Northrop Grumman, Information Builders in security partnership

Northrop Grumman Corp. of Los Angeles and Information Builders Inc. of New York have formed a strategic alliance to provide national security solutions to federal, state and local government agencies.

Under the terms of the agreement, Northrop Grumman, a systems integrator, and Information Builders, a provider of enterprise business intelligence and real-time Web reporting, will work together to identify and pursue new business in three national security-related areas: bioterrorism analysis, identification and authentication and law enforcement data integration.

"This strategic alliance enables government agencies and other customers to take advantage of both companies' expertise to meet new security challenges," said Tom Wilson, vice president for alliances at Northrop Grumman IT in Herndon, Va.

The companies' bioterrorism analysis solution includes templates for data collection and delivery and adapters for the rapid deployment of bioterrorism response systems. The solution helps federal, state and local agencies share data and deliver bio-terrorism warnings to the public, the companies said.

The companies are already implementing this solution for Delaware.

The companies' authentication and identification solution will allow employers to track employees' movement and activity via smart card technology. The cards will also contain biometric information so secure facilities remain truly secure, the companies said.

Northrop Grumman IT and Information Builders are targeting federal and state organizations for this technology, as well as large private-sector employers.

The companies will also provide law enforcement data integration with a data warehouse or integration package that reads large amounts of data, runs analyses and identifies criminal patterns and potential terrorist activity. Various solution packages are already in use by several federal, state and local military and law enforcement agencies, the companies said.

"While Information Builders has sold software to every government agency over the last 28 years, this alliance will create new opportunities for both companies," said Gerald D. Cohen, chief executive officer of Information Builders.

Information Builders' federal business grew 25 percent in 2003, according to the company. Its recent wins include work for the Naval Surface Warfare Center's Indian Head Division and the U.S. Army Global Command and Control System.