February 26, 2003 (Computerworld) --
The U.S. Navy confirmed yesterday that the Pentagon has given it the go-ahead to move as many as 310,000 Navy and Marine Corps IT users to the Navy/Marine Corps Intranet (N/MCI). The decision comes after months of operational testing that was required by Congress before it would allow the Navy to proceed beyond a 60,000-user cap that it imposed after concerns surfaced about the program's technical feasibility and cost (see story). However, with the successful completion of the testing phase, the Navy received approval to proceed with all of the 160,000 N/MCI seats that have already been approved and was authorized to order an additional 150,000 N/MCI seats from its prime contractor, Plano, Texas-based Electronic Data Systems Corp. N/MCI is an IT outsourcing contract, often referred to as seat management, that will give the Navy and Marine Corps secure, universal access to integrated voice, video and data communications. It is also designed to provide pier-side connectivity to Navy vessels in port and, when completed, will link more than 310,000 desktops across the U.S., Puerto Rico, Japan and Cuba. Aside from the N/MCI's size, cost and complexity, what really sets the program apart from anything ever attempted in the private sector is the fact that the Navy and EDS will be introducing Navy and Marine Corps units to N/MCI in the middle of two major regional crises that could escalate to armed conflict. Navy and Marine Corps units are currently deployed throughout the Middle East in preparation for a threatened invasion of Iraq, and Navy vessels have been deployed off the coast of North Korea, which continues to escalate its war of words with the U.S. and South Korea. Although most of the focus of the N/MCI deployment remains on support units, Vincent Madsen, a 24-year EDS veteran who recently took over as client delivery executive for the N/MCI program, said the potential for military conflict does play a role in planning for the future. "We have to work closely with all the different units to make sure we're not going to get in the way," said Madsen. "I don't anticipate any delays. But we may move some schedules around." For now, N/MCI is moving full steam ahead. "The results from four months of testing clearly demonstrated that the N/MCI is ready to move to the next level," Rear Adm. Charles L. Munns, director of the N/MCI project, said in a statement released by the Navy. "We're now moving at light speed to get all of this deployed as contracted by the end of the year," said Madsen, referring to all 310,000 seats. To accomplish such a tall order, EDS hasdedicated more than 300 employees to deployment and installation and is relying on Dell Computer Corp. for both hardware delivery and initial build, configuration and customer support for the N/MCI desktop Windows environment, said Madsen. "We're going to rev up to the point where we'll be able to deploy 1,000 desktops per day across the entire infrastructure at multiple locations," said Madsen.
"This pilot fish works at a telco that provides DSL hardware access to ISPs. Total number of users: in the..."
Read more...
"User stops at the desk of this pilot fish and informs him that the mouse and keyboard on the user's..."
Read more... Read more Management posts or See all Blogs
If you're like our 7,000 survey respondents, your paycheck this year has been flattened and your bonus obliterated. We offer 12 ways to plump up your paycheck.
By helping Intel with loosened 'Vista Capable' requirements, Microsoft 'severely damaged' its credibility, said an HP exec in a newly unsealed Feb. 2006 e-mail.
(Source: Computerworld) Is your career in sync with the current megatrends: business alignment, globalization, the consumerization of IT, web 2.0 and beyond? In this guide, you'll get advice about how to make yourself more valuable, how to make the global talent pool work for you and how to make sure you "get found" when you put yourself out there. Download this executive briefing
Quick Sizing Guide for SAS Grid Running on HP BladeSystems and EVA Storage
Download this white paper today! (Source: HP) Designed for CIOs, IT managers, data center managers and grid computing architects seeking to improve performance, SAS Grid Computing on the HP BladeSystem c-Class helps accelerate growth and mitigate risks with a simplified, consolidated infrastructure that's agile enough to efficiently handle change. SAS Grid Manager on HP BladeSystem can lower costs through automation, virtualization and improved IT efficiency. Download this white paper
Google's Universal Search for Business
Google's Universal Search for Business View this exclusive webcast, free, compliments of Google! Go to the webcast
White Papers
Read up on the latest ideas and technologies from companies that sell hardware, software and services.
Software as a service can deliver significant cost savings and increased productivity when compared to traditional on-premises software. Explore this microsite to see how software as a service can help businesses:
• Communicate - email, share calendars and integrate chat
• Collaborate - exchange ideas and documents with others
• Secure IT systems - protect your email and web infrastructure
• Manage eDiscovery initiatives - store, search and find email
Companies today are realizing that competitive advantage is harder to sustain when based solely on gains in productivity and cost efficiency. The focus is shifting to invest more in business optimization initiatives which rely on trusted information to develop new insights that deliver better business results. But how can this be done efficiently in a business environment across multiple applications and processes. The answer is an Information Agenda - an innovative approach to transforming business information into a strategic asset for competitive advantage.
See your link here
Subscribe to
Computerworld 
or
Other Outsourcing Stories
Download this white paper today!
Google's Universal Search for Business 
Read up on the latest ideas and technologies from companies that sell hardware, software and services. 
The Software as a Service Zone
Computerworld