Defense Department Picks Portal Platform

An alliance by Sun Microsystems Inc. and Netscape Communications Corp. has been tapped by the Defense Department to supply server software to be the platform for a new portal.


Initially, the software supplied by iPlanet E-commerce Solutions will be for internal use, but in the future will serve suppliers and other vendors and citizens working with the Defense Department. Eventually, the platform could support 2.5 million users.


The iPlanet portal server will securely deliver personalized content, services and business processes via the portal, company officials said. It will also allow the Defense Department to leverage the capabilities of the existing Netscape Communicator and iPlanet directory server infrastructure to deliver a customizable platform for secure access to both Web-enabled and legacy applications.


The iPlanet portal platform is a key component of the Sun Open Net Environment, known as Sun ONE. Sun's goal is the creation of a complete open architecture for the creation, assembly and deployment of smart Web services, according to company officials.


"The DoD joins a growing list of government agencies who use iPlanet products to help them meet the demands of today's Net economy and to also prepare for future demands as Web services mature," said Wes Wasson, vice president of product marketing at iPlanet E-Commerce Solutions. "The iPlanet portal server is perfectly suited to meet the size and security requirements of the Department of Defense deployment today and is also highly scalable to grow with the DoD as the portal evolves over time to an extranet focus."


The value of the deal with the Defense Department was not disclosed.