Verity tapped for homeland security network

The Homeland Security Department has chosen Verity Inc.'s enterprise software for its government intelligence information-sharing network, the company said today. DHS is expanding the data system to state and local governments and first-responder agencies in the fight against terrorism.

The department will use the software in its Joint Regional Information Exchange System, which lets federal, state and local agencies and emergency operations centers receive and share secure intelligence and tactical information to combat terrorism, Verity said.

Winifred Shum, Verity's public relations manager, cited company policy in declining to disclose the value or duration of the contract.

DHS said in February that it would expand its computer-based counterterrorism system over the next two months to all 50 states, five territories, the District of Columbia and 50 major urban areas. Its information network is the foundation of federal efforts to share data among security and law enforcement agencies to detect, prevent and respond to terrorist acts.

Advanced research features of Verity's software will let these organizations locate, evaluate and analyze data in the system's content repositories, the company said.

The next expansion phase of the network will include counties and the private sector as well as communication at a higher classified level. Verity will provide content-organization and real-time classification technologies for this phase, Shum said.

Verity has more than 3,500 clients in the private and public sectors. Among its other government clients are the Energy, Justice, Defense and State departments and the Army and Air Force.

Verity had a profit of $11.6 million on revenue of $102 million in 2003, according to its annual report. Government sector sales accounted for 9.8 percent of its total revenue last year.