With new office open, VATC turns training expertise into technology product

Contractor Visual Awareness Technologies and Consulting, which has long specialized in military training, has opened a new division in Florida and is selling its first product.

The company's new division, based in St. Petersburg, is focused on applied research and technology. The first product released through this division is known as EPIC Ready and is meant to bolster the realism of training and quantify readiness.

Sara Moola, VATC's chief executive, told Inside Defense the company has sought to marry the expertise of its workforce with technology. About 90 percent of the company's employees previously served in the military or worked for government agencies.

The EPIC system incorporates a common database builder, which provides command and control and geospatial visualization; a digital media replicator, which aggregates media information; and a planning and analysis system, which measures performance against objectives.

In an interview with Inside Defense, Mike Vaughn, the company's chief operations officer, said the new product "opens doors" for VATC.

"There's a requirement across a lot of different areas in government, and you could even push this out into the commercial sector," he said, noting the product is relevant for any industry that must prepare for risk.