Accelerating Actionable Insight in Government Data Ecosystems

Michael Shrader of Carahsoft emphasizes the growing demand across federal agencies for OSINT that is not just accessible, but meaningful. Agencies are no longer satisfied with raw data; they need insights that are usable, timely, and integrated with existing mission workflows. Shrader describes how modern AI-powered collection and analytics tools have drastically improved the ability to convert public and commercial data into usable intelligence.

Shrader outlines a broad ecosystem of technology that supports this acceleration—from data cleansing and cataloging to infrastructure and compute layers. But he also acknowledges the risk: a noisy marketplace filled with tools and providers claiming capabilities they may not fully deliver. His call to action is clear: agencies must invest in education to understand which tools best fit their mission, and vendors must be transparent about their real capabilities.

Perhaps most critically, Shrader discusses the concept of aligning the right data product with the right problem set. A one-size-fits-all approach does not work in OSINT. Whether the mission is supply chain visibility, human intelligence, or cybersecurity, the tools and data must be mission-fit and operationally validated.

Key Takeaways:

Government agencies need curated, mission-ready OSINT—not just raw data dumps.

Market education is essential to match agencies with the right tools and providers.

Actionable OSINT relies on a full ecosystem of data prep, analytics, and infrastructure.