Wireless Facilities buys logistics automation provider

Wireless Facilities Inc. will acquire information technology and logistics automation services provider Defense Systems Inc. in a $6.6 million, all-cash deal, WFI announced this week.

Through the acquisition, WFI of San Diego will pick up capabilities in logistics automation services and radio frequency identification as well as additional federal customers, company officials said.

DSI of Manassas, Va., offers IT and logistics automation services to federal government and commercial clients, with a strategic focus on radio frequency identification.

The company's services include system architecture design, system software development, software and data integration and synchronization, database development and systems integration. Key areas of expertise include functional logistics management, asset tracking, supply chain management, data mining and data warehousing.

DSI will become part of WFI's Government Services Division. Eric DeMarco, Wireless Facilities' president and chief executive officer, described the acquisition as "a strategic and important move for WFI."

DSI's customer base includes the Army's Program Executive Office for Automatic Identification Technology and the Defense Information Systems Agency, DeMarco said. The company has been successfully established a foothold in the rapidly growing logistics automation market, he said.

"As the need for RFID solutions expands, WFI will now be able to leverage its fundamental expertise in radio-frequency engineering, wireless data networks and integration of in-building technologies to provide complete network design, deployment and maintenance solutions to both government and commercial customers," he said.

WFI offers systems engineering, network services and technical outsourcing for wireless carriers, enterprise customers and government agencies.