Message #3 From:
Stock News Bot Date: September 12, 2006 06:00:00 AM
BA News Boeing Selects FAST to Support the U.S. Army's Future Combat Systems
NEEDHAM, Mass. and MCLEAN, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 12, 2006--
Search Capabilities to Enhance U.S. Army Efficiencies by Delivering Quick and Seamless Information Flow Across Disparate Systems
Fast Search & Transfer(TM) (FAST(TM)), the leading provider of enterprise search solutions, today announced it was selected by Boeing (NYSE:BA) to integrate the FAST Enterprise Search Platform (FAST ESP(TM)) into the System-of-Systems Common Operating Environment (SOSCOE) of the U.S. Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS). Under the terms of the multi-year contract, FAST will provide Boeing with the necessary solutions and support to incorporate FAST ESP into the FCS environment to further extend and evolve search capabilities delivered to the Army.
The FCS program is an Army transformation initiative designed to link soldiers to a wide range of weapons, sensors, and information systems by means of a mobile network. The added level of connectivity and visibility will enable geographically dispersed combat and support units to synchronize mission critical operations and improve interoperability to unprecedented levels. The network will enable U.S. soldiers to perceive, comprehend, shape and dominate the future battlefield even more effectively than they do today.
Quick and seamless information flow is critical to the success of the U.S. Army. SOSCOE will integrate disparate software applications, regardless of their location, connectivity protocols and the internal technology. FAST search capabilities will fit within the service oriented architecture (SOA) of SOSCOE to support multiple applications independently and simultaneously. By providing a common search capability across all services, FAST ESP will play a critical role in ensuring the right information is delivered to the right people at the right time.
"To ensure a successful Army of the future, best practices from all areas must be tapped," said Dennis Muilenburg, vice president and FCS program manager for Boeing. "The ability of FAST to provide search solutions independent of application or operating system was a key factor in their selection for this program. The unrivalled flexibility and scalability of FAST ESP is a perfect match to the architecture of the SOSCOE."
"The FCS program is considered the foundation for the Army's future and will utilize advanced communications and technologies to ensure it can overcome any adversary," said Ali I. Riaz, president of FAST. "FAST's selection by Boeing to supply the search capabilities is a great compliment to our employees' dedication and our search technology's ability to meet the wide range of mission critical requirements in government and military programs."
About Boeing
A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $30.8 billion business. It provides network-centric system solutions to its global military, government, and commercial customers. It is a leading provider of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems; the world's largest military aircraft manufacturer; the world's largest satellite manufacturer and a leading provider of space-based communications; the primary systems integrator for U.S. missile defense; NASA's largest contractor; and a global leader in sustainment solutions and launch services.
About FAST
FAST is the leading developer of enterprise search technologies and solutions that are behind the scenes at the world's best known companies with the most demanding search problems. FAST's flexible and scalable enterprise search platform (FAST ESP) elevates the search capabilities of enterprise customers and connects people to the relevant information they seek regardless of medium. This drives revenues and reduces total cost of ownership by effectively leveraging IT infrastructure. FAST's solutions are used by more than 2,600 global customers and partners, including America Online (AOL), Cardinal Health, CareerBuilder.com, Chordiant, CIGNA, CNET, Computer Associates, Dell, EMC Documentum, Factiva, Fidelity Investments, Findexa, IBM, Knight Ridder, LexisNexis, Merrill Lynch, Rakuten, Reed Elsevier, Reuters, Sensis, Stellent, Tenet Healthcare, Thomas Industrial Networks, T-Online, US Army, Virgilio (Telecom Italia), Vodafone, and Wanadoo. For further information about FAST, please visit www.fastsearch.com.
