State Dept. re-ups Harris for visa work

The five million Americans each year who request visas to work abroad may not be aware that a Florida systems integrator plays a big role in helping process their applications.

Harris Corp. of Melbourne, Fla., won a one-year, $42 million contract renewal from the State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs to continue delivering technical support services to more than 230 embassies and consulates around the world.

The contract calls for Harris to handle system configuration and upgrades, help desk services, and Web development and training. More than 250 employees from Harris Technical Services Corp. will perform the work.

To help get the job done, Harris uses a central processing facility from which it configures and prepares computer equipment for use overseas. Through its work, Harris also helps protect U.S. borders by using biometric technology in the visa application process.

Harris Technical Services Corp. is a unit of Harris Corp. The parent company has about 14,000 employees and had annual revenue of $3.5 billion in fiscal 2006. The company ranks No. 22 on Washington Technology's 2006 Top 100 list the largest federal IT contractors.