SHI, one of the world’s leading technology solutions providers, is expanding its federal footprint with a new Washington, D.C., office that will serve as a hub where government and industry can collaborate on technology modernization, company leaders told MeriTalk in a recent interview.
Located near the White House, the new office reflects SHI’s broader strategy to grow its public sector business by bringing together federal agencies, technology partners, and subject matter experts in a dedicated space for meetings, demonstrations, briefings, and events.
“We’re very excited to plant this flag in Washington, D.C., and have the space where we can convene technology leaders from both government and industry, so that they can discuss what that next phase of modernization looks like,” said Matthew Lyttle, director of federal programs and development at SHI.
“We also recognize that technology leaders have many hard choices to make, so we also want to offer that space for leaders to learn and to consider their procurement choices before they sign on the dotted line,” Lyttle added.
SHI’s solution-agnostic approach enables the company to bring multiple vendors into the same room so agencies compare competing solutions side by side and determine which products best fit their missions, he said.
“There is a concerted governmental push for modernization, cost savings, and efficiency,” Lyttle noted. “Federal leaders have lots of choices to make in the coming months and years, and they need more technology-focused integrators like ourselves sitting on their side of the table and helping them make those smart choices.”
Robert Fass, head of public sector marketing at SHI, said the office allows the company to extend expertise from its New Jersey headquarters directly to customers in the nation’s capital.
SHI’s grand opening of its Washington, D.C., office. Photo courtesy of SHI.
“The D.C office gives us an opportunity to better connect federal customers with our New Jersey-based experts,” Fass said. “That’s a significant benefit both for our customers and for us.”
The office will also host cross-sector discussions that bring together leaders from federal, state, local, and education organizations to share approaches to common technology challenges, particularly around cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI).
Fass said SHI regularly uses its AI & Cyber Labs in New Jersey to help public sector customers develop AI use cases through an “imagine, experiment, adopt” framework before deploying solutions more broadly.
“We’re doing this across the board with many government organizations,” Fass said. “It creates opportunities for agencies to collaborate directly with practitioners and technology experts as they evaluate and advance their AI strategies.”
As agencies balance modernization priorities against constrained budgets, Camila Tapias, business development manager for federal at SHI, said the company aims to focus conversations on mission outcomes.
“One of the things that I think that we try to really be intentional about is that we try to lead with the mission plus efficiency,” Tapias said. She added that SHI works to tailor recommendations around each agency’s specific needs rather than offering generic AI messaging.
“I always say, how can we make this like a love letter to the federal government [or customer] so that it’s not just this generic ‘everyone is talking about AI,’ but what does that really mean to me and my workforce and my challenges?” Tapias explained.
Looking ahead, Lyttle said success for the new Washington office would look like the same level of engagement, learning, and mission alignment across industry and government that SHI sees in its clients that visit the company’s other offices.
“We hope that the space becomes a place for that kind of learning and collaboration and exploration,” he said.
“The investment in the D.C. office space isn’t just about square footage, it’s about bringing new leaders forward that can help the federal government achieve its mission,” Lyttle said.