Harris team will improve VA computer net management

Harris Corp. has won a $30.5 million contract to help the Veterans Affairs Department better manage its computer network systems.

The program, structured as an 18-month base with three contract option years, is developing a centralized network monitoring system that will help the VA better manage its computer network systems and more quickly find and fix problems as they arise, according to a Dec. 8 Harris announcement.

Under the Enterprise Management Foundation Federated Data Repository contract, Harris will develop and deploy a system that provides a unified, federated view of data repositories the VA has distributed throughout the United States.

The VA currently monitors these regional Managed Data Repositories using manual reports, which often leads to delays in addressing critical system problems, the Harris announcement explained.

The Harris system – using commercially available components to reduce the need for custom development and maintenance costs ­– will provide the centralized management needed for a more accurate, automated reporting of the network's status, the announcement said.

The system also will allow the VA to perform predictive analysis and modeling to identify areas of potential concern.

The Harris team includes subcontractors 4Points Technologies, 7 Delta Inc., EM&I, iTKO, LSI, NIS Solutions, and Qbase LLC.

Harris Corp., of Melbourne, Fla., ranks No. 13 on Washington Technology’s 2011 Top 100 list of the largest federal government contractors.