Integrator Insider

By Nick Wakeman

The alliance of American Management Systems Inc., Fairfax, Va., and Siebel Systems Inc., San Mateo, Calif., formed in January, already is starting to pay dividends. AMS will use its Siebel alliance in a pilot project for the Defense Department's Transportation Command, which oversees air, land and sea transportation for the U.S. military.

AMS is paying for the pilot, which is valued at about $500,000. The 210-day pilot will test a customer relationship management system that will be used to route service requests, document responses and track feedback. The system ultimately will be rolled out to all military commanders.

"Customer relationship management systems ... are at the heart of many of the world's successful transportation and delivery organizations," said Paul Brands, chairman and chief executive of AMS. "An important part of our vision is to equip government agencies with leading-edge technologies that will meet their unique requirements."

Lockheed Martin Corp., Bethesda, Md., won a follow-on contract for the Navy's Consolidated Automated Support System. The $287 million, five-year contract supports the Navy's avionics testing system.

Under the contract, Lockheed Martin will provide CASS stations through 2005. The company has been the only supplier of the test stations to the Navy. The automated testing system is expected to save the Navy $3 billion over the next 15 years.
Navy Looking for Command, Control Support: The Navy's Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center in Charleston, S.C., is looking for engineering support services to develop new command and control systems for amphibious warfare programs. Systems the Navy wants to improve include the Radio Communications Systems, Ships Signal Exploitation Systems, Navigation Sensor Systems Interface and the Global Command and Control Systems-Maritime.

Services for which the Navy is looking include program management, logistics support, shipboard installation, shipyard support and training.

The request for proposals should be available by April 7 with an award coming by September. The contract is expected to last four years.