Collaboration suite to help secure tonight's Bush-Kerry debate

Driving BI Value with Data Integration: Overcoming the Thorniest Challenges Survey: Business Intelligence Maturity and the Quest for Better Performance BI @ The Speed of Business Computerworld Custom Publishing: Bright City Lights Sign up to receive Security Resource Alerts

October 08, 2004 (Computerworld) -- WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Secret Service and a throng of state and local police and emergency management officials in Missouri will for the first time tonight use a customized Microsoft-based collaboration portal to share security information during the second presidential debate between President George W. Bush and Sen. John Kerry.
The system, known as the E-Sponder portal, was designed by St. Louis-based Convergence Communications LLC for the Missouri Department of Homeland Security. The $1 million portal, which wasn't scheduled to go live at the Missouri DHS until Nov. 1, is based on the Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server 2003, with extensive .Net customization and custom Microsoft Web components.
Convergence's E-Sponder "is based 100% on our .Net framework that enables interaction and collaboration between agencies," said Tom Richey, director of Microsoft Corp.'s homeland security business line. The system relies on a secure network infrastructure backed up by an on-site server as well as a server located at the state's homeland security operations center.
The system will be responsible for handling more than 1,400 security-related activities such as assigning officers or checking out threats during the debate, which is being held at Washington University in St. Louis, said Rob Wolf, CEO of Convergence.
Officials said the network backbone remains hard-wired and closed off from the public Internet. The level of security required by a presidential visit almost immediately nullified any use of wireless or the public Internet.

Tom Richey, director of Microsoft Corp.'s homeland security business line

A unified command center has been established that consists of 25 workstations, with each workstation assigned to a functional group, such as the local police and fire and rescue teams as well as the Secret Service and the FBI. The workstations each run Microsoft Explorer 6.0 and Office 2003 Enterprise Edition.
Prior to the activation of the command center, the user groups were integrated into the portal sites using InfoPath Forms, which are hard-copy forms that police officers and government agencies are accustomed to working with. The forms were also used to create the look and feel of the portal.



"For example, if, on the day of the debate, an officer is instructed to close down a street at 10 a.m., that information is now directed to the officer via an electronic InfoPath form that had been created and approved through our system," said Wolf. "Once the task has been completed and approved by the officer's superior, the information is automatically sent to and documented within the portal."
Wolf also said that a second Web module was developed for unplanned events, such as security incidents. The portal has become critical to keeping everybody on the same page, he said. "With 25 agencies involved in securing the debate, each with disparate chains of command and radio networks, information sharing is critical."
Nick Gragnani, an emergency management specialist for the St. Louis Police Department, said that while the system is being deployed in the context of debate security management, "we know that we will also be able to incorporate this technology into future operations." The versatility of the system will allow officials to tailor it to help them respond to any major event, said Gragnani. "Whether it be a debate four years down the road, a tornado next year or an earthquake next month, this technology directly increases our effectiveness," he said.
That's music to the ears of Microsoft's Richey. While the company is proud of what technology partners such as Convergence are doing in the area of electronic collaboration, this step is part of Microsoft's vision of supporting the Department of Homeland Security with technology that will make a nationwide information-sharing and collaboration portal possible, said Richey.
"We've developed an actionable road map to align with the goals of the Department of Homeland Security and to build a National Response System over the next 10 years," he said. "The long-term benefit for building solutions such as [Convergence's E-Sponder] will be to roll this technology into a larger application reaching out as part of a national framework, from state and local government to federal command centers."

Print this Story

Send Us Feedback

E-mail this Story

Digg this Story

Slashdot this Story

"Enterprise search continues to lag behind commerical search because companies lack a "findability" strategy, says one researcher...." Read more... "It's IT Blogwatch: in which we all wonder how much we get paid and Glassdoor.com helps us out. Not to..." Read more... Read more Business Intelligence posts or See all Blogs

Microsoft promises four patches next week Google gives away home-cooked Web application security scanner Storm botnet stages Fourth of July attacks More top stories...

Microsoft trumpets security additions in upcoming IE8 Apple cuts price of high-end SSD MacBook Air by $500 Ultrathin showdown: Apple MacBook Air vs. Lenovo ThinkPad X300 vs. Toshiba Portege R500

This old laptop: Revitalizing an aging notebook on the cheap All it takes is a couple hours and about $125 to breathe new life into an old laptop. Here's how. Bill Gates moves on Is Microsoft's Golden Age over? What are Gates' most memorable quotes? Find out in Computerworld's complete coverage of the end of the Bill Gates era at Microsoft. Five things you should never tell your boss There are some things your CIO definitely doesn't want to hear. Also don't miss the flipside, Five things you should always tell your boss. Hands-On: Firefox 3 fixes what's broke and keeps what's right With its latest version, Mozilla's browser continues to raise the bar for what Web browsers should be. Windows Vista A to Z Reviews, analyses, how-tos, visual tours, hot issues and predictions about Microsoft's new OS. More Continuing Coverage After 9/11: Homeland SecurityAsk a Premier 100 IT LeaderBlackBerry Legal BattleData Security BreachesElectronic VotingFirefoxH-1B VisasHP's Boardroom ScandalHandheld DevicesHurricane Katrina AftermathMicrosoft Legal IssuesMicrosoft's VistaOpen SourceRFID TechnologySCO's Linux FightSarbanes-Oxley ActSpamVoice Over IPWi-FiWindows Meta File VulnerabilityWindows XP Service Pack 3 IT Careers 2010 Four years from now, the IT field will be a vastly different place. Will you be ready? More Special Reports Premier 100 IT Leaders 2007 Best in Class2006 Computerworld Horizon Awards2006 Premier 100 IT Leaders2006 Salary Survey2007 Best Places to Work in IT2007 IT Forecast2007 Premier 100 IT Leaders40 Years of ComputerworldASPs, Take TwoBest Places to Work in IT 2003Best Places to Work in IT 2004Best Places to Work in IT 2005Best Places to Work in IT 2006Business Intelligence Home RunsBusiness Intelligence: Smarter BIBusiness Intelligence: The Future of BICRM Goes VerticalCRM: Sober CRMCareer Planning Guide 2005Careers: IT Profession 2010Computerworld Horizon Awards 2005Data Management: Mining for GemsData Management: Taming Data ChaosDevelopment: Hard-Workin' Web SitesDevelopment: New Tools New ChoicesDevelopment: The New World of Application DevelopmentDevelopment: The Web Services TsunamiDevelopment: Web Services HurdlesDisaster Recovery: Preparing for the WorstE-commerce Grows UpE-mail/Groupware: Big DecisionsFaces of Mobile ITForecast 2006Global MobileHardware: Multiple Cores, Multiple ChallengesHardware: On-Demand Un-HypedHardware: The Shape of Things to ComeHorizon Awards: 10 Cool Cutting Edge TechnologiesIT Management: Guide to Managing VendorsIT Management: Navigating Global ITIT Management: Recovery AheadIT Management: The Future of ITIT Management: The Resourceful Project ManagerInnovative Technology Awards 2004Management: Reinventing ITMicrosoft in TransitionMobile/Wireless Leaders and LaggardsMobile/Wireless: The Untethered WorkerMobile/Wireless: Tiny Gadgets, Huge CostsNetwork Management: Taking ControlNetworking: Turbulence Ahead!Networking: VoIP Goes MainstreamOperating Systems: In the Slow LaneOperating Systems: Linux Goes GlobalOperating Systems: Should You Nix Unix?Outsourcing: Offshore Buyer's GuideOutsourcing: Outsourcing DangersPremier 100 IT Leaders 2004 Best in ClassPremier 100 IT Leaders 2005 Best in ClassROI: Do the Math!Salary Survey 2003Salary Survey 2004Salary Survey 2005Security Action PlanSecurity: Compliance HeadachesSecurity: Proactive SecuritySecurity: Risk and RewardSecurity: Tips From Security ProsSouped-up SecurityStorage: Battling ComplexityStorage: Cheap & Secure Data StoresStorage: Stretching Your Storage DollarsStorage: The Lean Storage MachineStorage: The New Rules of StorageStorage: The Ultimate Backup GuideSupply Chain: Missing LinksSupply Chain: RFID Reality CheckThe Business of SecurityWeb 2.0 SecurityWireless: Wireless At Work All Zones Application Performance Zone Business Continuity Zone Data Center Management Zone Enterprise-Class Security Zone The File Data Management Zone Grid Computing on Windows Zone Security Management Zone ITIL Best Practices Zone The SAS Zone Storage Virtualization Zone Business Intelligence and Analytics Zone See your link here

Speeding the time to intelligence Get this Computerworld report free for a limited time, compliments of SAS. Time To Intelligence -- a concept defining how long it takes to get accurate and timely information into the hands of workers who need it most. Do it slower than your competitors and your company is toast. Do it faster, you scorch them. Business Intelligence is the key to optimizing Time To Intelligence, and success there is a combination of people, policies, and technology. Download this executive briefing  Why SaaS is Vital to Email and Web Security Why SaaS is Vital to Email and Web Security Download this webcast, free, compilments of Webroot Software Go to the webcast  Rapid application development, rapid results Download this special report now! (Source: Intersystems) All too many businesses suffer from IT infrastructures that are a hodge-podge of disconnected databases and applications. What's needed is the ability rapidly develop connected applications under a unified service-oriented architecture. InterSystems Ensemble integration environment and Cache database are effective tools in answering this need, delivering a rapid ROI. Download this white paper  White Papers Read up on the latest ideas and technologies from companies that sell hardware, software and services. Deploying Virtualized NetWare on Linux Whitepaper Toward More Flexible, Next-Generation Collaboration Solutions Driving Business Success Through Workgroup Choice and Flexibility View more whitepapers

• Microsoft promises four patches next week
• Google gives away home-cooked Web application security scanner
• Storm botnet stages Fourth of July attacks
• More top stories 

SAS Business and Analytics Zone No matter where your organization is on the path toward evolving your IT infrastructure, SAS can adapt to your situation to meet your long-term enterprise intelligence needs. We can help you drive intelligence evolution to the next level, while leveraging and extending the value of your existing IT investments. Learn more in the Business and Analytics Zone See All Zones

Intercept Spam & Viruses With MessageLabs MessageLabs is offering a complimentary 30 day trial of its managed Anti-virus and Anti-spam security solutions. MessageLabs guarantees complete protection against all know and unknown email threats. By providing 24 hour support, your business can increase productivity and decrease risk. Register for a complimentary trial and receive a free datasheet. Download this white paper now!

XenServer FREE trial Citrix XenServer is the simplest and most effective way to virtualize and provision servers. XenServer combines comprehensive server virtualization capabilities with unparalleled scalability, performance, economics, and ease-of-use. Based on the open source Xen hypervisor, XenServer delivers fast performance, easy management, and advanced features such as live migration. Request free trial now

Since You Asked A weekly storage column from storage analyst, Steve Duplessie of the Enterprise Strategy Group Click here to read the latest column by Steve Duplessie