General Dynamics, and so after a couple of years,
I started working with some others that we'd worked with previously,
and so what we had decided was we wanted to
continue to sort of serve in the national defense sector. Also,
(02:36):
we wanted to be able to work on capabilities that
we thought could be broadly applicable across the Department of
Defense and then also where we could make you know,
the biggest impact possible. So it was really sort of
that was the basis for starting IDT. And you know,
our focus is enabling customers to deliver updates to their
(02:57):
systems faster than they can today and also to improve
the quality while they deliver those software software updates. And
because what you see in the headlines, you know, virtually
every day is how important it is where there were
talking about Ukraine or somewhere in the Middle East or
in the South China sea. Is that for national defense
(03:20):
is to be able to rapidly, you know, sort of
learn what's happening in the theater and then to be
able to make changes to systems based on what they're learning.
And so that's what our focus at IDT has been
is we've been developing technology in the form of automation
and also expertise to help accelerate our customers and deliver
in those software updates.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
So Bernie, you're starting to talk about this right now,
but if we could just give a thirty thousand foot
view once to get into our listeners who are new
to IDT and innovative defense technologies, what would you say
that you exactly do.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
We work for customers to support them in the integration,
the test, and the certification of the systems that they're
delivering to their end users. So, as you can imagine
large complex systems, lots of software involved. Anytime there's a
change or an update, there's a very rigorous process the
(04:12):
DoD needs to go through to make sure that it's
all going to work appropriately and also it's going to
work correctly with all the other systems it interfaces with.
And so that's where we come alongside our customers to
help them accelerate that process and ultimately be able to
deliver a higher quality product in less time.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
All right, Well, the things you can talk about and
we don't have to get into any specifics if you
don't want to, but can you tell us a little
bit about some programs and capabilities that are used by
your clients most and that you're also most proud of
as well.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Yeah, so i'd give you a good example, and like
I said, I can't go into too many details, but
over just over the course of the summer, so we
had one of our customers came to us and they
had a new capability that they wanted to be able
to deliver and in this case, it go on board ships.
And so they had had multiple companies that had some
ideas about this new capability, and so they came to
(05:05):
us and we worked with those other companies to be
able to integrate the capabilities that they offered with the
existing system on board the ships. Be able to integrate it,
be able to test it, get it certified, and actually
get it installed on a ship and try it out
in the actual exercise. Our customers shared with us that
(05:25):
historically that process probably would have taken anywhere from a
year and a half to two years to complete, and
we're able to work with them, you know, again based
on our technology and expertise, and actually delivered that in
less than six months. And so now we're already proceeding
with that customer to start limited fielding of these new capabilities,
(05:47):
which is, you know, for our customer, you know, as
a fraction of the time that they've experienced before, and
so that would be sort of a typical program or
experience for us, and you know how we're trying to
make a difference for national defense.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
Well, and that leads me to our next question. That's
pretty extraordinary that you can do it in that fast
amount of time. So I imagine that there's other people
that are in the space and do what you do,
maybe not exactly with you and your four hundred person
team that you have spread throughout the United States, mostly
in Arlington. With that said, how do you differentiate yourself
from all the competition out there when you are talking
(06:20):
to perspective clients or you're working with somebody.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
So how we differentiate ourselves from others in the market
is through technology that we've invented. So we've seen multiple
patents on our technology, so it's truly been invention that
we've brought to help solve these problems. And where we
make a difference is the speed that we're able to
help customers deliver their solutions. Well at the same time,
(06:44):
also improving the quality of what they deliver. So it's
really a combination of technology and then the people that
we have at ITT and their expertise is how we
differentiate ourselves from the competition.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
So Bernie, I know you know this, but we have
a lot of current CEOs and lead there's out there,
but also a lot of future leaders, entrepreneurs and people
that want to lead companies. And as I see with
your company, you know, it's a big company. It's four
hundred people plus. You're in, for a lack of a
better phrase, of the super secret business. So what I'm
curious about when it comes to your vision and also
(07:16):
getting the job done. I imagine you have a very
excellent management team, but I'm wondering how you get anybody
on the same page to make sure not only that
quality life balance is there for everybody into you know,
twenty twenty four, everybody talks about that, but also that
everybody gets the job done in the specific business.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
So you're in, how do you pull that off?
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Well, you're right, and that everybody I think has a
common vision for what we're trying to accomplish. So we're
you know, we're very focused on delivering you know, innovation
for our customers that really improves the quality accelerates what
they can deliver for their end users. So we're in
a focused market, so I think that helps keep everybody
(07:55):
sort of on the same page in terms of what
we're trying to do. And then, like you said, we
have you know, and outstanding you know, a leadership team
at I d T. We have well defined you know,
roles and responsibilities, and it's really finding them the right
people within the culture that we've created at I d T,
I think is what has really helped us be so successful.
(08:17):
And you know, we've really built our culture around collaboration,
you know, innovation and integrity or the things that are
really important to us and how we operate with each other,
and then also how we operate with our customers.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
And I guess what that said, and I don't want
to assume, Bernie, but I imagine with that kind of
reputation with your employees that your in house referrals are
probably pretty large. But I imagine you're also looking for
the best of the best. But that means that the
word gets out there that this is a company that's tight,
it's fun to work at, You're compensated properly, and we
do some great work out there, and I imagine the world
is out there about that.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
Yeah, So we we are very fortunate in terms of,
you know, our employees you know, regularly provide you know,
referrals to others, you know of others that they know
or their acquaintances to us. And then we also have
a very robust summer intern program where we're able to
sort of like I experienced when I was in college,
(09:11):
you know, go to work somewhere, get experience in this field,
and ideally, if it's a good fit for them and
good fit for us, we're bringing them on full time.
And then we're also very active recruiting, you know, on campuses,
you know, especially sort of in the Middle Atlantic area,
but really at this point almost throughout the country, so
where that's how we find new people. You know, we
are actively hiring people. So so for anybody that has
(09:35):
any interest at all in what we're doing. In our
website is www dot I d t us dot com,
you can find more about and sort of what we
do and the type of positions that we have open.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
I can only assume what some of your challenges are
by what you and your team do, but that you
can share with us. What kind of challenges does the
industry present to you and your team right now?
Speaker 1 (09:54):
Well, one of the challenges that we face, and this
is true for for many other companies that are in
the federal market spaces, you know, for the last you know,
five plus years, maybe ten years, you know, continuing to
operate under what's called a continuing resolution where you know,
appropriations you know, don't get completed, the government operates sort
of on a limited funding budget for a minimal amount
(10:16):
of time. You know, that's a challenge for US and
many other companies. It really it's a challenge for our
customers because they're not able to move forward with the
plans they put in place for the next fiscal year.
And then there's also challenges, whether it be US or
other companies to be able to support them, especially when
everybody wants to go you know, faster than ever before.
(10:37):
So that's one of the challenges. I think that we
have many other companies faces just planning around and working
through ongoing crs each year.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
So I can only imagine for what you and your
team do. I imagine that everything is so fluid, not
technology alone, but also what's happening out there, not only domestically,
but around the world when it comes to cybersecurity and
everything that you you can get into now in the
stories that we read and hear and listen to and
and take in just as layman people and civilians. So
(11:07):
I imagine that you know, there can be some sleepless nights,
but also I'm kind of gathering from you and your
very brilliant team that you're proud of when these issues arise,
that everybody moves quickly and smartly to decipher the problems
or the things that might be thrown at your client's way.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Would I be correct? That is correct.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
Part of it is being able to have well thought
out all say, policies and procedures, you know, in advance,
to be able to have a team that has the
appropriate level of experience, and then also to be well
aligned with your customers in terms of what are their priorities,
because different customers have different priorities, especially when you know
(11:47):
when issues come up and arise, and so I think
those three things, you know, help help us be you know,
as responsive as possible to to our customers when issues
come up.
Speaker 3 (11:58):
And we're trying to help them be respons if you
can indulge me just for a second. And once again
we're very clear that you can always say so much
and we appreciate that. But I think what also myself
and our listeners appreciate is that you know you're keeping
our country and our people safe, not only in the
United States but around the world, which we're always very
appreciative people like you and your team, Bernie, But is
there something you can share with us that that you're
(12:21):
proud of of what your team does? And once again,
no specificity, but something that you know can keep a
lot of people up at night, but you know your
team is there, they're handling it, and you're very proud
about how they handle themselves. And once again, nothing specific,
but anything that you can share with us and in
general sorts that that you're most proud of that, Hey, listen,
this is what we're doing and you need to know this,
(12:42):
that we're doing a good job by keeping us safe.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
So does let me just first just say that you know,
it's really the men and women in uniform that are
out there serving. They're the ones that are keeping you know,
all of us, you know safe, and they're the ones
you know sacrificing, like you said, as they're deployed around
the world, you know, we have a role in trying
to make sure that the systems that they have access
(13:05):
to and are using. So these are their combat and
weapons systems, their communications, all of that is up to
date and is as capable as possible. So what I
would let readers know is that you know, the government
partners that we work with, they are focused on providing
those men and women the most capability possible and are
(13:28):
doing everything that they can, and we're doing everything we
can to make sure that they're equipped with the latest technology,
that it's as current as possible. And it really is leaders.
You know, they're really leaders in the technology that they're
able to provide, you know, to the men and women
in unicorns. So I think people should take great confidence in.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
That good And it sounds like you can sleep at
night too with all these great men and women that
not on are serving, but also that are on your
team as well. Yes, very cool. Well, listen, I want
to put a pin in work for a second. It
might have to do with work, but when it comes
to film, tropic and charity work when you do have time,
because I know how busy you and your team are.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
What do you like to be a part of?
Speaker 1 (14:05):
You know, one of the things that IDT that we've
partnered with an organization is called Operation Gratitude. So we've
partnered with them for probably a little over ten years now.
So what they provide is they provide, among other things,
they provide pair packages to men and women that are
deployed and serving around the world. So we've supported Operation
Gratitude and the care packages that they provide. Also, they
(14:28):
have what they call pair Acord survival bracelets that men
and women who are out serving use those, and so
we've had events at our office where we'll have employees
who will participate in making them and then we put
handwritten notes together that can go with the pair accords
as they're getting delivered. And then also there's a donation
(14:49):
drive that Operation Gratitude runs to save to raise money
and so also those are things that we've participated in.
So that's been very i think meaningful for us in
our employees because it's directly a way to give back
to the people that also, you know, we're trying to
serve in the work we do each and every day.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
God Standing, thanks for sharing Berne, I really appreciate that.
I did want to ask you about the future, and
once again we know no specificity, but I know that
in your line of business everything is fluid, but also
technology is moving very quickly out there. So with that said,
what does the future look like in your industry for
your clients and the world in general when it comes
to what you do.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
I think the future will be heavily influenced by artificial
intelligence and machine learning. I think, you know, you see
a lot of that taking place in i'll call it
the commercial sector right now, whether it be chat, GPT
or other variations of that, and I think very quickly
technology like that, I think will be adapted and used
(15:54):
at a much larger scale within the Department or defense
or within the defense community. There are pockets now where
it's done, there's pockets that we're actually involved in. But
I think in the future it'll have a profound effect
on how systems get designed, developed and updated. And that's
certainly one of the things that we're thinking about at
(16:15):
IDT is how to how to use technology like that.
You know, because I've talked a lot about how you
can go faster for delivering software capabilities and improve quality.
I think the use of AI and machine learning is
going to just add another order of magnitude to how
fast you can go and the quality of the software
(16:40):
that you can deliver. So I think for us, at
least at IDT, that is a big focus going forward
for us because I think that's a technology that can
make a tremendous difference.
Speaker 3 (16:51):
All right, well, listen, thanks for that. I do want
to do this and wrap up our wonderful conversation by
just getting some final thoughts from you, Bernie, and thank
you for your valuable time, but just maybe recap everything
for us, and uh kind of tell us one more
time about I d T. And we've enjoyed the conversation.
But sir, the floor of yours, sure.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
Well, thank you very much, first of all for having
me in the in the conversation. You know, so at
I d T, you know, we're really focused on delivering
innovation that you know that improves quality and accelerates capability,
you know, to our end users, to to our customers,
and uh, you know we're working on I think, uh
a mission that's more relevant and more important than ever.
(17:32):
I think you can just open the you know, the
news headlines and see that. So I think it's a
very you know, relevant and important mission that we're working on.
I would encourage people that might have thought at one
time about did they want to work in national defense,
whether it be with I d T or other companies.
I think it's a very rewarding, you know sort of
market and industry to be in.
Speaker 3 (17:51):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
It's also an opportunity to work on technology. I think
that is very sophisticated. Sometimes the national defense the sector
can be labeled as you know, technology that's maybe a
little old, a little outdated. I don't think that's the
case anymore. I think the technology that's being you know,
invented and used in the national defense sector has come
(18:13):
a long way over the last ten plus years and
it's only going to accelerate. So I think for individuals
that are thinking, you know, they want to be at
a high tech market, I think national defense you know
sector is a good market to be in. And then
the last thing I think it's working on problems like
I said that really make a big difference is also
(18:35):
you know, incredibly both challenging and rewarding. And so you know,
at id T we've tried to put all that together
combined with a culture, and like I said, it's one
that we've tried to build around, you know, innovation and collaboration,
integrity that I think provides a very rewarding experience for people.
Speaker 2 (18:54):
Well, let's give that website one more time.
Speaker 1 (18:55):
Bernie at www dot I d t us dot com outstanding.
Speaker 3 (18:59):
Hey Lernie, thank you so much for your valuable time.
Please give my best to all of your people, and
we do really appreciate everything that they do. You mentioned
the men and women that are in a uniform not
only here domestically but around the country. But what you
guys also do is very impressive. I know we don't
know exactly what you do, but we know that you're
keeping us safe so we can sleep safely at night.
And I'm always appreciative that living in the DMV for
(19:21):
the fourth time now and talking to people like you,
I'm just always in awe of smart, brilliant people that
are doing very high level stuff. We're just very appreciative.
So from all our listeners, thank you so much for
joining us on CEOs.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
You should know well, thank you very much for your time.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
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Speaker 2 (00:05):
Let's meet Bernie Goff.
Speaker 3 (00:07):
He is a chair and CEO for Innovative Defense Technology
is also known as IDT. They design and develop leading
in solutions that are transforming the speed at which the
DD is delivering software based warfare capabilities. Now, before we
talk more about Bernie's company, I first asked him to
talk a little bit about himself, where he's from and
his origin story.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Yeah. So I grew up in Washington, Illinois, which is
a small town in the central part of the state,
right outside of the Peoria, and then went to school
at the University of Illinois in Urbana, Champagne. That's about
ninety miles east of where I grew up and majored
in electrical engineering there.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
What'd you want to do when he got out of school?
Speaker 1 (00:48):
You know, when I was in school, I had an
opportunity to participate in a program they called a co
op program. So that was where you worked full time
for semester and then you would go to s and
so you alternated until you graduated. It was a way
to get work experience to decide, you know, what you
wanted to do after school, and it was also a
(01:09):
way for me to pay for college. And so when
I was in college, then I ended up working for
IBM Federal Systems Division, which is here in Manassas, Virginia.
And so it was through that experience that you know,
I really grew to enjoy working in the defense sector,
(01:29):
and then also that I enjoyed Virginia. But I also
learned that I didn't necessarily want to work for a
really large company when I graduated. So when I finished,
I was fortunate to be able to get started at
a small company. I was like the fourth employee, and
from there, over a career about twenty years, became the
(01:51):
president of that company, and we focused on work with
the Navy and like I said, in National Defense.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
And other eighteen years at IDT at Innovative Defense Technologies.
And I'm really curious about this because I always love
to hear origin stories about what attracts somebody to a job.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Now we know why they were interested in you.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
You've got a great resume, you certainly had the experience,
but coming in as chair and CEO really attracted you
about this job.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
In joining IDT, well, you know, from when I finished
at the prior job. You know, we sold that company
to General Dynamics, and so after a couple of years,
I started working with some others that we'd worked with previously,
and so what we had decided was we wanted to
continue to sort of serve in the national defense sector. Also,
(02:36):
we wanted to be able to work on capabilities that
we thought could be broadly applicable across the Department of
Defense and then also where we could make you know,
the biggest impact possible. So it was really sort of
that was the basis for starting IDT. And you know,
our focus is enabling customers to deliver updates to their
(02:57):
systems faster than they can today and also to improve
the quality while they deliver those software software updates. And
because what you see in the headlines, you know, virtually
every day is how important it is where there were
talking about Ukraine or somewhere in the Middle East or
in the South China sea. Is that for national defense
(03:20):
is to be able to rapidly, you know, sort of
learn what's happening in the theater and then to be
able to make changes to systems based on what they're learning.
And so that's what our focus at IDT has been
is we've been developing technology in the form of automation
and also expertise to help accelerate our customers and deliver
in those software updates.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
So Bernie, you're starting to talk about this right now,
but if we could just give a thirty thousand foot
view once to get into our listeners who are new
to IDT and innovative defense technologies, what would you say
that you exactly do.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
We work for customers to support them in the integration,
the test, and the certification of the systems that they're
delivering to their end users. So, as you can imagine
large complex systems, lots of software involved. Anytime there's a
change or an update, there's a very rigorous process the
(04:12):
DoD needs to go through to make sure that it's
all going to work appropriately and also it's going to
work correctly with all the other systems it interfaces with.
And so that's where we come alongside our customers to
help them accelerate that process and ultimately be able to
deliver a higher quality product in less time.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
All right, Well, the things you can talk about and
we don't have to get into any specifics if you
don't want to, but can you tell us a little
bit about some programs and capabilities that are used by
your clients most and that you're also most proud of
as well.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Yeah, so i'd give you a good example, and like
I said, I can't go into too many details, but
over just over the course of the summer, so we
had one of our customers came to us and they
had a new capability that they wanted to be able
to deliver and in this case, it go on board ships.
And so they had had multiple companies that had some
ideas about this new capability, and so they came to
(05:05):
us and we worked with those other companies to be
able to integrate the capabilities that they offered with the
existing system on board the ships. Be able to integrate it,
be able to test it, get it certified, and actually
get it installed on a ship and try it out
in the actual exercise. Our customers shared with us that
(05:25):
historically that process probably would have taken anywhere from a
year and a half to two years to complete, and
we're able to work with them, you know, again based
on our technology and expertise, and actually delivered that in
less than six months. And so now we're already proceeding
with that customer to start limited fielding of these new capabilities,
(05:47):
which is, you know, for our customer, you know, as
a fraction of the time that they've experienced before, and
so that would be sort of a typical program or
experience for us, and you know how we're trying to
make a difference for national defense.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
Well, and that leads me to our next question. That's
pretty extraordinary that you can do it in that fast
amount of time. So I imagine that there's other people
that are in the space and do what you do,
maybe not exactly with you and your four hundred person
team that you have spread throughout the United States, mostly
in Arlington. With that said, how do you differentiate yourself
from all the competition out there when you are talking
(06:20):
to perspective clients or you're working with somebody.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
So how we differentiate ourselves from others in the market
is through technology that we've invented. So we've seen multiple
patents on our technology, so it's truly been invention that
we've brought to help solve these problems. And where we
make a difference is the speed that we're able to
help customers deliver their solutions. Well at the same time,
(06:44):
also improving the quality of what they deliver. So it's
really a combination of technology and then the people that
we have at ITT and their expertise is how we
differentiate ourselves from the competition.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
So Bernie, I know you know this, but we have
a lot of current CEOs and lead there's out there,
but also a lot of future leaders, entrepreneurs and people
that want to lead companies. And as I see with
your company, you know, it's a big company. It's four
hundred people plus. You're in, for a lack of a
better phrase, of the super secret business. So what I'm
curious about when it comes to your vision and also
(07:16):
getting the job done. I imagine you have a very
excellent management team, but I'm wondering how you get anybody
on the same page to make sure not only that
quality life balance is there for everybody into you know,
twenty twenty four, everybody talks about that, but also that
everybody gets the job done in the specific business.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
So you're in, how do you pull that off?
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Well, you're right, and that everybody I think has a
common vision for what we're trying to accomplish. So we're
you know, we're very focused on delivering you know, innovation
for our customers that really improves the quality accelerates what
they can deliver for their end users. So we're in
a focused market, so I think that helps keep everybody
(07:55):
sort of on the same page in terms of what
we're trying to do. And then, like you said, we
have you know, and outstanding you know, a leadership team
at I d T. We have well defined you know,
roles and responsibilities, and it's really finding them the right
people within the culture that we've created at I d T,
I think is what has really helped us be so successful.
(08:17):
And you know, we've really built our culture around collaboration,
you know, innovation and integrity or the things that are
really important to us and how we operate with each other,
and then also how we operate with our customers.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
And I guess what that said, and I don't want
to assume, Bernie, but I imagine with that kind of
reputation with your employees that your in house referrals are
probably pretty large. But I imagine you're also looking for
the best of the best. But that means that the
word gets out there that this is a company that's tight,
it's fun to work at, You're compensated properly, and we
do some great work out there, and I imagine the world
is out there about that.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
Yeah, So we we are very fortunate in terms of,
you know, our employees you know, regularly provide you know,
referrals to others, you know of others that they know
or their acquaintances to us. And then we also have
a very robust summer intern program where we're able to
sort of like I experienced when I was in college,
(09:11):
you know, go to work somewhere, get experience in this field,
and ideally, if it's a good fit for them and
good fit for us, we're bringing them on full time.
And then we're also very active recruiting, you know, on campuses,
you know, especially sort of in the Middle Atlantic area,
but really at this point almost throughout the country, so
where that's how we find new people. You know, we
are actively hiring people. So so for anybody that has
(09:35):
any interest at all in what we're doing. In our
website is www dot I d t us dot com,
you can find more about and sort of what we
do and the type of positions that we have open.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
I can only assume what some of your challenges are
by what you and your team do, but that you
can share with us. What kind of challenges does the
industry present to you and your team right now?
Speaker 1 (09:54):
Well, one of the challenges that we face, and this
is true for for many other companies that are in
the federal market spaces, you know, for the last you know,
five plus years, maybe ten years, you know, continuing to
operate under what's called a continuing resolution where you know,
appropriations you know, don't get completed, the government operates sort
of on a limited funding budget for a minimal amount
(10:16):
of time. You know, that's a challenge for US and
many other companies. It really it's a challenge for our
customers because they're not able to move forward with the
plans they put in place for the next fiscal year.
And then there's also challenges, whether it be US or
other companies to be able to support them, especially when
everybody wants to go you know, faster than ever before.
(10:37):
So that's one of the challenges. I think that we
have many other companies faces just planning around and working
through ongoing crs each year.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
So I can only imagine for what you and your
team do. I imagine that everything is so fluid, not
technology alone, but also what's happening out there, not only domestically,
but around the world when it comes to cybersecurity and
everything that you you can get into now in the
stories that we read and hear and listen to and
and take in just as layman people and civilians. So
(11:07):
I imagine that you know, there can be some sleepless nights,
but also I'm kind of gathering from you and your
very brilliant team that you're proud of when these issues arise,
that everybody moves quickly and smartly to decipher the problems
or the things that might be thrown at your client's way.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Would I be correct? That is correct.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
Part of it is being able to have well thought
out all say, policies and procedures, you know, in advance,
to be able to have a team that has the
appropriate level of experience, and then also to be well
aligned with your customers in terms of what are their priorities,
because different customers have different priorities, especially when you know
(11:47):
when issues come up and arise, and so I think
those three things, you know, help help us be you know,
as responsive as possible to to our customers when issues
come up.
Speaker 3 (11:58):
And we're trying to help them be respons if you
can indulge me just for a second. And once again
we're very clear that you can always say so much
and we appreciate that. But I think what also myself
and our listeners appreciate is that you know you're keeping
our country and our people safe, not only in the
United States but around the world, which we're always very
appreciative people like you and your team, Bernie, But is
there something you can share with us that that you're
(12:21):
proud of of what your team does? And once again,
no specificity, but something that you know can keep a
lot of people up at night, but you know your
team is there, they're handling it, and you're very proud
about how they handle themselves. And once again, nothing specific,
but anything that you can share with us and in
general sorts that that you're most proud of that, Hey, listen,
this is what we're doing and you need to know this,
(12:42):
that we're doing a good job by keeping us safe.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
So does let me just first just say that you know,
it's really the men and women in uniform that are
out there serving. They're the ones that are keeping you know,
all of us, you know safe, and they're the ones
you know sacrificing, like you said, as they're deployed around
the world, you know, we have a role in trying
to make sure that the systems that they have access
(13:05):
to and are using. So these are their combat and
weapons systems, their communications, all of that is up to
date and is as capable as possible. So what I
would let readers know is that you know, the government
partners that we work with, they are focused on providing
those men and women the most capability possible and are
(13:28):
doing everything that they can, and we're doing everything we
can to make sure that they're equipped with the latest technology,
that it's as current as possible. And it really is leaders.
You know, they're really leaders in the technology that they're
able to provide, you know, to the men and women
in unicorns. So I think people should take great confidence in.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
That good And it sounds like you can sleep at
night too with all these great men and women that
not on are serving, but also that are on your
team as well. Yes, very cool. Well, listen, I want
to put a pin in work for a second. It
might have to do with work, but when it comes
to film, tropic and charity work when you do have time,
because I know how busy you and your team are.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
What do you like to be a part of?
Speaker 1 (14:05):
You know, one of the things that IDT that we've
partnered with an organization is called Operation Gratitude. So we've
partnered with them for probably a little over ten years now.
So what they provide is they provide, among other things,
they provide pair packages to men and women that are
deployed and serving around the world. So we've supported Operation
Gratitude and the care packages that they provide. Also, they
(14:28):
have what they call pair Acord survival bracelets that men
and women who are out serving use those, and so
we've had events at our office where we'll have employees
who will participate in making them and then we put
handwritten notes together that can go with the pair accords
as they're getting delivered. And then also there's a donation
(14:49):
drive that Operation Gratitude runs to save to raise money
and so also those are things that we've participated in.
So that's been very i think meaningful for us in
our employees because it's directly a way to give back
to the people that also, you know, we're trying to
serve in the work we do each and every day.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
God Standing, thanks for sharing Berne, I really appreciate that.
I did want to ask you about the future, and
once again we know no specificity, but I know that
in your line of business everything is fluid, but also
technology is moving very quickly out there. So with that said,
what does the future look like in your industry for
your clients and the world in general when it comes
to what you do.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
I think the future will be heavily influenced by artificial
intelligence and machine learning. I think, you know, you see
a lot of that taking place in i'll call it
the commercial sector right now, whether it be chat, GPT
or other variations of that, and I think very quickly
technology like that, I think will be adapted and used
(15:54):
at a much larger scale within the Department or defense
or within the defense community. There are pockets now where
it's done, there's pockets that we're actually involved in. But
I think in the future it'll have a profound effect
on how systems get designed, developed and updated. And that's
certainly one of the things that we're thinking about at
(16:15):
IDT is how to how to use technology like that.
You know, because I've talked a lot about how you
can go faster for delivering software capabilities and improve quality.
I think the use of AI and machine learning is
going to just add another order of magnitude to how
fast you can go and the quality of the software
(16:40):
that you can deliver. So I think for us, at
least at IDT, that is a big focus going forward
for us because I think that's a technology that can
make a tremendous difference.
Speaker 3 (16:51):
All right, well, listen, thanks for that. I do want
to do this and wrap up our wonderful conversation by
just getting some final thoughts from you, Bernie, and thank
you for your valuable time, but just maybe recap everything
for us, and uh kind of tell us one more
time about I d T. And we've enjoyed the conversation.
But sir, the floor of yours, sure.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
Well, thank you very much, first of all for having
me in the in the conversation. You know, so at
I d T, you know, we're really focused on delivering
innovation that you know that improves quality and accelerates capability,
you know, to our end users, to to our customers,
and uh, you know we're working on I think, uh
a mission that's more relevant and more important than ever.
(17:32):
I think you can just open the you know, the
news headlines and see that. So I think it's a
very you know, relevant and important mission that we're working on.
I would encourage people that might have thought at one
time about did they want to work in national defense,
whether it be with I d T or other companies.
I think it's a very rewarding, you know sort of
market and industry to be in.
Speaker 3 (17:51):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
It's also an opportunity to work on technology. I think
that is very sophisticated. Sometimes the national defense the sector
can be labeled as you know, technology that's maybe a
little old, a little outdated. I don't think that's the
case anymore. I think the technology that's being you know,
invented and used in the national defense sector has come
(18:13):
a long way over the last ten plus years and
it's only going to accelerate. So I think for individuals
that are thinking, you know, they want to be at
a high tech market, I think national defense you know
sector is a good market to be in. And then
the last thing I think it's working on problems like
I said that really make a big difference is also
(18:35):
you know, incredibly both challenging and rewarding. And so you know,
at id T we've tried to put all that together
combined with a culture, and like I said, it's one
that we've tried to build around, you know, innovation and collaboration,
integrity that I think provides a very rewarding experience for people.
Speaker 2 (18:54):
Well, let's give that website one more time.
Speaker 1 (18:55):
Bernie at www dot I d t us dot com outstanding.
Speaker 3 (18:59):
Hey Lernie, thank you so much for your valuable time.
Please give my best to all of your people, and
we do really appreciate everything that they do. You mentioned
the men and women that are in a uniform not
only here domestically but around the country. But what you
guys also do is very impressive. I know we don't
know exactly what you do, but we know that you're
keeping us safe so we can sleep safely at night.
And I'm always appreciative that living in the DMV for
(19:21):
the fourth time now and talking to people like you,
I'm just always in awe of smart, brilliant people that
are doing very high level stuff. We're just very appreciative.
So from all our listeners, thank you so much for
joining us on CEOs.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
You should know well, thank you very much for your time.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
Our community partner, M and T Bank supports CEOs. You
should know is part of their ongoing commitment to building
strong communities, and that starts by backing the businesses within them.
As a Bank for communities, M and T believes in
dedicating time, talent, and resources to help local businesses thrive
because when businesses succeed, our community succeed.
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