Navy readies solicitations for future enterprise network
The Navy will issue up to five requests for proposals over the next 12 months as it begins the transition from the massive Navy-Marine Corps Intranet to the successor program.
The Navy will issue as many as five requests for proposals over the next 12 months as it begins the transition from the massive Navy-Marine Corps Intranet to the successor program, reports Jason Miller at Federal News Radio.
The Navy has bought intellectual property from HP, and the Marines have acquired some network infrastructure technology. A solicitation for cybersecurity services is imminent.
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Those steps are only the vanguard of a march of procurements necessary to achieve transition to the Next-Generation Enterprise Network by 2014.
The first of the five solicitations is for independent verification and validation services for the network’s cybersecurity framework, Capt. Scott Weller, NMCI program manager, told Federal News Radio. That RFP is expected this fall with award tentatively scheduled for next spring, he said.
The Navy and Marine Corp plans to issue the other RFP and awards in staggered fashion between this winter and fall 2011.
Other RFPs that will be awarded after the IV&V solicitation are for transport services, end-user hardware, enterprise licensing for commonly used applications, and enterprise services.
Weller said the program is constructed to that there are two different domains and service models under NGEN, one for the Navy and the other for the Marine Corps. In the case of the Navy, the contractor will provide services with Navy personnel providing oversight and leadership. In the case of the Marine Corps, the corps itself will perform the role of service provider and receive direct support for that effort from multiple vendors.
In July the Navy awarded HP a continuity of service contract that serves as a bridge between NCMI and NGEN. The 43-month contract is valued at $3.4 billion.
The major differences between NMCI and NGEN lie not in user network support but in the operational and acquisition functions, Weller said. Ultimately, the Navy will bring several key functions, such as command and control and network operations, back in house.