Homeland Security
Department of Homeland Security IT Projects
By Richard White
May 19, 2005, 15:13

If your with a small- or medium-sized IT company, you've probably been reading about the Department of Homeland Security. Perhaps you're intrigued by the opportunities it may present. But it's still early -- it could be a year or more till the department takes shape -- and perhaps you're not sure where to begin.

One place to start is to research and form relationships with larger companies that are already making inroads. What are they offering? Why are Homeland officials interested in them? What can your company contribute to various teaming relationships and the programs that are now, even at this early stage, taking shape?

Homeland Security Vendors

Let's begin by taking a look at just a few of the big opportunity areas, along with some of the companies that are poised to take or are already taking advantage of these opportunities.

Mobile Radios

Six companies have won contracts on a five-year $3 billion program run by the departments of Treasury and Justice. The contracts involve procurement of standard land mobile radios. The goal is to build a single radio network for law enforcement officers at seven agencies: Customs Service, FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Immigration and Naturalization Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, Marshals Service and the Secret Service.

The companies awarded the contracts are Motorola Corp., Datron World Communications, E.F Johnson Co., M/A Com Private Radio Systems, Daniels Electronics Ltd., and Thales Communication, Inc.

Access Cards

The National Security Agency (NSA) will test its own version of the Common Access Card at the end of next year. Most Defense Department employees will use the Common Access Card, while top NSA officials will carry the new Universal Secure Access smart card for access to defense facilities. Companies involved include SSP-Litronic Inc. and General Dynamics Communication Systems.

IT and Telecommunications Restructuring at Airports

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) awarded Unisys Corporation a multi-year task order to build an advanced information technology infrastructure to improve airport security. The task order was awarded under the Department of Transportation's Information Technology Omnibus Procurement (ITOP II) contract.

Tasks to be performed include hardware and software services, help desk, network/security operations and business process re-engineering services.

The value of the talk order for fiscal year 2003 is estimated to be $221 million. The total value is estimated at $1 billion.

DynCorp Systems & Solutions LLC and IBM Corporation are primary partners. Recently, Unisys awarded Computer Sciences Corp. a $50 million subcontract to provide enterprise integration and other information technology services.

Vessel Search and Rescue Communication

The Coast Guard awarded a 19-year $611 million contract to General Dynamics to modernize the system it uses to monitor vessel distress calls. Through what is called the Rescue 21 project, the Coast Guard is upgrading its three-decade-old National Distress and Response System. The new system will be able to pinpoint the location of boater mayday calls and coordinate rescue operations along the U.S. coastline and inland waterways.

The General Dynamics team includes CACI International Inc., Fuentez Systems Concepts Inc., American Nucleonics Corp., BAE Systems Integrated Defense Solutions Inc., Motorola, Communications Services, Inc., and L&E Associates.

Information Sharing

A company called webMethods, Inc. appears poised to help lead in the effort to improve the exchange of strategic information among agencies. The company's current federal customers include Army Aviation and Missile Command, NSA, NASA, EPA, and a number of agencies within the Department of the Navy.

Federal Bridge Certification Authority (FBCA)

The goal of FBCA is to connect the public-key infrastructures (PKIs) of agencies through one hub. The hub will generate digital certificates to identify users and secure such electronic transfers as e-mail messages and file exchanges.

The program is operated by Mitretek Systems Inc. Mitretek also runs a prototype lab and is testing the products of such companies as VeriSign Inc., RSA Security Inc., Entrust Inc., and Microsoft Corp.

For a listing of other Homeland IT opportunity areas, go to this page (in .pdf format):

http://www.gcn.com/newspics/itspending.pdf.

Research Contacts, Establish Relationships

Are any of these areas relevant to your business? These of course are only a few examples. The key thing to remember is that, even though the department is not yet formed, companies are already grabbing business.

To do so yourself, begin the research. Get on the Internet and find out what's happening in Homeland Security in your area of expertise. Two invaluable tools (in our opinion) to get started: Firstgov.gov and Google.com. Other useful sources are online trade journals such as the ones referenced below.

Then start making those phone calls.

More Information

"NSA will test a high-level access card"
http://www.gcn.com/vol1_no1/homeland/20233-1.html

Unisys Press Release
http://www.unisys.com/about__unisys/news_a_events/08198168.htm

"CSC tapped for $50 million TSA support contract"
http://www.washingtontechnology.com/news/1_1/homeland/18948-1.html

"Coast Guard awards maritime 911 contract"
http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2002/0930/news-guard-09-30-02.asp

"Lure of homeland"
http://www.washtimes.com/businesstimes/20020610-7364784.htm

webMethods, Inc. Press Release
http://www.webmethods.com/press_release_detail/1,1075,2450-2002-2,00.html