U.S. Government Category

U.S. Army Communications Electronics Life Cycle Management Command

DataPath, Inc.

In the wake of the Hurricane Katrina disaster, U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) launched a coordinated delivery of supplies and technical assistance to augment relief efforts. USNORTHCOM created the Joint Task Force-Katrina (JTF-Katrina) to act as the military’s on-scene representative supporting the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s relief efforts.  In turn, JTF-Katrina drafted the Army Communications Electronics Life Cycle Management Command’s Special Projects and Homeland Security Office to provide immediate communications support. This Office partnered with DataPath, Inc. to provide the required communications infrastructure.

JTF-Katrina utilized a one-of-a-kind network of Satellite Communications Transportable Terminals (STTs) to provide communications to the region. STTs use commercial satellites and earth terminals to supply reliable Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), videoconferencing and military communications network access. The task force utilized 10 DataPath ET 3000 Portables to provide hub and spoke networking capabilities, empowering connections among remote locations through central hubs. Designed for reliable field operations, the rugged, compact DataPath ET 3000s enabled relief workers to quickly deliver network connectivity in inaccessible areas. The task force also deployed six DataPath ET 2000 Portable fly-away earth terminals to provide phone and Internet connectivity to first responders.

JTF-Katrina empowered local, state and Federal first responders to carry out their search and recovery missions by facilitating communications – providing increased situational awareness and rescue coordination. By mid September, JTF-Katrina and DataPath had established a comprehensive satellite-based wide area network solution, bringing connectivity to both military and civilian first responder communities. Approximately 20 percent of the connectivity supported military users, while 80 percent empowered civilian operations.

 

International Category

U.S. Joint Forces Command, Joint Futures Lab, Experimentation Engineering Department Multi-National Experiment IV (MNE4)

Ezenia! Inc.

As the executive agent for the Multinational Experimentation Series, USJFCOM recently led the development of an advanced information technology collaborative environment, bringing together participants from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Finland, Sweden, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and the United States across the Combined Federated Battle Laboratories Network (CFBLNet).  Multinational Experiment IV (MNE 4), which took place from 20 February until 17 March 2006, was a process-refinement experiment using a human-in-the-loop virtual experiment method that explored multinational concepts, tools, and processes.

USJFCOM partnered with Ezenia! Inc. to use their InfoWorkSpace (IWS) application that supported execution of MNE 4. The IWS implementation was the largest implementation of Ezenia!’s product with full use its capabilities and functionality, including: Conference Center seminar-like presentations with voice and document projections; Presence in Multiple “rooms” of interest; Voice Chat; Text Chat; Real-time sharing of documents for presentation; and Document filing.

Without Ezenia! Inc.’s IWS tool and its support, MNE 4 would not have been successful. It was the largest full capability implementation of a voice/data tool to date. The tool was an enabler, a “golden-link” for full spectrum next-generation, multi-national military and civilian Effects Based Operations. The experiment’s results will shape current and emerging processes, organizations and technologies at the command operational level. The results will directly affect the mission of the joint operations enterprise, being factored into both current real-world operations and future concept development.

 

Homeland Security Category

Tracker

U.S. State Department Nonproliferation and Disarmament Fund

FGM, Inc.

 

The U.S. Department of State’s Nonproliferation and Disarmament Fund (NDF) office has a mission to help control the global trade of dual-use, hazardous, and military items. The NDF funded the development of Tracker, a case management system, to support the collaborative processing of licensing information in newly established independent governments of the former Soviet Union to control dual-use and potentially hazardous materials. Tracker supports import and export license control processes, information sharing, data mining, and reporting capabilities, and is deployed in Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Serbia & Montenegro, Slovakia, and Switzerland.

Since 1996, FGM has been solely responsible for developing, deploying, and supporting Tracker. Tracker was designed and built using open standards, and is configurable to each country's different workflow, native language, and license generation/reporting needs without expensive per-seat software license models that would make other solutions unaffordable to an emerging economy. Tracker links essential trade control agencies and allows ministries within a country to share case information with other ministries connected to Tracker. Before Tracker, countries received paper-based import, export, and transit applications, which were manually routed to various decision-makers for review/approval. With Tracker, these forms can be digitized, and the approval process is automated. Tracker’s workflow can be customized to match regulatory requirements, and comply with each country’s respective trade control laws, as well as acting as a central repository for inputting, processing, tracking, and reviewing license applications, thereby enhancing the adjudication process.

Tracker further supports the efforts of governments seeking to control the import and export of hazardous materials through providing a platform for post-licensing analysis, including threat assessment of individuals and organizations attempting to build otherwise controlled capabilities.