Some press releases just make me chuckle, like this one from IBM. They won a deal with the National Security Agency, an organization that for decades the government denied even existed. Notice there is no boilerplate at the end like you usually get with a corporate release.
So what’s next? How about Steve Wynn opens an alien-themed casino at Area 51, complete with zero gravity beds and slots that spin at the speed of light?
IBM Awarded
National Security Agency High Assurance
Platform (HAP) Contract to Improve
Secure Information Sharing
The U.S. National Security Agency
has awarded IBM a technology and services contract for the High Assurance
Platform (HAP) program. NSA and IBM will work together to design and develop the
next generation of high assurance workstations, servers and pervasive computing
technology. The contract, awarded in the fourth quarter, has an estimated
contract value of $9.4 million over 15 months.
The goal of the HAP
program is assist the IT industry with an approach that can be used by
government and private sector organizations to support secure virtualization,
compliance checking, cross-domain collaboration, and enterprise management. The
use of secure virtualization technologies will also help eliminate the need for
multiple classified workstations and servers; as well as enable agencies to
achieve their ‘green’ data center consolidation goals.
“The NSA���s
strategic approach to technology recognizes that a secure COTS environment is
fundamental to the mission of both government agencies and private sector,
offering assured information sharing that is cost effective,” said Todd S.
Ramsey, Managing Director for IBM U.S. Federal. “IBM is pleased to continue its
support of the NSA for this mission critical program.”
The NSA will offer
the new capabilities to government agencies, including the Department of
Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice and the broader
intelligence community. IBM will use COTS (commercial off the shelf) software
and hardware in order for both public and private sector organizations to take
advantage of the investment in these advanced security improvements.
IBM
will leverage its work in secure virtualization, trusted computing, and advanced
software technologies to improve the cross-domain access and secure distribution
of classified data across agencies. It will be responsible for providing
research and design, engineering development, fabrication, and testing and
security certification. The IBM team will collaborate with General Dynamics C4
Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics and an existing contractor for the
HAP program. IBM���s subcontracting business partners include Trusted Computer
Solutions, Harris Corporation, and Innovative Security Systems/Argus Systems
Group.
For more information on IBM visit www.ibm.com.
