Introduction
As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly integral to government operations—from predictive analytics in healthcare to automated decision-making in defense—the need to monitor, explain and secure these AI systems has never been greater. In response, Fiddler AI, a leader in AI observability, is teaming up with Carahsoft Technology Corp., the trusted government IT solutions provider, to bring comprehensive AI observability and security capabilities directly to federal, state and local agencies. This partnership will help public-sector organizations meet evolving regulatory requirements, improve trust in AI-driven processes and ensure mission-critical initiatives run smoothly and securely.
1. Partnership Overview
1.1 Background on Fiddler AI
– Founded in 2020, Fiddler AI specializes in monitoring AI models in production.
– Its flagship product, the Fiddler Platform, offers real-time performance monitoring, explainability, bias detection and root-cause analysis.
– The company has secured private-sector clients in finance, insurance and healthcare but has identified the public sector as a critical growth area given recent AI governance mandates.
1.2 Role of Carahsoft
– Carahsoft Technology Corp. is a leading government IT solutions aggregator, holding multiple contract vehicles such as GSA Schedule 70, NASA SEWP and state and local co-op agreements.
– With deep experience in AI, cybersecurity and data analytics, Carahsoft will manage procurement, licensing and contract management for public-sector customers seeking Fiddler’s solutions.
– Carahsoft will also coordinate training, demonstrations and integration support through its network of systems integrators and value-added resellers.
2. Driving AI Observability and Security
2.1 What Is AI Observability?
– AI observability refers to the full spectrum of monitoring, diagnosing and explaining AI system behavior in real time—similar to how DevOps tracks application performance.
– It encompasses model performance metrics (accuracy, latency), explainability tools (feature importance, counterfactual analysis), data drift detection and alerting on anomalous behavior.
– For government agencies, observability is critical to complying with the White House Executive Order on AI and OMB memos that require transparency, risk assessment and bias mitigation.
2.2 Security Considerations
– In addition to performance monitoring, the Fiddler Platform includes security features such as anomaly detection (identifying adversarial inputs), data lineage (tracking data provenance) and role-based access controls.
– This layered approach helps agencies guard against data poisoning, model theft and other AI-specific attack vectors.
– Carahsoft’s cybersecurity practice will augment Fiddler’s built-in controls with agency-specific integrations to existing SIEM (security information and event management) and IAM (identity and access management) systems.
3. Procurement Channels and Contract Vehicles
3.1 GSA Schedule 70 and NASA SEWP
– Fiddler’s platform will be available through Carahsoft’s GSA Schedule 70 and NASA SEWP V contracts, simplifying acquisition for federal buyers.
– Agencies can leverage these vehicles for direct purchases, task orders and blanket purchase agreements, reducing lead times and administrative overhead.
3.2 State, Local and Education (SLED)
– Beyond federal, Carahsoft’s state-and-local contract portfolios ensure that city governments, public school districts and state agencies can adopt Fiddler’s solutions under pre-negotiated terms.
– Cooperative purchasing programs, such as OMNIA Partners and NASPO ValuePoint, further extend access to Fiddler Platform offerings across jurisdictions.
4. Impact on Public-Sector Missions
4.1 Enhancing Decision-Making
– By providing continuous insights into model performance, the partnership enables agencies to fine-tune AI applications—from predictive policing algorithms to benefits eligibility scoring—ensuring they remain accurate and fair.
– Explainability features support audit trails, allowing program offices to demonstrate compliance with federal bias and privacy guidelines.
4.2 Strengthening Trust and Accountability
– Transparent reporting dashboards and automated bias detection tools help build stakeholder confidence, a crucial factor when AI systems affect citizen services or national security.
– The ability to run “what-if” scenarios and counterfactual explanations gives leaders a clearer understanding of how models reach decisions.
4.3 Operational Resilience
– Real-time monitoring and alerting reduce downtime and performance degradation, supporting mission-critical applications such as emergency response routing or intelligence analysis.
– Security integrations guard against malicious inputs and protect sensitive data, aligning with the Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA) requirements.
5. Future Roadmap and Collaboration
– Fiddler and Carahsoft plan joint workshops, webinars and “innovation days” to guide agencies through proof-of-concepts and scale-up phases.
– Roadmap items include expanded support for large language models (LLMs), integration with MLOps platforms and advanced risk scoring modules that quantify compliance posture.
– The partners are also exploring a Government-exclusive managed service offering, enabling agencies to out-task the day-to-day operations of their AI observability infrastructure.
Three Key Takeaways
1. Comprehensive AI Oversight: The Fiddler-Carahsoft partnership delivers end-to-end observability, explainability and security for AI systems, crucial for compliance with federal AI governance directives.
2. Streamlined Acquisition: Through GSA Schedule 70, NASA SEWP and SLED contracts, government buyers can rapidly procure and deploy Fiddler’s platform under pre-negotiated, competitively priced terms.
3. Mission Impact: Real-time monitoring, bias detection and security integrations improve decision-making, stakeholder trust and operational resilience across diverse public-sector AI applications.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What differentiates AI observability from traditional application monitoring?
A1. While traditional monitoring tracks system uptime and resource utilization, AI observability focuses on model-specific metrics—accuracy, drift, feature importance and bias detection—providing insights into how and why models produce certain outputs.
Q2. How does the partnership simplify the procurement process for government agencies?
A2. Carahsoft’s existing contract vehicles (GSA Schedule 70, NASA SEWP, state and local cooperatives) offer pre-negotiated pricing, streamlined compliance checks and reduced administrative burden, allowing agencies to acquire the Fiddler Platform quickly and cost-effectively.
Q3. Can the Fiddler Platform integrate with existing government security and data infrastructure?
A3. Yes. The platform supports standard APIs and connectors for SIEM, IAM and MLOps tools. Carahsoft’s professional services team assists with custom integrations, ensuring seamless alignment with each agency’s cybersecurity and data governance frameworks.
