Michael Helfrich is the Founder and CEO of Blueforce Development Corporation and has more than 30 years of experience in the software industry, including 25 years, serving national security and law enforcement customers. Blueforce builds packaged software products focused on mobile edge IoT for “last tactical mile” situational awareness, mobile command & control, lone worker life safety, and IoT sensor fusion/cueing.
Michael has served on a number of national Security initiatives post 9/11 and in 2003, served in Baghdad Iraq as a special advisor on inter-agency collaboration and information sharing for the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) led by Ambassador Paul Bremer. He personally led tactical ISR ground sensor development and integration efforts for NORTHCOM/JIATF-N, while deployed operationally on the U.S. northern and southern border in counter-terrorism operations, 2007-2014. He was selected and served on the Office of the Secretary of Defense’s “Internet Standards Working Group” (ISWG) and has been a thought leader within the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community specific to national information standards, sensors/IoT, and interoperability. He supported Operation Warp Speed, the U.S. “Manhattan Project” style program spearheading the race for vaccines and therapeutics to combat COVID-19.
Michael started his career at Coopers & Lybrand Consulting, then served as Director of Product Development in Lotus Development Corporation's Knowledge Management Products Group and as Chief Architect for Lotus Notes Public Networks business where he designed and implemented massively scalable hosted communications and applications infrastructures for 11 of the world’s largest international telecommunications companies in North America, Europe, and Asia..