From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Fri Jul 2 17:13:40 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 13:13:40 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] Talking with Steve Monroe: It's a buyer's market for John Trifone at SAIC-Frederick Message-ID: <20040702131320.R58130-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> July 2, 2004 Talking with Steve Monroe: It's a buyer's market for John Trifone at SAIC-Frederick http://www.gazette.net/200427/business/news/224687-1.html --- John Trifone has an acquisitive nature. He used to buy turbine engines for M-1 Abrams tanks and parts for Chinook helicopters for a Connecticut company. Since taking his new job as vice president for administration in September at SAIC-Frederick at Fort Detrick, he now buys chemical supplies, cancer research and scientific and engineering services, primarily for the National Cancer Institute. Trifone was also among the region's business, community and military leaders who gathered at a Capitol Hill meeting held by U.S. Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-Dist.6) of Buckeystown in April to address Bartlett's initiative for a "one-stop shop" to improve the ability of small businesses to compete for $3 billion in anticipated procurement by Fort Detrick tenants over the next few years. "There has been a call [for that] from the community for some time," said Trifone, a longtime Frederick resident. "The business community understood for a while there was a fair amount of acquisition dollars being let out of this facility. It's hard for the community to understand who are all those agencies and how do I talk to all of them." Business Gazette Editor Steve Monroe talked to Trifone recently about his role at SAIC-Frederick, what his customers want and his outreach to the small-business community. What does SAIC-Frederick do? We mainly work for the National Cancer Institute here. The NCI is a government-owned, contractor-operated facility. But they only maintain a very small staff here administratively to run the contracts, all the infrastructure, for maintaining the buildings, all the acquisition support, managing the government fleet vehicles, all the IT support. So SAIC is now the operations and technical support contractor here; we do all the infrastructure support. SAIC [with headquarters in San Diego] is the largest employee-owned R&D company in the U.S., and we have a lot of experience in doing this kind of work. As a result we have access to a huge multibillion-dollar corporation and its technical expertise. If there is a complicated issue that we need to give advice on to the NCI we can reach out to our corporate parent and its subdivisions and divisions, and I think the NCI likes that, that we have the ability to get to that. How much was SAIC's Frederick contract for? The base year of the five-year contract was about $1.2 billion, and if you add in the two-year option, that will bring it up to about $1.8 billion. There was a prior five-year contract, and we are now in the second five-year contract. It's an award-fee contract, performance based. We're rated every six months on our performance, and we either do good or we don't. Our performance directly affects not only the money we'll make as a corporation but it affects our ability to recompete and whether we have a status to allow us to recompete. Our requirement is to buy for the NCI ... if another entity wanted to use [us] for their intramural support, they'll come through the NCI. My responsibility is to oversee all of the acquisition and procurement activity for NCI Frederick. What is your budget? For this current contract year, which ends in September... it's about $175 million. It was slightly less last year. We have a little bit more procurement activity this year. Why is that? SAIC-Frederick, under contract from the NCI Frederick and in collaboration with the NIAID [National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases], is developing a vaccine pilot plant within the Frederick area. This project offers some significant procurement opportunities within the construction field as well as for the purchase of scientific equipment. Most of those procurements have either been placed under contract already or have completed the procurement cycle and are ready for award. There remain opportunities for second-tier contractors within the construction activity portion of the project. This set of one-time procurements will increase our overall contracting activity for the year. How big is your staff? My procurement staff, the folks that do the acquisitions, is probably around 45 people. And then I have maybe another 60 people that do all the logistical warehousing and managing of government property, managing government vehicle fleets, buying them, maintaining them, doing the regulatory requirements. SAIC-Frederick as a whole has about 1,700 employees here. What are the specific types of acquisitions you oversee? There are primarily three different areas. One is all the commercial supplies. That could be test tubes, biological material, chemical material that they need, the scientific equipment that they use in laboratories, also including office supplies. We're also contracting for specific research and development-type contracts for development of new scientific products, scientific cell lines, DNA cell lines, contracting a lot with universities. It's conducting research, for breaking-edge research that perhaps the scientific community is trying to get into. It's primarily from large research institutes, lots of universities. We work with some of the most notable universities in the country to obtain certain scientists who are renowned in the industry for the research that the NCI is looking for. So we'll obtain the services of the university to either conduct studies for us, or perhaps they're going to develop cell banks for us that are going to be used in research here. And then we're also contracting for any of the construction, renovation work that is either done here on base for the NCI or perhaps one of the off-site locations. So we're contracting for construction firms, and demolition firms and the trades. That's another aspect of it. Is there any mandate to do local contracting, of a Frederick or Montgomery company? >From a contractual perspective, no, there's no requirement. From a business perspective, it's sort of our internal directive to look at that, that we try and look at that. It makes sense because the issue here is expediency. The scientific community wants immediate response, they want stuff to happen on a very rapid basis. We have to get what they need for equipment, supplies, services ... to meet their scientific mission. So that's where the pressure is, to meet their requirements. So it doesn't make a lot of sense for us to bring a firm from across the Midwest to do work that we know someone here locally can do and we can get to them very quickly. Now, we are held to some of the same issues that the government is held to in terms of competition requirements, but where we're able to we look to the local community, it makes it easier for us to respond back to the scientific community. Do you have mandates for contracting with minorities, women and disabled groups? As prime contractor, our contract includes a small business contracting plan which does mandate that we meet certain subcontracting goals for socio-economic categories. Small business, disadvantaged, disabled veteran-owned small businesses, hubzone, etc. So there have been goals set up for us in the contract that we're required to make a good faith effort to meet and we're monitored on that every six months. How are you doing on that? We're doing fairly well, we're meeting several of the goals ... we're not meeting all of the goals. Some of that is a mere function of the types of stuff that we're acquiring. Due to the nature of the work performed at the NCI Frederick in terms of scientific research, some products or services can only be obtained from a limited number of qualified sources. For example, within the subcontracting area, SAIC-Frederick has been tasked with seeking out subcontracting support for the development of specialized biologicals and initiation of highly complex research and development projects which are not commercially available. Most of these projects are with educational institutions or with firms who have or are in the process of developing a specialized patented product or process. Is there a strictly small-business mandate? Yes. In our last reporting period completed in April, about half of our acquisitions went to the small-business community ... Our goal is about 25 percent, so we doubled what our goal is. Any breakdown of local contracting dollars? We did an assessment last year, and I think we said we did about $7 million locally in Frederick County. What type of contracts, demand, do you see coming for the future? The NCI is basically developing research for cancer and AIDS, and so along those lines the potential development of products to be used in the production of vaccines for cancer and AIDS is what we'll probably see. We're not involved in clinical trials or putting vaccines out on the street ... We're doing all the front-end work on that, all the scientific research, getting it to that point so they can put it into trials. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Fri Jul 2 17:14:01 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 13:14:01 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] Virtual Case File to be partly available in December Message-ID: <20040702131341.D58130-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> Friday, July 2, 2004 Virtual Case File to be partly available in December http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2004/0628/web-vcf-07-01-04.asp --- BY Sara Michael Although the FBI's entire case management system will not be finished by the end of the year, a small group of agents will be able to use a few of the new application's capabilities by then, FBI's chief information officer said today. Clarifying an FBI statement released this week, CIO Zalmai Azmi said parts of the Virtual Case File will be implemented by December, but the full implementation will not be complete. VCF, the software application that completes the Trilogy modernization program, will allow agents to search, analyze and compile case information. A group of 200 to 500 users will be able to use the automated workflow part of the application, Azmi said. The application will replace the slow, paper-based process of mailing case management forms among offices for signatures, approvals and storage. "This is the piece of Virtual Case File that we never had before," Azmi said. "It's pretty much tracking a case and forwarding documents and packages electronically from initialization until it becomes a record." The entire workflow will be electronic, and agents in different areas of the bureau can collaborate on a case. The application will increase efficiency and allow supervisors to track the status of a case, Azmi said. FBI officials have not determined which users in the bureau will be the first to use this capability. "That is something we are working on with the user community to determine where we [will] deploy this," he said. "We have to put it in a community that we can support and train and transition." Once fully implemented, VCF will also allow agents to manage evidence, leads and records of cases. The rest of the application will be rolled out in phases, and Azmi declined to give a completion date. He noted that the technology and the bureau's mission might change, and a phased deployment will give them the flexibility to include new capabilities. FBI has also renegotiated the contract with VCF developer Science Applications International Corp., which has missed several deadlines. The new contract, which is performance-based and includes cost-sharing penalties if deadlines are missed, only covers the initial capability implementation by the end of the year, Azmi said. "It's FBI and SAIC working together toward completing what we are working on in the next six months," he said. "Nothing beyond that. I want to go in phases." From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Mon Jul 5 19:23:19 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Mon, 5 Jul 2004 15:23:19 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] Contractors take wait-and-see approach following handoff Message-ID: <20040705152300.V58130-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> July 5, 2004 Contractors take wait-and-see approach following handoff http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/virginia/dp-va--iraq-contractors0705jul05,0,4970685.story?coll=dp-headlines-virginia --- By MATTHEW BARAKAT Associated Press Writer Published July 5, 2004 McLEAN, Va. -- One might think that a security firm would be among the few companies that would stand to benefit from the unstable security situation in Iraq. But Mike Battles, co-founder of the McLean-based Custer Battles security firm doing work in Iraq, said business would be far better if the new government can achieve just a little bit of stability. "We've already exceeded the point of diminishing returns," Battles said, noting the company has had to turn away business from would-be contractors whose work would simply be too dangerous in the current environment. "We have a moral obligation to say, 'No, we just don't think it's advisable at this time.' " Contractors who have been working in Iraq are eager to see whether the new Iraqi government will provide an environment that allows them to continue their work in the country. One of the contractors' biggest concerns was addressed before the June 28 sovereignty transfer when the Coalition Provisional Authority passed resolutions providing foreign contractors broad immunity from Iraqi law. Ralph A. Hallenbeck, vice president at San Diego-based SAIC, a government contractor with about 300 employees in Iraq, said the immunity provides a level of protection until it becomes clear what kind of legal system develops in Iraq. "If you have somebody accused of stealing, are they going to get their hand cut off, or are they going to be locked up? It just isn't clear, and it won't be until the legal system is settled," Hallenbeck said. Hallenbeck, who is based at SAIC's McLean offices but has spent most of the last year in Iraq, said he is "mildly optimistic" that the government will not evolve into a hostile, anti-Western regime. Despite his optimism, he said SAIC is unlikely to expand its efforts in Iraq right now. "I don't see us becoming super aggressive until the security situation is in hand," said Hallenbeck, whose workers in Iraq are doing jobs that include design and engineering and training Iraqi police officers. One good thing about the reluctance of foreigners to expand work aggressively in Iraq is that more jobs will be filled by Iraqi businesses and Iraqis themselves, Hallenbeck said. "Reducing the unemployment there is the single most important thing that can be done to improve the security situation," he said. Battles also said the immunity provided by the CPA before handing over sovereignty was of crucial importance. He said he likely would have pulled all 1,200 of his workers out of Iraq if it had not been put in place. "Right now you've got roving bands of armed, vicious-looking people out there, and there's no way to know whether that's a group of loyal Iraqis or if it's mujahideen," Battles said. Of course, the Iraqi government is free to pass laws as it sees fit now, but Hallenbeck said he believes the current government is appreciative of the work contractors are doing. "I expect they value a great deal the help they'll be receiving. They know it would be killing the goose that laid the golden egg," Hallenbeck said, noting that only a fraction of the $18 billion committed to the reconstruction effort has been spent so far. Sam Kubba, a Herndon resident and chairman of the American Iraqi Chamber of Commerce, also said he is optimistic about the current situation. "With (Prime Minister Iyad) Allawi at the helm, they've got the right person to get things right," he said. Early in the occupation, Kubba said, Iraqis he spoke to were frustrated by the reconstruction, saying Americans and other foreign contractors were essentially hogging all the contracts and leaving only crumbs for the Iraqis themselves. He said that increasingly, the Iraqi firms seem to be getting a fair shake. "They are hoping there will be less corruption," he said. So far, only about $2 billion of the $18 billion appropriated by Congress for Iraqi reconstruction has been spent. "The reconstruction effort is certainly less robust than we would have initially expected," in large part because of the security problems, Battles said. Custer Battles and other contractors are dealing with an unprecedented situation in military history, in which the security situation is worse after the cessation of the war itself, Battles said. Consequently, private firms like his that are doing work in the war's aftermath are finding an unprecedented danger level. Physical security is not the only issue, though. Allegations of scandal and corruption have followed some contractors. Shares of Arlington-based CACI have fallen about 11 percent since the Abu Ghraib prison scandal broke two months ago, with allegations that a CACI interrogator may have contributed to the abuse. CACI has sought aggressively to defend its reputation and ensure investors that its position as a government contractor is secure. Halliburton, which has more than 25,000 workers in Iraq and has had 40 workers killed since the war began, has been accused of trading on its connections to Vice President Cheney to obtain lucrative contracts. SAIC ran into criticism on its contract to help develop an Iraqi television station. Criticism came from both sides, from those who claimed the Iraqi Media Network was a mouthpiece for the American occupation to those who said they undermined the authority of the Coalition Provisional Authority. Hallenbeck recalled criticism SAIC received when it balked at broadcasting calls to prayer. But, Hallenbeck said, the calls to prayer occur at slightly different times for Sunni and Shiite Muslims, so broadcasting at a certain time would be perceived as favoritism to one group or the other. The Army also was critical, he said, because the military wanted the network "to serve as the voice of the CPA. "For a contractor like SAIC, who went in before the bullets stopped flying ... to then get lambasted by the same government you're there to support, that smarts a little," Hallenbeck said. SAIC no longer holds the media contract. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Wed Jul 7 11:11:26 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Wed, 7 Jul 2004 07:11:26 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] New Games security headache Message-ID: <20040707070834.S58130-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 07/07/04 New Games security headache http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_100006_07/07/2004_44720 --- New Games security headache Fears that the hi-tech baone of Greece.s Olympic security umbrella will not be up to specifications have made senior Athens 2004 organizing committee security officials refuse to take delivery of the multi-billion-euro system, sources told Kathimerini. Just 38 days before the Games opening ceremony, security officials have advised the government that the C4I system, provided by a consortium led by US Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), is not satisfactory. The government -- which on Saturday denied press claims that the C4I was behind schedule -- is now thinking of accepting the surveillance and coordination equipment without officially taking delivery of it, and thus circumventing security officials. misgivings, although this could create more problems than it solves. The C4I system is the main element of Greece.s one-billion-euro security umbrella. The entire project has been plagued by long delays in awarding the contract and setting up the system, and has been further set back by tardy completion of several Olympic venues where surveillance and other equipment is to be installed. A few days ago, government officials were informed that the security system at the Olympic Village, where most of the athletes will stay, will not be functioning before July 30 due to electricity supply problems. Furthermore, government officials and SAIC representatives are understood to be experiencing difficulties in agreeing on how to set up the system in the port of Piraeus, where thousands of officials and visitors are to stay on cruise ships during the Games. Meanwhile, under an amendment tabled in Parliament yesterday, the day of the Games opening ceremony, August 13, is to be declared a public holiday. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Wed Jul 7 18:56:51 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Wed, 7 Jul 2004 14:56:51 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] Athens 2004 Has Security Problems Message-ID: <20040707145601.P58130-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> Wednesday, July 07, 2004 Athens 2004 Has Security Problems http://www.gamesbids.com/cgi-bin/news/viewnews.cgi?category=1&id=1089215058 --- Posted 11:44 am ET (GamesBids.com) Athens 2004 security officials have refused to take delivery of a multi-billion-euro security system, considered the baone of Greece.s Olympic security umbrella. Security officials have advised the government that the C41 system, provided by a consortium led by US Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) is not satisfactory. The government is now thinking of accepting the surveillance and coordination equipment without officially taking delivery of it, circumventing security officials misgivings, although reports say it could create more problems than it solves. Recently government officials were informed that the security system at the Olympic Village where most of the athletes will stay, will not be functioning before July 30 due to electricity supply problems. Also, government officials and SAIC representatives are understood to be experiencing difficulties in agreeing on how to set up the system in the port of Piraeus, where thousands of officials and visitors are to stay on cruise ships during the Games. Meanwhile hotel employees were to launch a 24-hour strike Wednesday to back their demands for an increase in their base monthly wage and an Olympic allowance. But reports say the strike is not expected to spill over to the Games. Christos Katsotis, president of the Federation of Athens and Piraeus Hotel Employees said Tuesday, .we are prepared to strike during the Games period. We will go on strike again and again if hotel owners do not agree to a deal.. Meanwhile, International Olympic Committee officials began a two-day inspection visit of Athens Wednesday. It.s one of the last such reviews before the Games start next months. Also, under an amendment tabled in Parliament Tuesday, August 13 the day of the Games opening ceremony, is to be declared a public holiday. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Thu Jul 8 11:09:28 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Thu, 8 Jul 2004 07:09:28 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] IOC keeps a close eye on Athens Message-ID: <20040708070910.A30525-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> Jul 08 06:53 IOC keeps a close eye on Athens http://afr.com/articles/2004/07/08/1089000256141.html --- IOC keeps a close eye on Athens Jul 08 06:53 AP Key Olympic construction projects have still not been finished with the Athens Games just five weeks away, a top IOC official said on Wednesday. "We reviewed with the different ministers a number of issues we still have on the table before the games can start, mainly completion of ... infrastructure," said Denis Oswald, the IOC's coordinator for Athens. Oswald and International Olympic Committee executive director Gilbert Felli are in Greece on a two-day inspection. "We got confirmation of dates and deadlines, which have been discussed before, to make sure everything will be in place," Oswald said after meeting Fani Palli-Petralia, the deputy culture minister coordinating Athens' preparations. "As we all know it's only a bit more than one month to go before the games start." Most Olympic projects are in the final stage of construction or have been completed, but need to be landscaped. "We are now battling hour by hour to be ready," Palli-Petralia said. "Much has been done and there is much to do until the last minute." The main stadium complex is the key site of concern. Delays attributed to the stadium's glass-and-steel roof pushed back delivery of the entire complex to the end of July. Problems also occurred with a number of venues at the site, including the aquatic centre. A new tram system linking southern seaside venues to the city centre has been built but not delivered for use. Oswald said facilities should be ready for athletes who arrive before the August 13-29 Games begin. The Olympic village, where 16,000 athletes and officials will stay during the games, has also been completed and will be officially opened on July 30. "There are no major problems ... which will not be resolved in the remaining time," Oswald said. "It will still need hard work, but the government is very committed to do everything possible to make the games successful." Also on Wednesday, Greek newspapers reported that Athens' security system could be further delayed until mid-July. There was no comment on the reports from the government or the consortium setting up the system, led by San Diego-based Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC). SAIC was not awarded the $US277 million ($389.07 million) contract until May 2003. The system is part of a $US1.22 billion security plan for Athens - the most expensive in Olympic history. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Thu Jul 8 11:09:48 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Thu, 8 Jul 2004 07:09:48 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] SAIC, Olypmic Officials At Odds Over Security System Message-ID: <20040708070928.U30525-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 07/07/04 SAIC, Olypmic Officials At Odds Over Security System http://www.kfmb.com/topstory27009.html --- SAIC, OLYMPIC OFFICIALS AT ODDS OVER SECURITY SYSTEM (07-07-2004) - Just 37 days before the start of the Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, officials say a security system provided by a San Diego-based company is not satisfactory, it was reported Wednesday. Along with construction delays plaguing the 2004 Olympic host city, there are remaining problems with the security system that will help safeguard games' venues and Olympic Village -- which was supposed to be delivered on May 28, according to The New York Times and Greek newspapers. The security system, being installed by a consortium led by San Diego-based Science Applications Corp., could be delayed because some Greek officials have refused to accept its delivery, saying it isn't ready for use, the media outlets reported. A few days ago, government officials in Greece were told the security system at the Olympic Village, where most of the athletes will stay, will not be functioning before July 30 due to electricity supply problems. In addition, SAIC and government officials disagree on how to set up the security system in the port of Piraeus, where thousands of visitors are expected to stay on cruise ships during the Olympics. SAIC is providing the Greek government with communications and intelligence information to manage security, according to the company's Web site. SAIC support includes overseeing wireless communications systems and surveillance equipment, overseeing port security systems, and providing engineers and other security experts to help out. Greek public safety and military forces will provide the actual security and respond to specific calls. SAIC integrated many of the same systems during the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. Many of the delays are attributed to the fact that SAIC didn't get the $277 million contract for the security system until May 2003, just 15 months before the Olympics. The security system is part of a $1.22 billion security plan for Athens, the costliest in Olympic history. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Thu Jul 8 18:16:46 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Thu, 8 Jul 2004 14:16:46 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] Security command center handed over to Greek authorities Message-ID: <20040708141630.J30525-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> Thursday, July 8, 2004 Security command center handed over to Greek authorities http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2004/07/08/sports1134EDT0268.DTL --- (07-08) 08:34 PDT ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Olympic security contractors completed work Thursday on the command center that serves as the hub for the most extensive and costly policing network in Olympic history. The formal handover of the facility inside Greek police headquarters came as International Olympic Committee inspectors wrapped up a two-day review of Athens' breakneck efforts to pull everything together before the Aug. 13-29 Games. But some gaps remain in the security system. Security experts still need to finish subcommand centers, which are part of a security effort costing at least $1.22 billion. Ongoing construction also leaves little time to fully test the security networks at the main stadium complex and other key sites. "I was very impressed to see the security and traffic command centers," Denis Oswald, the IOC's chief overseer. "Much work has been done ... I am confident the authorities will use the remaining time to prepare to provide a very thorough level of service during the games." Dave Tubbs, senior vice president San Diego-based Science Applications International Corp., or SAIC, confirmed the handover of the center, which includes the delayed C4I communications system designed to link all Greek security forces. The center will also monitor data from a surveillance network that includes cameras, helicopters and a blimp. "As far as we are concerned, we are giving (the command center) over to the Greek government," Tubbs said. SAIC, the leader of a security consortium, must complete about 100 smaller centers throughout the Olympic area. Once all equipment is running, it must be tested before the start of the games. Greece has enlisted the assistance of a seven-nation advisory group led by the United States and Britain. NATO will also be patrolling the skies during the first summer games since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. URL: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2004/07/08/sports1134EDT0268.DTL From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Fri Jul 9 15:17:03 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Fri, 9 Jul 2004 11:17:03 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] Athens' security software headache Message-ID: <20040709111546.K30525-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> JULY 09, 2004 Athens' security software headache http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,10091222%5E15340%5E%5Enbv%5E15306-15318,00.html --- THE Athens Olympics' E255 million ($438 million) hi-tech security system is beset by software problems five weeks before the Games' opening ceremony, a report has found. "There's pieces of it that work individually," the weekly Athens News quoted a source close to the project as saying. The security package, supplied by a consortium led by US firm SAIC, consists of nearly 70 separate sub-systems. It encompasses a centralised command for a network of security cameras and communications devices linking security agencies and venues in different parts of the Greek capital through regional command centres. "The consortium has demonstrated that a venue can feed video to a regional command centre and a regional command centre can feed video to the Olympic Security Command Centre, but has not demonstrated it can be done all at the same time," the Athens News quoted the official as saying. "There are no particular problems with the SAIC contract," a senior Greek police official said. "Possible software glitches do not affect the system's operational capacity. We will present it to the public in July," the source added. Operational parts of the system may be usable with staff, rather than through automatic, electronic interfaces, the weekly quoted another Greek official as saying. "Strictly in terms of meeting the security needs of the Games, the individual parts of the system, operating as stand-alone applications, are quite sufficient. "It may require some additional manpower, but that's really the only impact," the official reportedly said. After long haggling and delays, Greece last year awarded a ?255 million tender for the supply of the IT security package to a consortium led by US firm Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC). SAIC had then promised to deliver the entire system within a year by the end of May 2004. But friction with the Greek authorities led to a one-month delay in its delivery to the end of June. Agence France-Presse From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Sat Jul 10 17:14:56 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Sat, 10 Jul 2004 13:14:56 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] Greece delays security system payments Message-ID: <20040710131351.M30525-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> Saturday, July 10, 2004 Greece delays security system payments http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/olympics/apolympics_story.asp?category=2090&slug=Olympics%20Security --- ATHENS, Greece -- Frustrated by delays, the Greek government has postponed payment on a multimillion-dollar security system being built by an American-led consortium for the Summer Olympics, according to media reports. The final installment of $173 million has been put on hold due to government concerns about whether the security system will be ready for the Aug. 13 opening of the games, the Athens daily To Vima reported Saturday. The consortium, led by the San Diego-based Science Applications International Corp., or SAIC, is responsible for installing thousands of infrared and high-resolution cameras around the capital and Olympic venues, as well as a secure communication and information and radio system for security services. According to the contract, SAIC was to deliver the system by May 28. But there have been delays in installation, which sources at the company blamed on construction setbacks at Olympic venues, such as the yet-unfinished main Olympic stadium. But they say that the majority of the system is in place and has been tested. The newspaper report said that the government committee responsible for overseeing the security system has not signed the final contract papers yet. Dave Tubbs, a senior vice president with SAIC, declined to comment on the newspaper report. Public Order Ministry officials have acknowledged that there had been some problems in the past but stress that the security system will be delivered in time. Companies in the SAIC consortium include Germany's Siemens AG; General Dynamics of Falls Church, Va.; New Jersey-based Honeywell International; and the Israeli company Elbit Systems. Several Greek companies also are participating. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Mon Jul 12 12:02:05 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Mon, 12 Jul 2004 08:02:05 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] SAIC Receives 2004 Frances Perkins Vanguard Award Message-ID: <20040712080019.Q30525-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> SAIC Receives 2004 Frances Perkins Vanguard Award http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/07-09-2004/0002207561&EDATE= --- MCLEAN, Va., July 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) announced today that it has been awarded the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) 2004 Frances Perkins Vanguard Award. SAIC received the award in recognition for its exemplary utilization of women-owned small businesses on May 21 at SBA Expo '04, held in Orlando, Fla. George Otchere, SAIC senior vice president and director of small business development programs, received the award on behalf of SAIC. "As an employee-owned company, we understand the power of the entrepreneurial spirit that drives women-owned small businesses to succeed," said Otchere. "This award recognizes our commitment to fostering the success of small businesses and our appreciation for developing relationships that contribute to economic and business success." For the past five government fiscal years, SAIC has exceeded the five percent statutory goal of subcontracting to women-owned small businesses. The company's commitment to small business development has resulted in nearly a 250% increase in the amount of subcontracting to women-owned small businesses. Frances Perkins served as Secretary of Labor from 1933 to 1945 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The first woman to hold a cabinet-level position, Perkins was a social reformer who brought to her post a commitment to women's issues. The Frances Perkins Vanguard Awards honor government and industry for their excellence in the use of women-owned small businesses as prime contractors and subcontractors. The Frances Perkins Vanguard Awards are based on endeavors to utilize women-owned small businesses in prime contracting and subcontracting programs. The evaluated areas include the following elements: leadership, advocacy, innovation and implementation. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Mon Jul 12 12:19:04 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Mon, 12 Jul 2004 08:19:04 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] Collaborative efforts Message-ID: <20040712081634.C30525-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> Monday July 12, 2004 Collaborative efforts http://www.washingtontechnology.com/news/19_7/cover-stories/23914-1.html --- By William Welsh Federal, state and local officials learn to interact, share information Following last year's SARS outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asked state and local governments for the names of everyone collecting data on the disease throughout the United States. State and local officials, citing privacy concerns, balked at the request. Rather than turn the issue into a bureaucratic turf battle, CDC turned to Science Applications International Corp. to break the impasse. As a liaison between CDC and state and local governments, SAIC brokered a compromise in which the state and local jurisdictions gave CDC the names of those in charge of the health departments that were collecting information about Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. If CDC needed to review the data of a particular region, it would go through the proper channels to get it. "The states' privacy was protected, and the federal government got its information," said Don Nestor, project manager for the Public Health Information Network Certification Group with San Diego-based SAIC. Nearly three years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, federal, state and local agencies are still deciding how best to collaborate and share vital information. Before the attacks, federal agencies often dictated standards and solutions to state and local governments, but that changed with the advent of homeland security. Like CDC, other federal agencies now are more willing to consult with state and local officials as stakeholders in planning IT initiatives. Despite increased outreach by federal officials, intergovernmental collaboration remains weak in areas directly related to homeland security, such as public health management, interoperable communications for first responders and counter-terrorism intelligence, according to analysts and industry experts. "What passes as good examples of collaboration is largely because, in the past, no one was paying attention and the performance bar was set so low," said Tom Davies, senior vice president with Current Analysis Inc., Sterling, Va. State and local officials appreciate almost any sincere federal effort that increases their interaction and collaboration on IT with the federal government. Matt Miszewski, Wisconsin's chief information officer, stressed the importance of aligning state and local initiatives with federal initiatives. "It's easier to work in alignment with the federal government than in opposition," he said. For criminal justice and homeland security, "there is both federal funding and passion," he said. Michael Armstrong, chief information officer of Des Moines, Iowa, said he understands the enormous task the federal government faces in reaching out to 50 states and 19,000 local governments. The federal government may have a long road ahead of it, but it deserves credit for making the effort, he said. "There's been a lot of discussion since Sept. 11 about the need for cooperation," Armstrong said. "We still have a long way to go, but at least we're talking." Large-scale collaboration Just as CDC turned to SAIC to help it work effectively with state and local health organizations, the Justice Department is relying on more than 30 national organizations to help it create data-sharing networks among criminal justice agencies at all levels of government. Among the organizations are the Integrated Justice Information Sharing Institute, the National Governors Association and the National Consortium for Justice Information and Statistics, known as Search. The Justice Department is using the Pennsylvania Justice Network, or JNET, as a model for other state and local governments. JNET provides a real-time link among the FBI, state agencies with criminal justice responsibilities and various cities and counties throughout Pennsylvania. For example, police in Delaware County, Pa., caught a man who robbed a bank there by matching an image of him captured on security videotape to an image stored on JNET. Once the police identified the suspect, they located and arrested him in less than two hours. A few years ago, states couldn't afford systems to share criminal justice information, but they are making dramatic strides toward justice information sharing despite financially troubled times, said Pat McCreary, senior policy adviser with the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Assistance Policy office. "Since the advent of Sept. 11, people's interest in this field has really exploded," he said. The Bureau of Justice Assistance has provided about $20 million annually in discretionary funds to state and local governments in the last few years to help them plan and implement systems that support justice information sharing, McCreary said. Justice Department officials have identified information sharing "as an area that will get favorable funding," said Bob Hickes, director of homeland security for state and local government at BearingPoint Inc., McLean, Va. BearingPoint was the prime contractor on JNET. Although Justice officials encourage states to build systems such as JNET, the department is letting each state and local jurisdiction proceed with its own strategy, Hickes said. The department has tapped national industry and government organizations to help state and local governments find the right solution. One of Justice's high-profile partners for the effort is the National Governors Association of Washington. The Bureau of Justice Assistance provides funding and grant administration, while NGA's Center for Best Practices gives technical support and monitoring assistance. Through this arrangement, 42 states have received planning-grant funding, and 26 have received funding to assist with implementation, McCreary said. These projects range from electronic data sharing among states and counties to jail management systems and strategic planning for justice information sharing. "We did this without a huge dollar investment," McCreary said, referring to the seed money the Justice Department provided to states for justice information sharing projects. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Mon Jul 12 18:18:17 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Mon, 12 Jul 2004 14:18:17 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] Kalido and SAIC Enter Systems Integrator Agreement to Meet Needs of Global Business Intelligence Market Message-ID: <20040712141730.H30525-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> July 12, 2004 12:27 PM US Eastern Timezone Kalido and SAIC Enter Systems Integrator Agreement to Meet Needs of Global Business Intelligence Market http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20040712005647&newsLang=en --- BURLINGTON, Mass. & LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 12, 2004--Kalido, the leading data warehouse lifecycle management (DWLM) software provider, has signed a European Systems Integrator agreement with SAIC Limited. SAIC will support the implementation of strategic KALIDO(R) DWLM Suite projects for enterprise-wide business intelligence initiatives of Global 2000 companies. As part of the agreement, SAIC is launching a Kalido center of excellence consisting of 14 consultants with deep-level architecture skills, in-depth customer experience and KALIDO certification. SAIC provides fully managed business intelligence (BI) services, systems implementation and training for international projects. Now a member of Kalido's Systems Integrator Program, which was announced separately today, SAIC will lead and carry out many future KALIDO enterprise data warehouse implementations in Europe. SAIC is also developing Kalido-trained consultancy skills in the US. Both SAIC and Kalido have a track record of working with some of the world's largest companies. The two companies have already been successfully collaborating on various BI projects for the past two years in the energy sector. This includes the design, development and implementation of an enterprise-wide KALIDO data warehouse for an international management information program, and the long-term support for a similar Kalido implementation. "SAIC has a scientific, entrepreneurial heritage, which makes Kalido a complementary alliance for us. By automating certain data warehouse management processes, Kalido's software can enable SAIC consultants to focus on value-added business requirements of management information projects and deliver these solutions more efficiently," said Laurence Pilgrim, program manager, SAIC Ltd. "SAIC is very pleased to be working with Kalido, whose data warehouse lifecycle management software now provides a business intelligence infrastructure for leading enterprises, which need to track and manage their business performance across many geographies throughout organizational change," added Dr John Sharp, account manager, SAIC Ltd. "We're excited to work with SAIC, which brings a wealth of market sector experience including oil, gas and utilities; vast technical knowledge; and strong implementation capabilities. By combining our data warehouse lifecycle management offering with SAIC's experience in business intelligence, Kalido and SAIC provide a robust management information capability to large organizations, in faster timescales and lower cost than traditional approaches," said Chris Worsley, vice president, business development, Kalido. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Mon Jul 12 18:18:57 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Mon, 12 Jul 2004 14:18:57 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] SAIC Wins Army Research Laboratory Contract Message-ID: <20040712141818.E30525-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> Monday July 12, 12:21 pm ET SAIC Wins Army Research Laboratory Contract http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040712/dcm036_1.html --- SAN DIEGO and WASHINGTON, July 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Science Applications International Corporation's (SAIC) Security and Transportation Technology Business Unit today announced they have been awarded a research and development contract from the U.S. Army Materiel Command and the Robert Morris Acquisition Center, located at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. Under the terms of the agreement, SAIC will provide research and development for items and systems supporting U.S. Army and Department of Defense objectives. The five-year, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract will be shared with three other contractors and has a ceiling value of $400 million. SAIC will provide engineering services to support research and development, limited prototypes, and test and evaluation support for the development of concept and future applications of technology for special customers, to include the United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM). SOCOM's principal focus is to counteract and defeat the growing worldwide asymmetrical threat. "The award of this contract reinforces the reputation for quality that has been earned by the company over the past 35 years," said William J. Kelly, SAIC senior vice president and manager of the Security and Transportation Technology Business Unit. "SAIC is proud of the support that we provide to Special Operations. The U.S. Army Materiel Command and the Robert Morris Acquisition Center have been great customers of ours and we are happy to continue our relationship with them on this contract." SAIC will apply technologies that are advancing at a rapid pace, such as communications, electronics, robotics and automation, batteries, data processing, graphical user interfaces and new materials. This contract supports a wide complement of mission areas to include direct action support, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, urban operations, knowledge superiority and counter-drug operations. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Tue Jul 13 17:01:56 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Tue, 13 Jul 2004 13:01:56 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] SAIC Wins Enterprise Information Technology Acquisition Contract Message-ID: <20040713130105.V30525-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> Tuesday July 13, 11:03 am ET SAIC Wins Enterprise Information Technology Acquisition Contract http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040713/dctu042_1.html --- SAIC New Award Expands Services to the Air Force Materiel Command SAN DIEGO, July 13 /PRNewswire/ -- A team led by Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) today announced it has been awarded the Enterprise Information Technology Acquisition (EITA) contract from the U.S. Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) Electronic Systems Center (ESC) Materiel Systems Group (MSG). The SAIC team will provide enterprise information technology (IT) services to the MSG and Standard Systems Group (SSG). Customers include the Air Force and other government agencies in the combat support, national security and business operations arenas such as supply, maintenance, transportation, materiel management, business information, financial management, procurement, human resources, medical and other areas as needed. This five-year, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award contract has a ceiling value of $498 million. The contract vehicle will be a key element in the AFMC and the Air Force's transformation activities. "This important win allows SAIC to continue a proud tradition of 20 years of service to the AFMC (previously AFLC)," said Jim Cuff, SAIC senior vice president and manager of the Logistics and Engineering Solutions Business Unit. "This contract positions SAIC as a premier provider of transformation services to the Air Force." The MSG expects to leverage the use of commercial-off-the-shelf and other reusable technologies to build needed solutions to include enterprise resource planning, financial resources management, human resources management, manufacturing resource planning, advanced planning and scheduling, collaborative resource planning, supply chain management, customer relationship management, document management, enterprise data and metadata management tools. EITA will provide for information technology services such as pre- development and new development, technical refresh, legacy system maintenance and process improvement support. Members of SAIC's team include Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, based in New York, N.Y.; Hewlett-Packard Services, based in Palo Alto, Calif.; Keane Federal, based in Boston, Mass.; Robbins-Gioia, based in Alexandria, Va.; Main Sail LLC, based in Cleveland, Ohio; Advanced Management Technology, Inc., based in Arlington, Va.; Avexus, based in San Diego, Calif.; Booz Allen Hamilton, based in McLean, Va.; Digital Concepts Inc., based in Dayton, Ohio; IFSNA, based in Chicago, Ill.; I.M. Systems Group, Inc., based in Kensington, Md.; MATCOM/SI International, based in Reston, Va.; Manugistics, based in Rockville, Md.; Mercury Interactive, based in Mountain View, Calif.; Microsoft, based in Redmond, Wash.; ML Technologies, Inc., based in Saint Anthony, Idaho; Oasis, based in Bedford, Va.; Oracle, based in Redwood Shores, Calif.; Professional Data Resources, based in Cincinnati, Ohio; Proficient Information Technologies, based in Dayton, Ohio; Quantrum LLC., based in Dayton, Ohio; SAP, based in Walldorf, Germany; and VCI, Inc., based in Colorado Springs, Colo. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Wed Jul 14 19:03:21 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Wed, 14 Jul 2004 15:03:21 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] US SAIC's relationship with the Iraqi Reconstruction and Development Counsel Message-ID: <20040714150237.C30525-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> US SAIC's relationship with the Iraqi Reconstruction and Development Council Published: Wednesday, July 14, 2004 Bylined to: William Bowles http://www.vheadline.com/printer_news.asp?id=22010 US SAIC's relationship with the Iraqi Reconstruction and Development Council London (UK) based journalist William Bowles writes: The Iraq Survey Group.s interim report infers that Saddam pulled a .fast one. on the US/UK by .conning. them into thinking Iraq had WMDs whereas in fact they didn.t and that this led to Iraq being invaded. In an article headed "Hussein's Weapons May Have Been Bluff", the lie has been given substance by the Washington Post (amongst others) where we read, "With no chemical or biological weapons yet found in Iraq, the U.S. official in charge of the search for Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction is pursuing the possibility that the Iraqi leader was bluffing, pretending he had distributed them to his most loyal commanders to deter the United States from invading." The article goes on to say: "David Albright, president of the Institute for Science and International Security and a former United Nations weapons inspector who has been in contact with Iraqi scientists since the war, said: "The idea of deployment and the authority to launch was very solid. But it's now being looked at as possibly misinformation or that they were playing with us." This in spite of all the protestations to the contrary made in public statements as well as in statements made to the UN Security Council prior to the invasion. And what is this fantastic assertion based on? "In particular, [David] Kay has examined prewar Iraqi communications collected by U.S. intelligence agencies indicating that Iraqi commanders -- including Ali Hassan Majeed, also known as "Chemical Ali" -- were given the authority to launch weapons of mass destruction against U.S. troops as they advanced north from Kuwait." But in spite of Albright.s assertion, Kay.s report to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Defense and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence contains not one mention of any kind of substantiated evidence to .fool the UN. or anyone else into thinking that they possessed WMDs. But of course, failing any actual proof of WMDs, what better excuse to conjure up than the fantasy that the USUK were 'duped' into invading! Indeed, the report, if that.s what it can be called, is chock full of suppositions, suggestions, suspicions and maybes, but nothing that supports any of the headlines we have read since the release of the report last week, aside from the assertion that Saddam had "intentions" (Kay Report), which of course, nobody is able to substantiate. Every key allegation in Kay's report to Congress has a caveat that either, it remains to be proved or, the 'evidence' has been destroyed, or that there is the 'suspicion' that Saddam intended to do such and such. David KayWho is David Kay? Even the most cursory investigation of David Kay.s past reveals that the mass media is not reporting his political involvement with intelligence agencies and his financial connection to corporations involved in 'administering' occupied Iraq. The investigation calls into question anything Kay has to say on the subject of Iraq.s alleged WMDs and his suitability for the position of heading the so-called Iraq Survey Group. In fact, Kay.s connections to the Pentagon, the CIA, ultra right-wing Israeli .think-tanks., a major military contractor called SAIC and the Iraqi Reconstruction and Redevelopment Council, all the members of whom are actually employees of SAIC, reveals a relationship extending back to the middle of 1990s and even before, to Ronald Reagan.s government. A relationship that the corporate press is not mentioning, and with good reason, for in doing so it would reveal the suspect nature of anything Kay has to say about Iraq.s alleged WMD .programme. prior to the invasion. "Under Reagan, he was a chief scientist for the Pentagon as well as serving as a section chief for the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Administration of the UN) from 1983 until 1991. During this time, Hans Blix - Kay's boss - who was a man of integrity, was continually pressured.first [by] Reagan, then Bush [senior] to come up with 'evidence' that oil-rich Iraq posed a sufficient nuclear threat for the US to invade (and thus to capture the oil)." http://www.mail-archive.com/ctrl at listserv.aol.com/msg107176.html Let the buyer beware Kay also has connections to the man who supplied much of the totally discredited information on Iraq.s alleged nuclear weapons program, Khidir Hamza who, surprise-surprise is also now an employee of SAIC as a member of the Iraqi Reconstruction and Redevelopment Council! Hamza has much to answer for and it.s more than likely that the fabled .other documents. (if they exist at all) that Blah has referred to in connection with the faked Niger yellowcake documents, are the ones supplied to the IAEA in July 1995 by Hamza. In article by Soloman Hughes written for GlobalResearch, quoting documents leaked from the IAEA, "Dated July 1995, the IAEA letter describes "two single-page documents, which were represented as official Iraqi correspondence generated in April/May 1994, suggesting the reconstitution of a nuclear weapons programme". "There is also reference to " an additional set of three documents". "According to the IAEA, "a detailed analysis of the form and content of the documents "found a large number of errors and inconsistencies" "The UN weapons inspectors declared that as a result of this investigation, they had "reached the conclusion that, on the basis of all evidence available, these documents are not authentic". "Nuclear weapons inspector Maurizio Ferrero described one of the letters rather more bluntly as "a fake" http://globalresearch.ca/articles/HUG306A.html The documents, first published in the Sunday Times earned Hamza a central role in the US propaganda machine and propelled him right into the heart of the 'neo-con' clique that surrounds Bush the smaller. Later, Hamza was to not only disown the faked documents he'd peddled to the Sunday Times, he even claimed that it was a "fake Hamza" who had done the peddling! And no wonder, as it would have ruined his chances for his entre into the inner sanctum of the right-wing had it come to the attention of the public that he was not only peddling fake documents but also inflating his role in Iraq's arms program. Hamza, who is also a member of the Iraqi National Congress, was one of a stream of of Iraqi defectors, anxious to sell information to the US, who in turn, were anxious to get hold of any information that backed up their claims ofSaddam's WMD program. * It was during this time (1995-97) that Kay was 'doing the rounds', peddling the lie that Iraq had advanced nuclear weapons, chemical and biological weapons programs. In September 2002, "Hamza is brought in by the Bush administration to testify before Congress to whom he makes a long list of allegations, including Saddam's closeness to weapons production, his ties to Al Queda, etc. Despite Hamza's earlier exposure as a liar, his testimony was still taken seriously by Congress and the media, and trumpeted as some of the most compelling cause for war." David Kay and the SAIC Until October 2002 David Kay was Senior Vice President for the San Diego-based Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) when Kay leaves SAIC and becomes a 'senior fellow' at the Potomac Institute for Policy Research, and then is appointed to head up the Iraq Survey Group by the CIA, although it's rumoured that he still holds considerable stock in SAIC, which if true, means he stands to benefit considerably from the US occupation of Iraq and the vast contracts awarded to SAIC. According to a report in the AsiaTimes by Katrin Dauenhauer and Jim Lobe, "[The] SAIC, heavily involved with homeland security projects, has already acquired several reconstruction contracts in Iraq, and Kay and a number of other former company employees are firmly planted in [the] country. The company "has been running the Iraqi Reconstruction and Development Council (IRDC) since the body was established by the Pentagon in February," Dauenhauer and Lobe reported. "SAIC is also a subcontractor under Vinnell Corporation, another big defense contractor that has long been in charge of training for the Saudi National Guard, hired to reconstitute and train a new Iraqi army." And SAIC is also running the recently established Iraqi Media Network (IMN) project, whose charge was to "was to put together a new information ministry, complete with television, radio and a newspaper, and the content that would make all three attractive to average Iraqis." http://www.globalexchange.org/countries/iraq/1038.html Bizarrely, it was in February 2003 that the Pentagon established the Iraqi Reconstruction and Development Council under the "Future of Iraq Project", two months before the invasion, with offices near the Pentagon. The IRDC subsequently moved to Vienna, Austria prior to be being relocated to Baghdad in May under Kay's sidekick Paul Bremer's jurisdiction. "[SAIC] was commissioned by G. W. Bush in 2002 to construct a replica of a mobile WMD laboratory of the sort used by Saddam. This mock up, supposedly destined to be used to train teams searching for WMDs in Iraq, was designed by Stephen Hatfill, the WMD expert now being harangued into isolation and thus silence by Bush's FBI. Last spring, the Bush administration handed SAIC some of the biggest defense contract plums to be had -a billion-dollar chunk of the NexGen business and an unbelievably porky 10-year contract worth over $600 million." http://www.mail-archive.com/ctrl at listserv.aol.com/msg107176.html But it's the blatant conflict of interest that's the most important aspect of Kay's role in peddling the lie of Saddam's WMDs, through his relationship to SAIC ('conveniently' terminated last October) and of SAIC's relationship to the Iraqi Reconstruction and Development Council, which is wholly owned by this US defense corporation! A corporation which also has contracts to supply services to the Department of Homeland Security. This is the reality of the 21st century mercenary, where the administration of an occupied country has been handed over, lock, stock and barrel to a company and also through a sub-contract from Vinnell Corp, another mercenary outfit hired by the US government to 'police' Iraq. What the investigation of David Kay reveals is the incestuous and utterly corrupt, interlocking relationship that exists between defense corporations, the Pentagon, right-wing ideologues and the US/UK governments at the highest level, that makes any assertions made by Kay, Bush or Blah not worth the paper they're written on. With billions of dollars of contracts being handed out to corporations that are also involved via people such as Kay and who try and justify the policies that make such contracts possible, is crime of monstrous proportions. A crime that the media ignores completely. This is the real story, and the media need to be called to task for failing to report it. William Bowles williambowles at williambowles.info From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Thu Jul 15 12:05:37 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Thu, 15 Jul 2004 08:05:37 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] Venezuela Rejects U.S. Ruling on Alleged PDVSA Expropriation of Assets from CIA-linked Firm Message-ID: <20040715080150.F30525-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> Thursday, Jul 15, 2004 Venezuela Rejects U.S. Ruling on Alleged PDVSA Expropriation of Assets from CIA-linked Firm http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno=1310 --- By: Martin Sanchez - Venezuelanalysis.com Caracas, July 15 (Venezuelanalysis.com).- Venezuelan government officials reacted to a decision by a U.S. government agency which ruled that the Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA had "expropriated" assets belonging to Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), a firm based in San Diego. On Monday, the United States Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), a U.S. government agency established to oversee the political risks of U.S. investments in foreign countries, issued a ruling accepting SAIC's allegations of PDVSA's "expropriation" of its assets and awarded the firm compensation from the U.S. government for a not yet determined amount of dollars. SAIC has strong ties to the Pentagon, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and National Security Agency (NSA), as many former defense and intelligence officials serve in its board of directors, and much of its yearly three billion dollars earnings come from defense and intelligence contracts with the U.S. government. Venezuela is the world's fifth-largest oil exporter and its state owned company PDVSA provides about 14% of U.S. oil imports. In 1996, before Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez took office, under PDVSA's slow path towards privatization led by company president Luis Giusti, SAIC and PDVSA formed a joint venture called Informatica, Negocios y Tecnologia S.A. (INTESA) to manage the oil company's outsourced IT operations. The two companies signed a five-year contract that could be renewed upon agreement by both parties. SAIC invested $1200 (twelve hundred dollars) while PDVSA provided all financing for the venture as well as all equipment, office space, personnel and $800. The president of Venezuela's state oil firm PDVSA, Ali Rodriguez Araque, said Monday that the Venezuelan oil company had decided not to renew the contract with SAIC after an audit by IT consulting firm Gartner Group determined that PDVSA was not benefiting from the venture. The Gartner Group recommended changes but according to Rodriguez SAIC refused to change the operating terms of the contract. "The OPIC simply accepted SAIC's allegations without examining the actual facts," said Rodriguez in a press release issued today. Rodriguez said that PDVSA consulted with outside legal counsel in the United States, and with a noted U.S. academic expert in international law, both of which said that the OPIC decision "is entirely without merit". Rodriguez said that PDVSA has offered to pay SAIC its share of the value of the company as determined by an independent audit, but "SAIC has refused even to meet, and has consistently refused to allow any independent audit of INTESA's books." "We have every reason to believe that OPIC's decision was based on prevailing politics in Washington, D.C., and the desire to satisfy a politically powerful U.S. company, rather than on the facts." Rodriguez said. The U.S. government is a strong critic of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. U.S. officials welcomed a coup d' etat against the Venezuelan leader in 2002, and are believed to have provided assistance for the coup. The U.S. has continued efforts to oust Chavez by providing millions of dollars to Venezuelan opposition groups through the National Endowment for Democracy, according to recently declassified documents. "I personally find it astonishing that a government agency such as OPIC would pay out millions of U.S. taxpayer dollars based purely on the self-serving allegations of the company making a claim and in the absence of any certified financial information," Rodriguez said. PDVSA submitted the dispute to arbitration before the International Chamber of Commerce. "This independent adjudicative body will allow for a proper and unbiased review of all facts in this matter and we are confident of the outcome," Rodriguez said. Venezuelan Ambassador to the US, Bernardo Alvarez said OPIC gave up to political pressures to influence the outcome of a purely commercial dispute. "There have been no expropriation here, and there are no real legal arguments to justify the [OPIC] ruling," Alvarez said. Possible political reasons Although PDVSA argues that the main reason to discontinue the partnership with SAIC was based on the fact that the venture was not economically beneficial to PDVSA, OPIC said that the election of Hugo Chavez as President of Venezuela in 1998 "had almost immediate consequences for INTESA." Shortly after taking office, Chavez ordered to halt the privatization process in PDVSA, which according to him was being done slowly through increased outsourcing of its operations, and joint ventures with little benefits for Venezuela but that allegedly benefited economically the company's former executives who later rebelled against the Venezuelan government. PDVSA and Venezuelan government experts have evidence that INTESA personnel participated in sabotage operations against PDVSA during the lock-out and strike organized from Dec 2002 until Feb 2003 by foes of President Chavez to force his ouster after a coup d' etat failed in April 2002. The stealing of software, passwords, and remote control electronic disruption of production, refinery and storage operations, were crucial in the sabotage campaign against the oil company, which brought 14 billion dollars in losses and a historic 28% quarterly GDP drop of Venezuela's economy at the beginning of 2003. PDVSA fired an estimated 18.000 employees, mostly from managerial position, for failing to show up for work for months and for damages to the company's patrimony. It took months for PDVSA to restore production and refining operations, and its IT infrastructure sustained long term damage whose consequences may still persist until today. Venezuelan government officials believe SAIC was using INTESA for espionage purposes in Venezuela due to its strong ties to the Pentagon, the CIA and the NSA. Its current and past board of directors include former NSA president Bobby Inman, former Defense Secretary Melvin Laird, former head of the research and development division of the Pentagon Donald Hicks, ex-Secretary of Defense William Perry, ex-CIA Director John Deutsch, and ex-CIA director Robert Gates. William B. Black Jr. served at Assistant Vice President at SAIC for three years after retiring from the NSA in 1997. Black later returned to the NSA as deputy director in 2000. Pro-Chavez political commentators argue that the willingness of former PDVSA executive to hand over the company's financial, commercial data, and technical information to SAIC through INTESA, shows their lack of patriotism and their desire to privatize the company. Venezuelan officials have expressed concerns about the possible motives and consequences of the OPIC ruling. "We think they may be something big here. Accusing Venezuela of expropriating U.S. assets is a serious matter," said a government official. "This may be the beginning of a new type of attack on Chavez. They [the US government] and the [Venezuelan] opposition know we are leading the polls by a wide margin, and they will need new ammunition to throw against Chavez after he wins the referendum," said the official who asked not to be named. Chavez has described the upcoming recall referendum on his rule as a battle between him and U.S. President George W. Bush. The press release issued by PDVSA president Ali Rodriguez is reproduced below. Statement of Ali Rodriguez Araque President, Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA) July 14, 2004 CARACAS, Venezuela.- July 14, 2004 .- The United States Overseas Private Investment Corporation (.OPIC.) formally informed us yesterday that it has decided to pay the San Diego firm Science Applications International Corporation (.SAIC.) based on SAIC.s claim that its investment in Venezuela has been expropriated. We have every reason to believe that OPIC.s decision was based on prevailing politics in Washington, D.C., and the desire to satisfy a politically powerful U.S. company, rather than on the facts. We have consulted with outside legal counsel in the United States, as well as with a noted U.S. academic expert in the field of international law and expropriation, and both have concluded that OPIC.s determination is entirely without merit. OPIC simply accepted the allegations of SAIC without examining the actual facts. The facts are straightforward: In 1996, PDVSA made the decision to outsource its information technology services. It entered into a joint venture with SAIC, and together they created a Venezuelan joint venture company called .INTESA. to provide outsourced information-technology services to PDVSA. SAIC . through an offshore subsidiary called .SAIC Bermuda. . invested $1,200 in the venture, while PDVSA provided all financing for the venture as well as all equipment, office space, personnel and $800. The venture was governed by a five-year contract that could be renewed upon agreement of both parties. The contract gave SAIC both management and board control of INTESA. Under the contract, PDVSA paid INTESA all costs for services provided, plus a mark up of approximately 10 percent. PDVSA paid each month in advance. SAIC profited handsomely from the venture, earning more than $40 million in dividends on its investment of twelve hundred dollars, and an additional $53 million in subcontract fees. By contrast, the venture was not economically beneficial to PDVSA. A July 2000 report by PDVSA.s internal auditor raised questions about the cost-plus outsourcing agreement. Guaicapuro Lameda, who was then President of PDVSA, created an internal committee to evaluate that agreement and recommend changes. PDVSA hired the Gartner Group, an internationally recognized IT consulting firm, to examine and assess the agreement. Both the internal committee and Gartner recommended that PDVSA not renew the agreement unless its terms were changed significantly. After a series of attempts to renegotiate the working arrangement, and after SAIC refused to change the operating terms, PDVSA informed SAIC that it would not renew the agreement after it expired. OPIC concluded that the decision not to renew the agreement .effectively ended the viability of the joint venture.. It apparently decided that PDVSA made that decision at the direction of the government and for political reasons. That is simply untrue. PDVSA made that decision purely for commercial reasons based on its own internal studies and the advice of an expert outside consultant. PDVSA has consistently tried to meet with SAIC to work out an orderly dissolution of INTESA in conformity with the terms of the joint venture contract. PDVSA has made clear in all these efforts that it would pay SAIC its share of the value of the company as determined by an independent audit, in accordance with the contract. SAIC has refused even to meet. It has also consistently refused to allow any independent audit of INTESA.s books. Such an audit is particularly important because INTESA.s own auditors had refused to certify the accuracy of its financial statements. PDVSA, of course, cannot make a payment based on guess work and unaudited financial statements. Rather than work out an orderly dissolution with PDVSA in accordance with the contract, SAIC sought political support in Washington from various agencies and members of Congress and filed a claim with OPIC alleging that PDVSA and the Government of Venezuela have .expropriated. its investment in INTESA. Neither the Government of Venezuela nor PDVSA was notified of SAIC.s filing or has ever been allowed even to see SAIC.s claim. OPIC has tried to pressure PDVSA to pay SAIC in order to make this dispute go away and to avoid any controversy that might occur as a result of an OPIC determination. But we simply cannot be subjected to such blackmail. PDVSA has a public trust and it cannot pay money that is not lawfully due. I personally find it astonishing that a government agency such as OPIC would pay out millions of U.S. taxpayer dollars based purely on the self-serving allegations of the company making a claim and in the absence of any certified financial information. The OPIC process, in which only one party is able to present its case, is not an appropriate venue for resolving these types of commercial disputes. On April 28, PDVSA notified SAIC of its intent to submit this dispute to arbitration before the International Chamber of Commerce in accordance with the specific terms of their joint venture contract. This is the proper forum for the resolution of disputes between the parties. This independent adjudicative body will allow for a proper and unbiased review of all facts in this matter. We are confident of the outcome. The wide array of companies that continue to invest in the oil business in Venezuela . with more than $25 billion of direct investment to date . is testament to our commitment to the highest standards of commercial and legal propriety. Now, as always, PDVSA is deeply committed to its international business partners and to upholding the laws and regulations that bind us together. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Fri Jul 16 14:02:42 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Fri, 16 Jul 2004 10:02:42 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] Venezuela: Decision Won't Curb Investment Message-ID: <20040716100055.H30525-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 07.15.2004, 04:44 PM Venezuela: Decision Won't Curb Investment http://www.forbes.com/home/feeds/ap/2004/07/15/ap1458487.html --- A U.S. insurer's decision to compensate a California company for assets confiscated by Venezuela won't jeopardize foreign investment in the oil sector, the head of Venezuela's state oil monopoly said Thursday. "This decision isn't going to affect the decisions by businesses that already have a US$25 billion investment" in Venezuelan oil, said Ali Rodriguez, president of Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. The Overseas Private Investment Corporation, which provides political risk insurance for U.S. investment abroad, on Monday approved a claim by Science Applications International Corp. involving a joint venture with PDVSA. San Diego-based SAIC claimed that PDVSA ended the venture after a two-month oil workers' strike last year and fired Intesa workers. Venezuela's Supreme Court subsequently ordered Intesa to hand over accounting technology to PDVSA. SAIC had a 60 percent stake in Intesa, formed to provide information technology services to PDVSA. OPIC, which has a $US15 million contract with SAIC to cover political risk in Venezuela, approved SAIC's claim. OPIC has not yet determined the amount of the compensation. Citing the SAIC case, OPIC spokesman Larry Spinelli said "it's unlikely" the corporation would back new investments in Venezuela while SAIC's US$6 million claim is settled. The ruling could scare off overseas investors, many of whom are already wary of political upheaval in this crisis-ridden South American nation. Rodriguez said PDVSA would likely challenge OPIC's decision before the International Chamber of Commerce. PDVSA "has not confiscated any assets," said Rodriguez, who accused U.S. President George W. Bush's administration of influencing the ruling for SAIC. President Hugo Chavez's relations with Washington have been strained over Chavez's claims that the United States backed a brief 2002 coup against him and over Venezuela's close ties with Cuba. Through Intesa, SAIC operated PDVSA's computer systems until Dec. 6, 2002, when it ceased operations during the work stoppage that temporarily paralyzed Venezuela's oil industry. Chavez has claimed SAIC, which also is a U.S. government contractor, shared PDVSA information with the CIA. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Fri Jul 16 22:18:55 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Fri, 16 Jul 2004 18:18:55 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] Telcordia Pockets Patent Payment Message-ID: <20040716181731.D30525-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> JULY 16, 2004 Telcordia Pockets Patent Payment http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?site=lightreading&doc_id=56296 --- The piggy bank at Telcordia Technologies Inc. got a little bit fatter this week as the vendor pocketed a patent infringement payment. Yesterday, Marconi Corp. plc (Nasdaq: MRCIY - message board; London: MONI) announced, as part of its trading update, that it was to pay a lump sum of $21 million to Telcordia to settle a long-running patent infringement dispute (see Marconi Provides Trading Update ). The payments had been set to be made over a three-year period and amount to $23.5 million, but the parties settled on a slightly smaller but immediate payment. "It was marginally in our favor to do it this way, and these days we have the cash to make that sort of choice," says a Marconi spokesman. That cash position has come from Marconi's strategy of selling off its "non-core assets" to pay off its debts (see Marconi Closes In on Zero Debt ). Although the British vendor didn't provide any further detail yesterday, the infringement is one it inherited when it acquired Fore Systems in 1999, and relates to a Telcordia technology known as Dynamic TDM, or DTDM, designed to allow the transmission of data and TDM traffic from a single platform. For Telcordia it brings in a lump sum that's much needed as its revenues continue to drop. In the first quarter of its 2005 financial year (ended April 30) it posted revenues of $206 million, down 9 percent from $226 million a year earlier. In a document filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Telcordia's parent company, Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC), noted that the decline in revenue was "attributable to the maintenance and enhancement contracts with the Regional Bell Operating Companies (RBOCs) that were renewed at a lower price for calendar year 2004... "As a result of the changes and continuing challenges in the marketplace, Telcordias customers, particularly the RBOCs, continue to reduce their contract spending and place significant pressure on Telcordia to reduce prices and accept less favorable terms on existing and future contracts. Competition for these services is increasing as certain software companies offer competing capabilities in certain areas and several of the RBOCs utilize their own information technology staffs." That pressure looks to be continuing. "Loss of business from the RBOCs or other commercial customers in the global telecommunications market could further reduce revenues and continue to adversely impact our business," noted SAIC. That's one of the main reasons Telcordia is looking to buy its way into new and emerging markets, including the acquisition of OSS firms such as Granite Systems Inc., which was winning business away from Telcordia in key accounts. SAIC's filing also noted that Telcordia paid $66 million for Granite, slightly lower than some earlier estimates of $75 million to $100 million (see Telcordia Shells Out at Last , Who's on Telcordia's Shopping List? , and Telcordia: Buy Buy or Bye Bye ). The declining revenues, and the threat of a potential massive outlay related to an outstanding legal case (see Telcordia Prepares for Court ), have also spurred Telcordia on to maximize the full business potential of its patent portfolio. It was recently awarded a key softswitch patent that has already reaped some rewards (see Telcordia's Softswitch Timebomb and NewCross Licenses Telcordia Softswitch ). Telcordia couldn't say what its patent-related revenues were as this article was published. Ray Le Maistre, International News Editor, Light Reading From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Mon Jul 19 11:21:52 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Mon, 19 Jul 2004 07:21:52 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] SAIC shareholders reject measure for annual vote on directors Message-ID: <20040719072038.L30525-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> Fri, Jul. 16, 2004 SAIC shareholders reject measure for annual vote on directors http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/national/9174340.htm?1c --- ELLIOT SPAGAT Associated Press SAN DIEGO - Shareholders of Science Applications International Corp. on Friday defeated a proposal that would have required directors to stand for election annually - instead of every three years - despite backing from the low-profile defense contractor's departing chairman. Robert Beyster, the 79-year-old nuclear physicist who founded SAIC in 1969, said in a bittersweet farewell speech that annual elections would make directors more accountable to shareholders. Beyster is SAIC's largest shareholder, but he owns less than 1 percent of the company. SAIC's 20-member board of directors urged shareholders to reject the measure, saying its system of staggered, three-year terms ensures stability and a focus on long-range planning. Management at other companies, including grocery chain Kroger Co. and based Sempra Energy, have successfully opposed similar measures. SAIC, based in San Diego, is involved in some of the U.S. government's most sensitive work, from redesigning Army combat systems to bioweapons defense and improving electronic snooping for the National Security Agency. It is also one of the nation's largest employee-owned companies, with 44,000 workers and $6.72 billion in revenue in its fiscal year ended Jan. 31. Employees can buy and sell shares among themselves once every three months at a price fixed by an outside auditor, based on SAIC's operating income and competitors' stock prices. On Friday, the company set its stock price at $37.31, down 3 cents from April. The company didn't release a vote tally on the measure to elect directors annually. Its sponsor, Christopher Smith, SAIC's director of capital markets, said he drafted the measure following disappointment with a board move two years ago to abruptly lower the share price. In his final speech as an SAIC employee, Beyster touched on a troubled contract with the Greek government to build a $312 million security network for the Athens Olympics next month. SAIC failed to meet a May 28 deadline deliver the system. "Problems have been very, very hard but not insurmountable, Beyster said. Beyster said SAIC has done a "tremendous" amount of work for the U.S. government in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan but was pulling back from riskier work. "The war on terrorism has turned out to be quite an ugly thing," he said. "We got into it when it wasn't quite so ugly." On a personal note, Beyster acknowledged the last year was difficult. Kenneth Dahlberg was recruited from General Dynamics Corp. last year to replace Beyster as chief executive last year and as chairman on Friday. Dahlberg, 59, has launched a sweeping reorganization to impose a more traditional corporate hierarchy. Under Beyster, employees say it wasn't unusual for two units within the company to compete for the same contract. David Lyman, manager of SAIC's lasers, optics and imaging division, said business units operated "almost like fiefdoms." "There was lots of independence, lots of flexibility," Lyman said. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Mon Jul 19 11:22:54 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Mon, 19 Jul 2004 07:22:54 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] Founder of SAIC steps down from his position as chairman Message-ID: <20040719072154.B30525-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> July 17, 2004 Founder of SAIC steps down from his position as chairman http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20040717-9999-1b17saic.html --- By Bruce V. Bigelow UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER July 17, 2004 In a poignant goodbye to the company he founded 35 years ago, J. Robert Beyster yesterday told the employee-owners of San Diego's SAIC, "I believe you have been left a precious thing." Speaking in a low voice at SAIC's annual shareholders meeting, Beyster acknowledged "the last year was difficult for me." At the end of the meeting, he said, "I will no longer be an employee or on the board." The onetime nuclear physicist, who turns 80 on July 26, stepped aside in November as chief executive, turning over management to Kenneth C. Dahlberg, a former top executive at General Dynamics. Beyster, who was known for his tight control of the company, stepped aside again yesterday as Dahlberg also assumed the chairman's title. Afterward, Beyster joined a group of roughly 70 employees and shareholders for an outdoor lunch at the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines . instead of joining the company's 20-member board for lunch as he had in years past. Beyster founded the company, also known as Science Applications International Corp., as a boutique research consultant in La Jolla in 1969. The engineering services conglomerate now has more than 44,000 workers and posted $6.7 billion in revenue for the fiscal year ended in January. In starting the company, Beyster said he strived to provide superior technical services at fair prices and to enable fellow employees to share in the success in a meaningful way. "My legacy to you may be a way of thinking of what is fair across the board," Beyster said, "including what is fair to the customer, the employees and other stakeholders." Beyster said he initially thought of creating the company as a nonprofit business, but he found that financing would be too problematic. "I believe you have been left a precious thing," Beyster concluded. "SAIC is a peek into a vision of unselfish corporate ownership, not fully developed as yet, but worth further development." Dahlberg, who described Beyster as a tough act to follow, noted that the founder will continue to do consulting for the company one day a week. Speaking for the first time as chairman, Dahlberg emphasized his plans to grow SAIC and improve the company's ability to "act big." He said the first step was to initiate an annual strategic-planning process. "We need to work harder to become one company with one culture that is focused on growth," Dahlberg said. But there were signs the 59-year-old Dahlberg intends to take the nation's largest employee-owned research and engineering company in directions that Beyster shunned. In his final presentation as chairman, Beyster quietly emphasized that he built SAIC largely through internal growth, rather than by corporate acquisitions. "What am I saying?" Beyster asked rhetorically. "I am saying that there are lots of ways to grow the company. This is the way we did it. We still have lots of resources. You can still do bootstrapping. I don't think Ken will, but I think you might want to think about it." In another sign of Beyster's waning influence, though, shareholders defeated a proposal he advocated that would have required corporate directors to stand for election each year . instead of in staggered three-year terms. The transition may have been at times uneasy, but in the end, Dahlberg was gracious, announcing that SAIC will make a $4 million donation in Beyster's name to the Beyster Institute for Entrepreneurial Employee Ownership. The San Diego organization promotes various ways for companies to structure employee ownership. SAIC also will donate $150,000 a year to the Foundation for Enterprise Development, another favorite cause for Beyster, through 2009. Employee ownership ranks as one of Beyster's most fervent causes. Under Beyster, SAIC became one of the only companies in the world with an internal mechanism for trading shares of its own stock. Unlike publicly traded companies, SAIC's stock can be bought and sold only by the company's employees, consultants and directors. The price is controlled by the board, which set SAIC's share price yesterday at $37.31, down 3 cents from April. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Mon Jul 19 11:24:21 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Mon, 19 Jul 2004 07:24:21 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] U.S.-led consortium sees progress in delivering security system for Olympics Message-ID: <20040719072340.U30525-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> July 17, 2004 U.S.-led consortium sees progress in delivering security system for Olympics http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/2004/07/17/546832-ap.html --- ATHENS (AP) - A senior official with the American-led consortium setting up a multimillion-dollar security network for next month's Olympics said Saturday that progress has been made in delivering its final pieces. "There has been progress. We are working on delivering the contract," said Dave Tubbs, a senior vice-president with the San Diego-based Science Applications International Corp., or SAIC. Greek media reports have said the Greek government has put on hold its final payment of 140 million euros ($229 million Cdn) due to concerns about delays in installing the system and its operational readiness. Tubbs declined to comment on the reported delays in the final payment of the contract, which costs about 255 million euros ($417 million), taking up a considerable portion of Athens's record security budget of more than $1.2 billion US ($1.6 billion). The consortium, led by SAIC, is responsible for installing thousands of infrared and high-resolution cameras around the capital and Olympic venues, as well as secure communication and information networks. According to the contract, SAIC was to deliver the system by May 28. But there have been delays in installation, which sources at the company blamed on construction setbacks at Olympic venues, such as the yet-unfinished main Olympic stadium. But they say the majority of the system is in place and has been tested. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Mon Jul 19 13:10:41 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Mon, 19 Jul 2004 09:10:41 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] Preventsys and SAIC Announce Co-Marketing Solutions Agreement to Promote Security Product Offerings Message-ID: <20040719090959.L30525-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> July 19, 2004 08:01 AM US Eastern Timezone Preventsys and SAIC Announce Co-Marketing Solutions Agreement to Promote Security Product Offerings http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20040719005308&newsLang=en --- CARLSBAD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 19, 2004-- RapidGuard(TM) Solutions to Expedite Deployments of Enterprise Security Management System Preventsys Inc., a pioneer in enterprise security management solutions, today announced that it signed a co-marketing agreement with Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), the largest employee-owned research and engineering company in the United States, to deliver automated network security auditing solutions. Preventsys' award-winning auditing solutions enable large, distributed enterprises to manage security proactively. "Our customers have large, complex and global networks. They face significant regulatory challenges and are struggling to manage security," said Thad Wolfe, general manager of SAIC's Enterprise Security Solutions business unit. "We believe offering a bundled solution can provide value to our customers, helping them get ahead of threats and vulnerabilities in their network by managing security as proactively as they manage other important aspects of their business." The RapidGuard(TM) solutions help customers understand the costs for license fees, maintenance and consulting efforts needed to operationalize the Preventsys system in an IT organization. As part of the agreement, sales teams from both Preventsys and SAIC will work together to help their mutual customers understand and maximize the benefits offered by comprehensive enterprise security management systems. "Too many times customers do not get a complete picture of the costs of operating enterprise class software, particularly in the security space," said Tom Rowley, Chief Executive Officer, Preventsys. "Look at enterprise-class security product deployments and you will frequently see incomplete installations, poor utilization and unhappy customers. Preventsys and SAIC and the RapidGuard(TM) solution set can help customers break down barriers that often stall implementations, so that they may manage their enterprise's security effectively." As part of the SAIC RapidGuard(TM) solutions, customers can purchase Preventsys software and maintenance, and SAIC will offer several packaged services, including: -- RapidGuard(TM) Security Policy Gap Assessment. To allow customers a rapid understanding of the state of their security policies and how best to close these gaps, SAIC consultants will review existing policies against SAIC and industry standards and then identify the gap between the actual and the standard. -- RapidGuard(TM) Security Policy Development. To rapidly improve customers' written security policies, SAIC consultants will modify existing or Preventsys bundled policies to develop a baseline for Preventsys to automatically measure against. -- RapidGuard(TM) Architecture Design. To enhance system performance, SAIC consultants will review customers' network architectures in order to design the optimum Preventsys system and help ensure that project costs are understood and minimized. -- RapidGuard(TM) Enterprise Integration. To rapidly deliver a complete Preventsys system, SAIC consultants will build, configure and deploy the Preventsys system including assessment, compliance and database servers. -- RapidGuard(TM) Business Rule Development. To allow customers to, for the first time, directly measure compliance to their written enterprise security polices across an entire organization, SAIC consultants will map existing Preventsys business rules to security policy elements and configure relevant rules to meet customers' needs. -- RapidGuard(TM) CheckUp. To provide clear, prioritized remediation strategies -- keeping customers ahead of worms, viruses and attackers, and improving their ability to meet regulatory & policy requirements -- SAIC consultants will meet regularly with RapidGuard(TM) customers, post-implementation, to brief them on changes in the security landscape, advise them on the most effective ways to use their resources, and review the Preventsys implementation to assist customers in proactively managing security. About SAIC SAIC is the largest employee-owned research and engineering company in the United States, providing information technology, systems integration and eSolutions to commercial and government customers. SAIC engineers and scientists work to solve complex technical problems in national and homeland security, energy, the environment, space, telecommunications, health care, and logistics. With annual revenues of $6.7 billion, SAIC and its subsidiaries, including Telcordia Technologies, have more than 44,000 employees at offices in more than 150 cities worldwide. More information about SAIC can be found at www.saic.com. About Preventsys, Inc. Preventsys is a pioneer in providing enterprise security management systems for large, distributed organizations. Its innovative and award winning technology dramatically improves network security and reduces costs by automating the traditionally manual processes of network auditing, policy development and compliance, remediation management and reporting. Preventsys is a privately held company founded in 2002 with more than 40 employees and venture funding from Enterprise Partners, Apax Partners and UV Partners. Preventsys is headquartered in Carlsbad, Calif., and has regional offices in across the US. For more information, please visit the company's Web site at www.preventsys.com or call 760-268-7800. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Mon Jul 19 18:48:55 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Mon, 19 Jul 2004 14:48:55 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] SAIC Wins Key Joint Training Transformation Contract Message-ID: <20040719144742.P30525-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> Monday July 19, 1:15 pm ET SAIC Wins Key Joint Training Transformation Contract http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040719/dcm040_1.html --- ORLANDO, Fla., July 19 /PRNewswire/ -- A team led by Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) announced today a contract award from the General Service Administration's ANSWER Program Office to provide distance learning support for the Joint Knowledge Development and Delivery Capability (JKDDC), a key Training Transformation (T2) initiative for the U.S. Department of Defense, and to deliver it to members of the armed forces on a global, distributed basis. SAIC will manage the JKDDC contract from its offices in McLean, Va. "Being selected by the JMO and GSA for this important contract is very significant for us," said Beverly J. Kitaoka, senior vice president and general manager of SAIC's Training & Simulation Solutions Business Unit, part of SAIC's Transformation, Test, Training and Logistics Group. "We believe that SAIC's focus on accelerating the transformation of our armed forces, combined with our demonstrated ability to develop and deliver effective training anywhere in the world, will greatly assist the JMO in its mission of ensuring that our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines have the best training possible, when and where they need it." Members of the SAIC team include Camber Corporation of Huntsville, Ala.; Cornerstone Industry of Virginia Beach, Va.; Professional Solutions LLC of Alexandria, Va.; ThoughtLink of Vienna, Va.; EDO Corporation of Albany N.Y.; and Dynamics Research Corporation of Waltham, Mass. Under the terms of the contract, SAIC and its teammates will conduct the research, development, production, integration, testing and delivery of distance learning-based education and training content for U.S. armed forces around the world. This program will promote joint training initiatives and is a key component of the Joint National Training Capability. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Tue Jul 20 11:06:27 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Tue, 20 Jul 2004 07:06:27 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] SAIC to recoup some losses in Venezuela deal Message-ID: <20040720070543.Q30525-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> July 20, 2004 SAIC to recoup some losses in Venezuela deal http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20040720-9999-1b20saic.html --- By Bruce V. Bigelow UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER July 20, 2004 What began as a promising joint venture in Venezuela for SAIC has turned into an international imbroglio for the San Diego engineering and research company. SAIC claimed that its 60 percent ownership stake in an information technology business formed in 1997 was expropriated in 2002 by the government of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. The company started the venture with the Venezuelan state-owned oil company Petroleos de Venezuela S.A., or PDVSA, to provide IT services to the company. Last week, a little-known U.S. development agency endorsed SAIC's claim. But it was unclear whether the July 12 ruling issued by the Overseas Private Investment Corp., or OPIC, has eased the diplomatic tangle with the Venezuelan government or made it worse. OPIC is a U.S. governmental entity that provides insurance for U.S. business interests against expropriation by foreign governments. SAIC submitted a claim for $9.7 million to OPIC last year. In its ruling, OPIC said it plans to pay an undisclosed amount of SAIC's claim to help cover the company's losses in the South American country. More importantly, the ruling could be interpreted as a warning signal to other investors considering business in Venezuela. "It is very unlikely we would support any investments in Venezuela," OPIC spokesman Larry Spinelli told Dow Jones News Service. The OPIC decision, however, drew a strident response from Venezuela's ambassador to the United States, Bernardo Alvarez. In a statement last week, Alvarez said it was both surprising and unfortunate that OPIC allowed political pressures to influence a plainly commercial dispute. "In taking this matter to OPIC," Alvarez said, "SAIC has sought a political 'quick fix.' What we know of SAIC is that it is a highly secretive but politically powerful company. Given that company's use of political back-channels to avoid appropriate procedures for resolution, I would encourage a full examination of both SAIC's and OPIC's highly questionable behavior in this matter." Ron Zollars, a spokesman for SAIC, declined to comment on the dispute. In an e-mail, Zollars said, "The OPIC memorandum speaks for itself and is based on well documented facts." In its 27-page ruling, OPIC noted that Chavez's election in December 1998 "had almost immediate implications for INTESA," the joint venture also known as Informatica, Negocios y Technologia, S.A. "President Chavez's nationalistic rhetoric directly aimed at foreign investors in Venezuela, and with respect to PDVSA, he pledged to 'subordinate it to the Venezuelan state,' " the OPIC memorandum says. The agreement to create INTESA, signed in December 1996, provided for a five-year service agreement to PDVSA, the Venezuelan oil company. INTESA derived 95 percent of its revenue from PDVSA and was located in a PDVSA building. By mid-2001, there were disagreements over whether INTESA would get all of PDVSA's IT outsourcing business when the agreement expired in December. By May 2002, PDVSA notified SAIC that it wanted to begin formal discussions to terminate the agreement, which had continued under a provisional six-month extension. The OPIC ruling said that on Oct. 18, 2002, PDVSA delivered an "ultimatum" to SAIC to accept a final buyout price within a week or Venezuela could invoke its national interest to take control of INTESA and its assets. The standoff was further complicated by labor forces opposed to Chavez, who called a nationwide strike in December. During the strike, PDVSA President Ali Rodriguez ordered a lockout of INTESA employees from the oil company's facilities. OPIC said the Venezuelan military seized INTESA operations, prevented employees from entering their offices and "harassed" and "intimidated" them. Chavez accused SAIC of espionage and "terrorist sabotage," charges the company denied. He said INTESA represented the "transfer . . . (of) control of strategic areas to enemies of the homeland," and a "grant . . . to the CIA (of) all of the information technology operations of PDVSA." In its ruling, OPIC said such statements demonstrated "discrimination" against SAIC. In its financial report for the year ended in January, SAIC, or Science Applications International Corp., reported an estimated loss of $7 million from its write-down of the company's investment in INTESA. Dow Jones News Service contributed to this report. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Tue Jul 20 11:06:59 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Tue, 20 Jul 2004 07:06:59 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] SAIC to lead team on distance-learning support Message-ID: <20040720070628.W30525-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 07/19/04 SAIC to lead team on distance-learning support http://www.washingtontechnology.com/news/1_1/contract-awards/24069-1.html --- By Roseanne Gerin Staff Writer Science Applications International Corp. won a five-year, $65 million contract from the General Services Administration for distance-learning support for a key Defense Department training transformation initiative, the company said today. An SAIC-led team will conduct research and develop, produce, integrate, test and deliver distance learning-based education and content for the U.S. military around the world for the Joint Knowledge Development and Delivery Capability program. SAIC.s team members include Camber Corp. of Huntsville, Ala.; Cornerstone Industry Inc. of Virginia Beach, Va.; Professional Solutions LLC of Alexandria, Va.; ThoughtLink Inc. of Vienna, Va.; EDO Corp. of Albany, N.Y.; and Dynamics Research Corp. of Waltham, Mass. SAIC will manage the contract from its offices in McLean, Va. SAIC, a San Diego research and engineering company, is No. 5 on Washington Technology.s 2004 Top 100 list of federal contractors, ranked according to their prime IT contracting revenue. The company employs 43,000 workers and had revenue of $6.7 billion for the fiscal year ended Jan. 31, 2004. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Tue Jul 20 14:07:39 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Tue, 20 Jul 2004 10:07:39 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] Axeda to Provide Software Systems to SAIC Public Safety Integration Center Message-ID: <20040720100633.E30525-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> July 20, 2004 Axeda to Provide Software Systems to SAIC Public Safety Integration Center http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2004/Jul/1058049.htm --- MANSFIELD, Mass., July 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Axeda Systems Inc. , the world's leading provider of device relationship management (DRM) software and services, today announced it has installed Axeda(R) DRM(TM) at Science Applications International Corporation's (SAIC) Public Safety Integration Center (PSIC). SAIC's PSIC is a testing and demonstration facility that is used to illustrate the successful integration of capabilities and expertise from SAIC with vendors, service providers, and the federal government to suit specific customer needs. Presented with scenarios tailored to PSIC visitors' requirements in the areas of homeland security, homeland defense, and national security, PSIC staff demonstrates various integrated solutions to suit visitors' needs in areas that include policy, enterprise architecture, systems engineering, information technology, training and prevention. "We're excited to be a part of SAIC's vital network to ensure that those responsible for public safety have the integrated systems and resources they need to make certain that security devices are running at optimum," said Robert M. Russell Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of Axeda Systems. The overwhelming task of securing the country is providing opportunities for companies like Axeda Systems to offer their proven software solutions to assist in securing the nation. Axeda's established success in managing similarly complex devices in high security environments such as hospitals and laboratories, where accuracy and reliability is of critical importance, can benefit the security industry. At both airports and seaports, there is a compelling need to consolidate the vast number of different security devices, dispersed across the country, into a unified support system that can improve the efficiency of security screening through proactive monitoring. In addition to working with SAIC to present the Axeda DRM system to its federal government, corporate and international customers, the PSIC installation provides Axeda with a Washington, D.C., area test lab and the ability to verify the system's compatibility with those of other leading manufacturers. About SAIC SAIC is the largest employee-owned research and engineering company in the United States, providing information technology, systems integration and eSolutions to commercial and government customers. SAIC engineers and scientists work to solve complex technical problems in national and homeland security, energy, the environment, space, telecommunications, health care and logistics. With annual revenues of $6.7 billion, SAIC and its subsidiaries, including Telcordia Technologies, have more than 44,000 employees at offices in more than 150 cities worldwide. More information about SAIC can be found at http://www.saic.com/. About Axeda The Company's flagship product, the Axeda DRM System(TM) helps manufacturing and service organizations increase revenue while lowering costs by proactively monitoring and managing devices deployed at customer sites around the world. Axeda DRM(R) is a highly scalable, field-proven, and comprehensive remote management solution that leverages its patented Firewall- Friendly(TM) technology to enable Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication by utilizing the public Internet. Axeda customers include Global 2000 companies in many markets including Medical Instrument, Enterprise Technology, Office and Print Production Systems, and Industrial and Building Automation industries. Axeda has sales and service offices in the U.S., Europe, and Japan, and distribution partners worldwide. More information about Axeda is available at http://www.axeda.com/. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Wed Jul 21 15:45:54 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Wed, 21 Jul 2004 11:45:54 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] SAIC Wins Global IT Outsourcing Contract From Marathon Message-ID: <20040721114517.J30525-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> Wednesday July 21, 10:00 am ET SAIC Wins Global IT Outsourcing Contract From Marathon http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040721/dcw015_1.html --- HOUSTON and SAN DIEGO, July 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) today announced it has been awarded an information technology (IT) outsourcing contract by Marathon Oil Company and Marathon Ashland Petroleum LLC (MAP) to provide IT infrastructure services, upstream applications development and maintenance. Under the terms of the seven year, multimillion dollar agreement, SAIC will assume responsibility for service desk and desk-side support for 12,000 users and 10,000 desktops, as well as upstream application development and maintenance, global network and security management services and other associated infrastructure support. This agreement with SAIC is part of Marathon and MAP's business process improvements strategy that will further enable the companies to focus and execute on their core business strategies, helping to provide long-term value growth. Commenting on the agreement, Thomas K. Sneed, Marathon chief information officer said, "SAIC offers the expertise and a broad knowledge base that will give Marathon and MAP additional efficiency and flexibility to focus on our core businesses. This agreement continues the steps we have taken during the past two years to improve our competitiveness and enhance shareholder value." "We are pleased to enter into this important agreement with Marathon and MAP," said Randy Walker, SAIC corporate executive vice president. "We look forward to applying SAIC's oil industry experience, as well as our delivery expertise and methodologies to help the companies achieve their business objectives." About Marathon Marathon Oil Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Marathon Oil Corporation (NYSE: MRO - News), is an energy company engaged in the worldwide exploration, production and transportation of crude oil and natural gas. Through its 62 percent ownership of MAP, the company also refines, markets and transports petroleum products in the United States. For more information about Marathon, please visit the company's Web site at http://www.marathon.com. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Wed Jul 21 19:29:31 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Wed, 21 Jul 2004 15:29:31 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] PDVSA Demands an Independent Audit and Arbitration in Commercial Dispute with SAIC Message-ID: <20040721152854.R30525-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 7/21/2004 2:03:00 PM PDVSA Demands an Independent Audit and Arbitration in Commercial Dispute with SAIC http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=148-07212004 --- To: National Desk Contact: Tom Wilner, 202-508-8050 or Stephanie Silverman, 202-466-8700, Both for Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. WASHINGTON, July 21 /U.S. Newswire/ -- In a briefing today, top officials of the Venezuelan oil and gas concern PDVSA (Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A.) said the company's commercial dispute with the San Diego firm Science Applications International Corporation should be put before an independent international arbitrator, rather than be subject to political pressures in Washington. The dispute between PDVSA and SAIC pertains to their joint ownership of an information technology firm called INTESA that was designed to provide outsourced IT services to PDVSA and potentially others in Latin America. "This case must be resolved by independent international arbitration, the course of action that was agreed to in contracts signed by PDVSA and SAIC," said Rodolfo Porro, General Counsel of PDVSA, in a background briefing entitled "PDVSA vs. SAIC: Myths and Truths of the Commercial Dispute." Last week, the U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation announced it had decided in favor of SAIC in this matter and asserted that PDVSA and the Government of Venezuela had expropriated SAIC's investment in Venezuela. In reviewing key details of the PDVSA/SAIC commercial dispute, Porro explained that SAIC has refused to provide for a certified financial audit of INTESA's books. "This is particularly important because the outside auditors of INTESA have refused to certify the validity of INTESA's financial statements for 2002. PDVSA for its part cannot pay SAIC or any entity based solely on guesswork and unaudited financial data." Porro said there has been no expropriation and that SAIC's claim before OPIC was false. "OPIC found in favor of SAIC, but in a process in which PDVSA never even had the opportunity to review SAIC's submission. OPIC's decision simply ignored the facts of this case that were presented by PDVSA." Porro also alleged that some OPIC officials may have had a political agenda in assisting SAIC with their efforts against PDVSA. "It is important to note that the person within OPIC who validated the SAIC claim previously worked at a company that itself had a joint venture with SAIC," he said. Throughout the process at OPIC, OPIC has tried to pressure PDVSA to pay SAIC before a final determination could be reached in order to avoid issuing a final determination in this matter. Porro said, "We simply cannot be coerced. PDVSA has a public reputation to preserve and we cannot pay money that is not validly due." The OPIC decision highlighted the fact that PDVSA suspended remote access to its IT systems during a nationwide work stoppage in December 2002/January 2003 that paralyzed the petroleum sector. "This was a security measure that was critical given the magnitude of the crisis we faced and the risks posed to us. Remote access was deactivated not only for the workers at INTESA but for everyone who had remote access. It was deactivated specifically because as PDVSA was trying to operate its systems, we were experiencing interruptions of service that were being perpetrated by remote access. It was absolutely essential to suspend this mechanism so that we could control our IT operations," he said, adding: "Any security expert would agree with this. It is incredible that OPIC never mentioned that these were taken as essential security measures." Commenting on the case, the Ambassador of the Bolivarian Republic to the United States, Bernardo Alvarez Herrera, indicated that "the allegation that the assets of INTESA were confiscated by PDVSA is totally inaccurate; such actions are expressly prohibited by the Venezuelan constitution." At the same time, the Ambassador commented on the importance of the U.S.-Venezuelan bilateral relationship. PDVSA is an important investor in the United States through its subsidiary CITGO, one of the largest U.S. oil refiners with 13,500 service stations, $12 billion in U.S. investment and more than 150,000 direct and indirect employees, he noted. Ambassador Alvarez continued, "In the energy sector, Venezuela exports 1.44 million barrels of oil each day to the United States and buys $3.5 billion dollars each year in goods and services from more than 800 U.S. companies. There are more than 100 U.S. and international firms, with more than $25 billion in investment in the Venezuelan energy sector and an additional $14 billion expected in the near future. This is evidence that the allegations of SAIC represent an isolated experience and that OPIC's assertion has no relationship to the actual investment climate in Venezuela, where foreign investors can invest with confidence because of a secure legal investment infrastructure." Thomas Wilner, the outside counsel to PDVSA on this matter who is a partner with the prestigious law firm of Shearman & Sterling, commented on the OPIC's memorandum of determination in this case: "This is one of the strangest decisions that I have seen in more than 30 years of practicing law in Washington. There is no basis for this decision in either the facts or in the law. The OPIC decision has no merit whatsoever." Wilner also commented that he was "surprised by the enormous political pressure that has been put on PDVSA and Venezuela from the highest levels of the U.S. Government for what is such a modest commercial dispute. One must wonder where this political pressure comes from and why the U.S. relationship with a country that supplies nearly 15 percent of our oil imports can be held hostage to such a minor commercial dispute." Wilner added, "As a U.S. citizen I am frankly offended to see that our tax dollars can be used to pay fraudulent claims to companies with powerful political connections. How could OPIC have paid this claim when there has never been a financial audit?" Each of the Venezuelan spokespersons, who were in Washington for high level meetings with representatives of the U.S. business, government and financial communities, ended by reiterating the longstanding commitment that Venezuela has had, and will continue to have, with the foreign investor community and to the continued fulfillment of the contractual obligations of Venezuela that are designed to benefit commercial relations with the United States and the rest of the world, broadly speaking and in particular in the energy sector. --- Bernardo Alvarez, ambassador of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the United States: "The more than 100 international companies, including many U.S. firms - with more than $25 billion in investment in the Venezuelan energy sector and another $14 billion in investments expected in the near future, are evidence that the case of SAIC is an isolated incident that does not reflect the general climate of confidence and security of these international firms as investors in Venezuela." Thomas Wilner, partner, Shearman & Sterling, LLP: "As a U.S. citizen, I am frankly offended to see that our tax dollars can be used to pay fraudulent claims to companies with powerful political connections. How could OPIC have paid this claim when there has never been a financial audit?" http://www.usnewswire.com/ From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Thu Jul 22 10:42:28 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Thu, 22 Jul 2004 06:42:28 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] Venezuela denounces decision for SAIC in contract dispute Message-ID: <20040722064143.N30525-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 2:46 p.m. July 21, 2004 Venezuela denounces decision for SAIC in contract dispute http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20040721-1446-cnssaic.html --- WASHINGTON . Officials of the Venezuela government and its oil company Wednesday vigorously denounced a U.S. agency's decision on a contract dispute in favor of San Diego-based SAIC, claiming the ruling ignored both the facts and the law. The Venezuelan ambassador and officials of the government-owned Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. said they would seek to have the dispute arbitrated by the International Chamber of Commerce. But if that failed, which they predicted, Venezuela would seek to overturn the "blatantly political" decision through direct negotiations with the U.S. government, Thomas Wilner, PDVSA's American legal adviser, said at a news conference. The officials were reacting to a July 12 determination by the Overseas Private Investment Corp., or OPIC, accepting SAIC's claim that the Venezuelan government had "expropriated" its share of a joint venture to provide information technology services to PDVSA. OPIC, which insures American firms' foreign investments, has reimbursed SAIC for $6 million on its claimed loss of $9.7 million. Venezuela Ambassador BernardoAlvarez acknowledged that they were trying to deflect the image cast by the OPIC ruling of expropriation that Venezuela was not a safe place to do business. But Larry Spinelli, an OPIC spokesman, said virtually everything the Venezuelan officials said was "totally ridiculous and false." And, Spinelli continued, by holding a news conference and issuing official statements earlier, Venezuela and PDVSA were turning what had been a quiet inter-government process into a highly public affair that is hurting the country's image. Because PDVSA has refused to negotiate a settlement of the SAIC dispute, he said, "it is highly unlikely that OPIC would be insuring any future investments in Venezuela." That will have an impact, Spinelli said, "because OPIC is often looked at as a barometer" of the investment climate in a country. The OPIC spokesman also dismissed the Venezuelan group's offer to seek arbitration, noting that they have failed to respond formally to the agency's findings, which normally would initiate an arbitration process through acceptable institutions such as the international court at The Hague. "Instead, they have issued inflammatory statements... that are totally untrue," Spinelli said. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has been highly controversial both at home and on the international scene because of his inflammatory rhetoric and strong-arm tactics. But the Venezuelan officials charged that OPIC had ruled for SAIC because the research and engineering firm has enormous political clout due to its multibillion dollar defense contracts and the collection of retired senior military officers and government officials in its leadership. Wilner said OPIC's determination of expropriation cited statements from Chavez promising to nationalize "the brain center" of the national oil company as proof that he had ordered the takeover of SAIC's assets. But that statement was made after the company had decided in 2001 not to renew SAIC's five-year contract to provide IT services, Wilner said. Ambassador Alvarez said when he arrived in Washington to represent the government of the SAIC issues "was raised with me in the bilateral political agenda" and he was urged "to settle this matter for political reasons. "As a matter of law and ethics, we cannot compromise what is right for political expediency," Alvarez said at a news conference. Wilner said the ruling in SAIC's favor was "the strangest determination" he had seen in 35 years of legal practice in Washington. "It has absolutely no basis in fact or in law," he said. Wilner said the OPIC decision ignores the fact that SAIC made $40 million on an investment of $1,200 in the joint venture with PDVSA, that a study by an independent business consulting firm found the terms of the agreement were not economically beneficial to the oil firm and recommended termination, or that SAIC demanded payment without a audit of its activities. The increasingly heated contract dispute stems from a 1996 agreement between the oil firm and SAIC to create a information technology services operation, called INTESA. The five-year contract assured SAIC of reimbursement of its cost plus a profit of about 11 percent. But PDVSA general counsel Rodolfo Porro said SAIC refused to renegotiate the terms of the contract despite the determination by PDVSA's auditors and the independent Garner Group, so the oil company said it would not renew the agreement, which ran out in June 2001 but was kept going on an interim basis. INTESA's operations effectively ended when it and the oil firm's other functions were hit by the widespread work stoppage started in December 2002 by Chavez's opponents. PDVSA restarted its IT operations with internal workers. "Despite SAIC's blatant abandonment of its obligations," Porro said, PDVSA continued to try to negotiate an agreement dissolving the INTESA joint venture, but SAIC refused to talk to them. But Spinelli said SAIC tried everything it could to resolve the dispute before turning to OPIC. Now that they have paid the claim, he said, the issue is between the U.S. government and Venezuela. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Thu Jul 22 18:43:20 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Thu, 22 Jul 2004 14:43:20 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] SAIC wins outsourcing contract from Marathon Message-ID: <20040722144247.Y30525-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> Thursday, July 22, 2004 SAIC wins outsourcing contract from Marathon http://www.oilonline.com/news/headlines/business/20040722.SAIC_win.15275.asp> --- Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) has been awarded an information technology (IT) outsourcing contract by Marathon Oil Company and Marathon Ashland Petroleum LLC (MAP) to provide IT infrastructure services, upstream applications development and maintenance. Under the terms of the seven year, multimillion dollar agreement, SAIC will assume responsibility for service desk and desk-side support for 12,000 users and 10,000 desktops, as well as upstream application development and maintenance, global network and security management services and other associated infrastructure support. This agreement with SAIC is part of Marathon and MAP's business process improvements strategy that will further enable the companies to focus and execute on their core business strategies, helping to provide long-term value growth. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Thu Jul 22 18:44:20 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Thu, 22 Jul 2004 14:44:20 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] Army, Boeing, SAIC Accelerate Future Combat Systems' Contributions to the Current Force Message-ID: <20040722144332.L30525-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> Thursday July 22, 10:45 am ET Army, Boeing, SAIC Accelerate Future Combat Systems' Contributions to the Current Force http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040722/cgth045_1.html --- ST. Louis, July 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Boeing (NYSE: BA - News) and Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), the Lead Systems Integrators (LSI) for the U.S. Army's cutting-edge Future Combat Systems (FCS) program, have welcomed the Army's intention to expand the scope of the program and accelerate delivery of technologies and capabilities to the Current Forces. In its statement, the Army said today's announcement demonstrates its strong, long-term commitment to FCS and its potential contributions to the Current Forces. "This is a strong endorsement of our partnership with the Army and our performance on FCS," said Dennis Muilenburg, vice president and general manager of FCS for Boeing. "We stand ready to work with the Army and our industry partners on the FCS One Team to develop and fully implement the Army's plans." The Army discussed its plans during a Pentagon press briefing today. The plan will expand the scope of the program's System Development and Demonstration (SDD) phase by adding four discrete "spirals" of capabilities for Current Forces. It also will fully fund the FCS network and its 18 core systems, four of which were previously deferred. The changes to the program will allow the Army to field accelerated capabilities beginning in 2008, benefiting more than 30 modular brigades through 2014. The first fully- equipped FCS Unit of Action will be fielded in 2014. A significant increase to the current SDD funding of $14.78 billion is required to accomplish the changes. "The Chief of Staff of the Army challenged the Army's acquisition community to accelerate delivery of needed capabilities to the Current and Future Warfighter," said Brigadier General Charles Cartwright, program manager, Unit of Action. "Together with the Army's One Team partnership this challenge will be accomplished." Further commenting on the program, Muilenburg noted, "It makes the FCS program more relevant to the Current Force, underscoring the value of the warfighting capabilities and architecture we are developing, while maintaining our commitment to the Future Force. Thanks to the efforts of the entire Army and industry team this program of unprecedented complexity is on track. "Now we have to show the flexibility to get these new capabilities to our Soldiers even faster," he added. SAIC's FCS Deputy Program Manager Dan Zanini said, "From the LSI perspective, the most important aspect of today's announcement is the Army's commitment to transformation. Nothing speaks more clearly about both the promise FCS holds for the future and its relevance to the Army's situation today." In the role of LSI for FCS, Boeing and SAIC function as a "general contractor" for the Army and are responsible for total system-of-systems engineering and integration, development of the core network and architecture, and identification, selection and procurement of the program's major systems and subsystems. In May 2003, the Defense Acquisition Board approved the FCS program's entrance into the SDD phase. FCS is a networked "system-of-systems" combining advanced communications and technologies to link Soldiers with both manned and unmanned ground and air platforms and sensors. As the basis for the Department of Defense's visionary transformation plan, FCS will significantly increase the Army's agility and reduce logistics requirements, allowing it to go anywhere and to overcome any adversary. FCS is also designed from the ground up to enhance joint operations and coordination between U.S. and coalition forces. A unit of The Boeing Company, Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $27 billion business, providing systems solutions to its global military, government and commercial customers. It is a leading provider of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; the world's largest military aircraft manufacturer; the world's largest satellite manufacturer and a leading provider of space-based communications; the primary systems integrator for U.S. missile defense; NASA's largest contractor; and a global leader in launch services. SAIC is the nation's largest employee-owned research and engineering company, providing information technology, systems integration and eSolutions to commercial and government customers. SAIC engineers and scientists work to solve complex technical problems in national and homeland security, energy, the environment, space, telecommunications, healthcare, transportation and logistics. With annual revenues of $6.7 billion, SAIC and its subsidiaries have more than 43,000 employees at offices in more than 150 cities worldwide. More information about SAIC can be found at http://www.saic.com . ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Source: The Boeing Company From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Thu Jul 22 18:45:09 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Thu, 22 Jul 2004 14:45:09 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] SAIC Announces Plans To Auction Telcordia Message-ID: <20040722144433.G30525-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> SAIC Announces Plans To Auction Telcordia http://www.telecomweb.com/news/1090515849.htm --- The news that Telcordia Technologies (the former Bellcore) is up for sale took the fiber-optics industry by surprise, even though investment house J.P. Morgan reportedly has been shopping the company around for some time. Instead of entertaining individual buyers, the company will be auctioned, with bids due by the end of next week. Insiders say the winner could pay somewhere between $1 billion and $2 billion, for which it would receive not only industry cachet but telecom software and hardware businesses. The winner also would get the recently acquired Granite Systems Inc., which develops software for the wireline, wireless, optical and packet-switching marketplaces. Telcordia spent somewhere between $60 million and $90 million for that property last May. Parent company Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) decided to sell the company for two reasons: It wants to devote more time to the defense and homeland-security markets and, like so many other telecom-centric suppliers, Telcordia.s revenues have been dropping, with no end in sight. "This came as a complete surprise to us," says Colleen Morrison of the Optical Society of America, which has partnered with Telcordia for many years to produce the annual NFOEC show. "It really was kept quiet." Telcordia also is in the midst of patent-infringement litigation with heavy-hitters Alcatel [ALA], Cisco [CSCO] and Lucent [LU] regarding theft of networking intellectual property. These cases mirror one just settled with Marconi [MONI] that netted Telcordia some $21 million in damages. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Fri Jul 23 13:52:24 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2004 09:52:24 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] SAIC May Sell Telcordia Message-ID: <20040723095122.R30525-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 07|22|04 SAIC May Sell Telcordia http://www.boardwatch.com/document.asp?doc_id=56648&print=true --- There's been growing evidence that changes are afoot at Telcordia Technologies Inc. Is a sale one of them? If you don't think something's up, take a look at Telcordia's more recent adjustments: It's tinkered with a more standards-friendly posture, the pursuit of a wireless strategy, and strategic acquisitions of OSS vendors. It's also ditched its conference business and sued some of its largest customers for patent infringement. (See Telcordia Opens Up, Telcordia Shells Out at Last, Telcordia Pockets Patent Payment, Telcordia Dumps Tradeshow, and Telcordia: Buy Buy or Bye Bye.) Indeed, now Telcordia's parent, Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC), may be tiring of it all. It has put the company on the auction block, according to a report in TheDeal.com. The telecom networking and operations company is reportedly expected to fetch between $1 billion and $2 billion, or one-to-two times its 2003 revenues. TheDeal.com reports that strategic buyers interested in Telcordia include IBM Corp. (NYSE: IBM), Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE: HPQ), Amdocs Ltd. (NYSE: DOX), and Comverse Technology Inc., among others. Telcordia adviser J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. has been contacting interested buyers, says the story. The logic of the sale is that SAIC is looking to concentrate on its businesses associated with national security, and Telcordia doesn't fit the mold. SAIC won't officially comment on Telcordia's fate, but a company spokesman did refer Light Reading to stories by TheDeal.com and Reuters for more information. Telcordia is the steward of the Osmine testing process required to get into big RBOC networks; equipment vendors pay Telcordia millions to go through Osmine. Recently, however, Telcordia's sales have slumped. Indeed, SAIC noted recently that Telcordia's revenues were down as RBOCs have reduced their spending and OSS competitors have stepped up. The company has responded by exploring M&A to expand its strategy (see Telcordia's Osmine Gold Mine, Osmine on Trial , and Will RBOCs Undermine Osmine?). Though Telcordia appears to be struggling to find a new growth strategy, the company sits atop a pile of patents and other intellectual property, not to mention a huge installed base of software in all the world's largest carriers. Of those names that have surfaced as potential buyers of Telcordia, billing heavyweight Amdocs is the only one that raises eyebrows. Indeed, it would be most interesting for Amdocs, after having lost Granite Systems Inc. to Telcordia, to end up owning all of Granite and its nemesis, too (see Amdocs Outbid Telcordia for Granite...). Telcordia did not return calls seeking comment. Phil Harvey, News Editor, Light Reading From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Fri Jul 23 13:53:31 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2004 09:53:31 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] Science Applications International is latest lured by contracts Message-ID: <20040723095225.R30525-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> July 23, 2004 Science Applications International is latest lured by contracts http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=73456&ran=163495 --- By ALLISON CONNOLLY, The Virginian-Pilot SUFFOLK Another major defense contractor is coming to Bridgeway Commerce Park, affirming northern Suffolk as a magnet for companies looking to do business with Joint Forces Command. Science Applications International Corp. will lease 23,000 square feet at Bridgeway Technology Center II in the Bridgeway Commerce Park. The company is consolidating its simulation technology in Suffolk to better serve a key customer, Joint Forces Command, a $100 million a year operation that develops combat technology. SAICs Suffolk office will house 85 employees and open in October. Putting it all under one roof is very powerful, said Charlie Venable, who will serve as operations manager of the Suffolk office. The information technology and systems integration company employs more than 2,000 people in Hampton Roads. Though it will downsize its Hampton offices after the one in Suffolk opens, it will maintain a presence there to serve two large customers, NASA Langley Research Center and Langley Air Force Base, he said. SAIC is the fourth defense contractor to take space at the park, and its no coincidence, said Thomas OGrady, Suffolks economic development director. Together with the Virginia Modeling Analysis and Simulation Center around the corner, Joint Forces Command is drawing them in. And they in turn attract other defense contractors. It only makes sense that other defense contractors want to be there, he said. General Dynamics and MITRE Corp., a nonprofit think tank that develops defense technology for the government, reside next to Joint Forces Commands offices at Bridgeway Technology Center I. Lockheed Martin is building a $30 million simulation center across the street from the Bridgeway office park. Others are expected to follow, OGrady said. When negotiations between SAIC and real estate agency Continental Realty Services Inc. began about a year ago, SAIC was looking for only 2,500 square feet at Bridgeway, agent Gregg Christoffersen said. It rapidly grew, which I see as an indication of the importance of the location, he said. In fact, the office park has been so successful that the company is adding a third building. Bridgeway Technology Center III will have 70,000 square feet of Class A office space and should open in 2005, Christoffersen said. The U.S. Department of Defense has been pumping money into Joint Forces Command, and industry is taking notice. Joint Forces Command employs 500 full-time personnel 400 contractors and 100 military. Its annual budget of $100 million is three times what it was in 1998. Suffolk officials say the commands complex of buildings in Bridgeway Commerce Park and Lake View Technology Park across Interstate 664 has single-handedly changed the landscape of northern Suffolk from a wooded outpost to a magnet for luxury homes, retail and defense contractors. And its presence in Hampton Roads will keep growing. At the Lake View office park, which holds the bulk of command operations, it recently added 42,000 square feet to an existing 60,000-square-foot building. And across the parking lot, the commands warfighting center just expanded from 320,000 square feet to 405,000 square feet. Command officials said in May they would like to lease another 181,000 square feet in South Hampton Roads. While Joint Forces Command does not have its own contracting authority, the Defense Department has awarded millions of dollars to contractors for work in Suffolk since it opened in 1997. Earlier this month, General Dynamicss Suffolk unit won a contract worth up to $479 million over five years to develop and test training programs for Joint Forces Command. And earlier this year, VMASC won a $10 million contract to develop a secure, high-speed connection with Joint Forces Command to perform large-scale battlefield simulations. They dont have to build an R&D shop of their own, said Bowen Loftin, executive director. They can use our expertise. Reach Allison Connolly at 446-2318 or allison.connolly at pilotonline.com. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Fri Jul 23 13:54:39 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2004 09:54:39 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] Athens Electronic Security Finally Works Message-ID: <20040723095333.A30525-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> Fri, Jul. 23, 2004 Athens Electronic Security Finally Works http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/breaking_news/9225942.htm?1c --- Associated Press ATHENS, Greece - Greece's top law enforcement official said Friday that an electronic security network for the Aug. 13-29 Olympics has been set up after months of delay. Public Order Minister Giorgos Voulgarakis said the system, developed by a consortium led by San Diego-based Science Applications International Corp., or SAIC, was now operational. "I can say that we are ready," Voulgarakis said. In an apparent effort to dispel reports that the network was not fully functional, Voulgarakis promised he would make an official presentation of the system next week. "Next week we will be able to have a complete presentation," Voulgarakis said. The system includes an electronic web of more than 1,000 cameras, sensors and other devices all tied together over a secure communications network to a command center. The system cost about $312 million and took up a considerable portion of Athens' record security budget of more than $1.5 billion. One part of the system, a sensor-laden blimp that will float over Athens during the games, made its maiden flight over the capital Friday. The security network electronically connects the 200-foot airship to the command center. According to the contract, SAIC was to deliver the system by May 28. But there have been delays in installation, which sources at the company blamed on construction setbacks at Olympic venues - including the main Olympic stadium. Companies in the SAIC consortium include Germany's Siemens AG; General Dynamics of Falls Church, Virginia; New Jersey-based Honeywell International; and the Israeli company Elbit Systems. Several Greek companies are also participating. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Fri Jul 23 14:36:01 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2004 10:36:01 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] SAIC Awarded Shell Smart Fields(TM) Systems Integration and Business Consulting Contract Message-ID: <20040723103416.U30525-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> July 23, 2004 SAIC Awarded Shell Smart Fields(TM) Systems Integration and Business Consulting Contract http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=SVBIZINK3.story&STORY=/www/story/07-23-2004/0002216822&EDATE=FRI+Jul+23+2004,+10:03+AM --- SAN DIEGO and MCLEAN, Va., July 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) announced today it was awarded Shell's Smart Fields(TM) Systems Integration and Business Consulting contract. This arrangement between the Smart Fields Program Office and SAIC will operate at a strategic level, leveraging SAIC systems integration expertise and technology to deliver the capabilities developed by Smart Fields to the Shell Asset Teams. Shell selected SAIC because of its technology depth, its systems integration experience and its successes in implementing programs of similar size and complexity in other industries. "Smart Fields challenges bear many similarities to those of the U.S. Future Combat Systems Program, where SAIC is a Lead Systems Integrator," said Randy Walker, SAIC corporate executive vice president. "Together, Shell and SAIC will pool its technologies to achieve game changing results, enabling Shell's future operations to be more efficient, and provide Shell executives and managers with more accurate, real time information for better decision making." Smart Fields has demonstrated value through the application of "smart" technologies in early pilot projects, realizing improvements in production rate and reservoir recovery. The concept is now ready to transition to operational applications and technologies. SAIC has been working with the Shell Smart Fields team for the past two years and has been involved in several other digital oilfield initiatives. "We are pleased to bring a fresh dimension to Shell and the E&P industry through our involvement in technology-intensive programs in other industries of similar size and complexity. We believe that this relationship is key for advancing the next generation oil field," said Walker. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Fri Jul 23 16:34:20 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2004 12:34:20 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] SAIC's TeraText(TM) Solutions Signs Strategic Alliance Agreement with HP Message-ID: <20040723123341.T30525-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> Friday July 23, 11:20 am ET SAIC's TeraText(TM) Solutions Signs Strategic Alliance Agreement with HP http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040723/dcf022_1.html --- MCLEAN, Va., July 23 /PRNewswire/ -- TeraText(TM) Solutions, a division of Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), announced today that it has entered into a strategic alliance agreement with HP. Under the terms of the agreement, HP will provide its federal sales organization with information on SAIC's TeraText Database Systems (DBS) and how it works with or complements HP's current solutions and services including HP Integrity servers featuring the Intel Itanium processor, running Linux. TeraText DBS is a combination high-performance text database and search engine that provides the necessary functionality for storing, indexing, retrieving and delivering documents or XML-based records across an organization. The TeraText DBS is designed to manage very large, text-based collections. The product simultaneously can collect and make information available in real time while scaling to support thousands of concurrent users. "The TeraText DBS on HP Integrity servers running Linux points to new possibilities in providing cost-effective, high-bandwidth solutions for multi- terabyte document collections," said Steve Rizzi, SAIC corporate vice president. "This agreement provides TeraText with the ability to offer services to an increased number of customers in the areas of intelligence gathering and analysis, collection, as well as dissemination of management information in the federal marketplace." "Government agencies can realize a greater return on investment and improved performance results when deploying TeraText DBS on HP Integrity servers running Linux -- a solution built on industry standards and open architectures," said Jim Weynand, vice president of Public Sector, Health and Education, Customer Solutions Group, HP. "HP looks forward to working with TeraText to grow the market opportunities in the federal and public sector marketplace, specifically homeland security and military intelligence." TeraText technology was developed at Melbourne-based RMIT University, one of Australia's largest multi-level universities. In 1993, TeraText was first released as a commercial product and since has been adopted by government and commercial customers. In July 2001, SAIC entered into an exclusive agreement with RMIT University to develop and commercialize TeraText technology in North America and Europe. The TeraText DBS is sold as part of customized, integrated solutions developed and maintained by SAIC systems specialists. Leading applications include intelligence gathering, technical documentation, legislation management, publishing and knowledge management. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Sat Jul 24 17:48:32 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Sat, 24 Jul 2004 13:48:32 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] SAIC Awarded Shell Smart Fields Systems Integration and Business Consulting Contract Message-ID: <20040724134749.X30525-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> Friday, 23 July 2004 SAIC Awarded Shell Smart Fields Systems Integration and Business Consulting Contract http://www.gisuser.com/content/view/2593/ --- (SAN DIEGO and MCLEAN, VA) - SAIC announced today it was awarded Shells Smart Fields Systems Integration and Business Consulting contract. This arrangement between the Smart Fields Program Office and SAIC will operate at a strategic level, leveraging SAIC systems integration expertise and technology to deliver the capabilities developed by Smart Fields to the Shell Asset Teams. Shell selected SAIC because of its technology depth, its systems integration experience and its successes in implementing programs of similar size and complexity in other industries. Smart Fields challenges bear many similarities to those of the U.S. Future Combat Systems Program, where SAIC is a Lead Systems Integrator, said Randy Walker, SAIC corporate executive vice president. Together, Shell and SAIC will pool its technologies to achieve game changing results, enabling Shells future operations to be more efficient, and provide Shell executives and managers with more accurate, real time information for better decision making. Smart Fields has demonstrated value through the application of smart technologies in early pilot projects, realizing improvements in production rate and reservoir recovery. The concept is now ready to transition to operational applications and technologies. SAIC has been working with the Shell Smart Fields team for the past two years and has been involved in several other digital oilfield initiatives. We are pleased to bring a fresh dimension to Shell and the E&P industry through our involvement in technology-intensive programs in other industries of similar size and complexity. We believe that this relationship is key for advancing the next generation oil field, said Walker. Additional Information: Visit SAIC's Energy and Systems Integration & Program Management sections to learn more about our capabilities in these areas. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Sat Jul 24 17:49:40 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Sat, 24 Jul 2004 13:49:40 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] 'Supreme safety' Athens declares Olympic security system is good to go Message-ID: <20040724134855.E30525-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> Sat, July 24, 2004 'Supreme safety' Athens declares Olympic security system is good to go http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/OttawaSun/Sports/2004/07/24/554913.html --- By DEREK GATOPOULOS, The Associated Press ATHENS -- Greece is ready to spy on the Olympics. A vast network of street cameras, surveillance vans, underwater sensors and a blimp bristling with ultra-sensitive monitors was declared operational Friday, after Athens expanded its massive security operation with more money and a late plea for help from NATO. The security shield developed by U.S. Pentagon contractor Science Applications International Corp., or SAIC, is the centrepiece of a record $1.5-billion US operation to thwart a possible terrorist attack during the Aug. 13-29 Games. Athens has also been receiving security assistance from the United States, Britain, Israel and four other countries, while NATO will send air and sea patrols and experts in biochemical weapons. Alliance officials confirmed this week that Greece is seeking additional counter-terrorism assistance -- a request likely to receive summary approval -- that could reportedly include 400 elite troops from the U.S. "Greece is ready," Premier Costas Caramanlis said yesterday. "Greece will host ... absolutely successful Games in conditions of supreme safety." That's quite a promise for the first Summer Olympics after the Sept. 11 terror attacks. There have been numerous deadly attacks since then, including the March 11 bombings in Madrid, Spain, that killed 191 people. "We have considered every possible scenario," Public Order Minister Giorgos Voulgarakis said. "These include very extreme cases -- we're talking about World War III, things that exceed our imagination. But we are obliged to think about such things." The security network that went into effect encompasses everything from small iris scanners that check the identities of employees at Athens airport, to large X-ray machines capable of looking through entire trucks. It includes microphones listening for underwater swimmers in ports and cameras that can recognize the sound of a gunshot and automatically zoom in on it. Fed into a security command centre, images and audio will stream from more than 1,000 cameras in venues and main streets, police helicopters, spy planes and on an airship that began floating over Athens yesterday. The blimp is also fitted with chemical "sniffers" and other secretive sensors. It will also help authorities communicate with 70,000 police and troops on the streets. The Olympic Village, which opened Thursday, will have police checkpoints up to 3.5 km from the entrance, 24-hour patrols, motion censors and the truck-scanning X-ray machine. Anti-terrorism legislation has also been toughened, allowing police greater powers to snoop on cellular telephone use. Completed after months of delays, the new security system will be partially tested tomorrow during a police exercise to manage traffic between the city's main Olympic venues. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Mon Jul 26 23:24:02 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2004 19:24:02 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] Titan, SAIC grab Navy engineering contracts Message-ID: <20040726192316.V30525-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 07/26/04 Titan, SAIC grab Navy engineering contracts http://www.washingtontechnology.com/news/1_1/contract-awards/24103-1.html --- By Brad Grimes Staff Writer The Navys Space and Naval Warfare Systems command has awarded a pair of IT-related contracts that are potentially worth more than $177 million, according to a Defense Department statement. Titan Corp. received a $28.1 million contract to provide engineering services for parts of the Navys C4ISR (command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) systems and other command control networks. Services include systems engineering, program management support, integrated logistics, configuration data management and security support. Four one-year options could bring the total value of the San Diego companys contract to $149.2 million, according to the Defense Department. A second Spawar award went to Science Applications International Corp. of San Diego. The $10.4 million indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract is for engineering and support of tactical data link systems. If the contracts three option periods are exercised, it is worth about $26.3 million, the Defense Department said. Titan is No. 9 on Washington Technologys 2004 Top 100 list with $933.1 million in federal prime contracting revenue. SAIC ranks No. 5 with $2.9 billion. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Wed Jul 28 15:17:19 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2004 11:17:19 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] SAIC Awarded Adolescent Substance Abuse Counseling Service Contract Message-ID: <20040728111626.P30525-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> Wednesday July 28, 10:02 am ET SAIC Awarded Adolescent Substance Abuse Counseling Service Contract http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040728/dcw013_1.html --- The Corporation has Managed ASACS Program for 17 Years SAN DIEGO and MCLEAN, Va., July 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) today announced they have been awarded a contract to provide adolescent substance abuse counseling services to military teens and their families stationed overseas. This includes locations in Germany, England, Italy, Spain, Holland, Belgium, Japan and Korea. In addition, these counseling services also are provided in Alaska and Hawaii. The five-year, time and materials contract has a one-year base value of $9,175,518. If the remaining four option years are fully exercised, the total value of the contract is estimated at $49 million. "Military teens are under tremendous stress today," said Patrick Bannister, SAIC senior vice president and ASACS project director. "The pressure of deployment and reintegration is intense. The uncertainty of having one or more of your parents stationed in Iraq, along with the possible extension of their tours of duty can create a severe emotional impact with these young adults. Finally, having the family adjust back to normal upon their return has proven very stressful." The Adolescent Substance Abuse Counseling Services (ASACS) program provides prevention, education, identification and referral and outpatient treatment services to active duty U.S. military dependents and their families throughout Europe and the Pacific-Rim. SAIC developed and has managed the ASACS program since its inception in 1987. Initially, the program was designed for the U.S. Army. Subsequently, the Air Force, Navy and Marines all have sought these services. ASACS is a unique treatment program since its counselors proactively reach out and try to locate teens needing assistance. The concept of the program encourages early intervention with parents and teens before a situation can escalate to a crisis level in a particular family. Subsequently, SAIC works with command, military police, schools and medical staffs to quickly identify those needing help. "For many of the parents, the adolescent they left behind is quite a different person than they were 15 months ago," added Bannister. Many parents missed important milestones in their lives such as their teen's graduation from high school. Through the ASACS program we try to be there for all of these times." From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Wed Jul 28 22:04:49 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2004 18:04:49 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] (no subject) Message-ID: <20040728180402.O30525-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> JULY 28, 2004 Source: Telcordia Sends Out Feelers http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?site=lightreading&doc_id=56944 --- Telcordia Technologies Inc. CEO Matt Desch tried to keep his staff motivated and placated this week with an internal Webcast to employees, sources close to the company say. Unfortunately, as Telcordia is in the midst of shopping for a buyer and watching its business go through a tough transformation, the pep talk doesn't appear to be working. Desch's decision to broadcast a "State of the Union" address came after last week's news that Telcordia's parent, Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC), was looking to offload its progeny (see SAIC May Sell Telcordia and Analyst Hears Telcordia Rumblings ). Our main source, who communicated under the condition of anonymity, tells Light Reading that staff morale is at an "all time low" following the loss of nearly 6,000 jobs at Telcordia during the past few years. But confirmation Telcordia may soon have a new owner "just drove it further down." According to that source, the CEO told staff he felt the need to respond to last week's news outing. Desch confessed that SAIC and Telcordia have indeed started looking for a "new owner" or "partner." However, the CEO also said that reports of an imminent auction for the company were "simplistic and misleading." Instead, Desch says a "descriptive memo" detailing historical performance and the company's goals and objectives, had been created and sent to a number of potential suitors, but that no negotiations had yet taken place, according to our source. Talks are due within the next month, said the CEO. While Telcordia focuses discussion on how its fate will affect its customer base, employees have a different concern. "Everyone is wondering what will happen to our jobs," says our insider. Desch told staff that finding a new owner would be "a great thing" for the company, according to our source who viewed the Webcast. Indeed, Telcordia is fighting a losing battle against its bottom line, with revenues drifting down on a quarterly and annual basis. For example, in the first quarter (ended April 30, 2004) of its 2005 financial year, revenues totaled $206 million, down 9 percent from $226 million for the same period a year earlier. And during that first quarter, the company took a $2 million charge against the "involuntary workforce reductions of 76 employees." Not everyone thinks that having a new owner would be detrimental to Telcordia. Another source inside the company, who confirmed that the Webcast had taken place, said cutting loose from SAIC, which is "an incredibly risk-averse company," could be "liberating" for Telcordia. That source says the current Telcordia management is being stifled by SAIC and is pushing the OSS firm as close to the edge as its board will allow. A sector sale could be "a blessing" for Telcordia, says source B. As Telcordia's staff await the next Webcast, some of the newest members will be hoping that the online gremlins stay away next time, so they can get the latest news from the horse's mouth (so to speak). One source tells us that, due to a glitch with security settings, some of Telcordia's European contingent who joined as part of the recent Granite Systems acquisition were denied access to the Webcast (see Telcordia Shells Out at Last ). Telcordia, perhaps not surprisingly, declined to comment on anything. Anything at all. . Phil Harvey, News Editor, and Ray Le Maistre, International News Editor, Light Reading From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Wed Jul 28 22:05:19 2004 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (saic at vision.moundalexis.com) Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2004 18:05:19 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [saic] Source: Telcordia Sends Out Feelers Message-ID: <20040728180500.I30525-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> JULY 28, 2004 Source: Telcordia Sends Out Feelers http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?site=lightreading&doc_id=56944 --- Telcordia Technologies Inc. CEO Matt Desch tried to keep his staff motivated and placated this week with an internal Webcast to employees, sources close to the company say. Unfortunately, as Telcordia is in the midst of shopping for a buyer and watching its business go through a tough transformation, the pep talk doesn't appear to be working. Desch's decision to broadcast a "State of the Union" address came after last week's news that Telcordia's parent, Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC), was looking to offload its progeny (see SAIC May Sell Telcordia and Analyst Hears Telcordia Rumblings ). Our main source, who communicated under the condition of anonymity, tells Light Reading that staff morale is at an "all time low" following the loss of nearly 6,000 jobs at Telcordia during the past few years. But confirmation Telcordia may soon have a new owner "just drove it further down." According to that source, the CEO told staff he felt the need to respond to last week's news outing. Desch confessed that SAIC and Telcordia have indeed started looking for a "new owner" or "partner." However, the CEO also said that reports of an imminent auction for the company were "simplistic and misleading." Instead, Desch says a "descriptive memo" detailing historical performance and the company's goals and objectives, had been created and sent to a number of potential suitors, but that no negotiations had yet taken place, according to our source. Talks are due within the next month, said the CEO. While Telcordia focuses discussion on how its fate will affect its customer base, employees have a different concern. "Everyone is wondering what will happen to our jobs," says our insider. Desch told staff that finding a new owner would be "a great thing" for the company, according to our source who viewed the Webcast. Indeed, Telcordia is fighting a losing battle against its bottom line, with revenues drifting down on a quarterly and annual basis. For example, in the first quarter (ended April 30, 2004) of its 2005 financial year, revenues totaled $206 million, down 9 percent from $226 million for the same period a year earlier. And during that first quarter, the company took a $2 million charge against the "involuntary workforce reductions of 76 employees." Not everyone thinks that having a new owner would be detrimental to Telcordia. Another source inside the company, who confirmed that the Webcast had taken place, said cutting loose from SAIC, which is "an incredibly risk-averse company," could be "liberating" for Telcordia. That source says the current Telcordia management is being stifled by SAIC and is pushing the OSS firm as close to the edge as its board will allow. A sector sale could be "a blessing" for Telcordia, says source B. As Telcordia's staff await the next Webcast, some of the newest members will be hoping that the online gremlins stay away next time, so they can get the latest news from the horse's mouth (so to speak). One source tells us that, due to a glitch with security settings, some of Telcordia's European contingent who joined as part of the recent Granite Systems acquisition were denied access to the Webcast (see Telcordia Shells Out at Last ). Telcordia, perhaps not surprisingly, declined to comment on anything. Anything at all. . Phil Harvey, News Editor, and Ray Le Maistre, International News Editor, Light Reading