From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Mon Jan 1 14:56:33 2007 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily SAIC News) Date: Mon, 1 Jan 2007 09:56:33 -0500 (EST) Subject: [saic] SAIC to Put Attack-Simulation Tools on the Web Message-ID: <20070101095625.V2973-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 1 January 2007 ; Washington Post SAIC to Put Attack-Simulation Tools on the Web http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/31/AR2006123100801.html --- By Doug Beizer Special to The Washington Post Page D04 With the motto "Making the World Safer," the Defense Threat Reduction Agency uses computer models to play out doomsday scenarios, forecasting what might happen if an attack were launched and what could be done to minimize its effects. The models cover biological, chemical, nuclear and other kinds of weapons. San Diego-based Science Applications International Corp. won a contract worth up to $53.9 million from the agency to put modeling and simulation tools on the Web for first responders and government agencies. The system of computer models, called the Integrated Weapons of Mass Destruction Toolset, has been in development since 2004. Making the tools adhere to Web-based standards is a key part of the contract, said Michael Chagnon, a senior vice president with SAIC. "So anybody that has a Web browser, a laptop, connectivity and permission would be able to access these tools to do their job. And those types of users would include war fighters or could include civil first responders as well." The agency builds physics-based models to simulate situations such as particle dispersion. In a nuclear detonation model, for example, conditions such as winds, terrain and the location of the device are taken into account. The model shows how the radiation would spread and indicates how that could affect people. Similar modeling tools would show how a plume of chemicals might disperse. "First responders could use that information to determine exactly what type of medical response would be required and the number of people that might be affected," Chagnon said. "So it's being able to publish data that could be of use to others, as well as being able to subscribe to data -- such as weather data updates -- that would enable the toolset to make more up-to-date calculations as well." War fighters can use the tools to predict the possible effects of various kinds of attacks on U.S. and allied troops and help determine how troops should be moved or what precautions they should take. The tools run on a suite of classified and unclassified servers. The toolset is also available on a laptop in case a potential user does not have connectivity. The data from that laptop can later be synchronized with the servers. Under the new contract, SAIC will further refine standards in the toolset's architecture to make it available to a wider variety of computer systems. "That interoperation with other systems and the ability to share information with other systems is the key to enhancing the value and the utility of the tool suite," Chagnon said. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Mon Jan 1 14:58:46 2007 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily SAIC News) Date: Mon, 1 Jan 2007 09:58:46 -0500 (EST) Subject: [saic] SAIC employees can start selling shares in January Message-ID: <20070101095837.W2973-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 1 January 2007 ; Orlando Sentinel SAIC employees can start selling shares in January http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-tech0107jan01,0,4198802.story --- BY Richard Burnett Sentinel Staff Writer For Science Applications International Corp., the 43,000-shareholder question is this: Will they or won't they? In January, employee-shareholders in the San Diego-based defense contractor will have the opportunity to sell their shares for the first time since the company, known as SAIC, went public in October. Until this month, the shares have been "locked up" as the rules of initial public offerings prohibited employees from selling their stock. When the ban is lifted, about 140 million shares representing more than $2.5 billion in wealth will be fair game for the open market. Experts speculate it could turn into a cash bonanza for SAIC's 43,000 employees, who work at sites across the country -- including Orlando, where SAIC has a military training technology division. The potential for a bear-run on SAIC's stock, as unlikely as it may seem, has made Wall Street nervous about SAIC. Defense stock analysts have put out the caution flag, rating the stock neutral or "hold." Since its IPO price of $18, SAIC has risen as high as $21 a share, but in recent weeks has fallen as low as $17.21 a share. Analysts say even a minor sell-off by employee-shareholders could trigger more reaction in the market. "Widescale selling is not expected, but certain shareholders will undoubtedly look to cash out," said Ryan Fuhrmann, a contributor to The Motley Fool Stock Advisory Service, based in Alexandria, Va. "That could put pressure on the stock price." That's not the only thing making analysts nervous about SAIC. In the near future, the company is scheduled to make a huge special dividend payment of $2.45 billion to its employees and shareholders -- a move that will make a huge dent in SAIC's cash reserve. Still, the consensus is SAIC must get such high-priced "items" out of the way so the basic, positive fundamentals of the company can take over. The company has received good marks for its revenue growth, profitability, cost management and defense contract win rates. With annual revenues of $8 billion, SAIC dominates its sector as a "pure-play" information technology services provider for the federal government, according to recent research reports from Wachovia Capital Markets and Banc of America Securities. The company is in a strong position to benefit from future growth of military and nonmilitary spending on information technology, they said. However, the firms were cautious about short-term prospects for SAIC's stock. They noted, for example, that military spending on information technology has been sluggish as funds have been diverted to the war effort. "We remain very positive on the franchise and earnings outlook for SAIC," wrote Wachovia analyst Edward S. Caso Jr. "But we believe the shares are fully valued at this time." Since establishing its Central Florida operation in the 1980s, SAIC has become a prominent contractor in the nation's military training simulator industry. SAIC's Orlando unit, based in Central Florida Research Park, employs 450 locally in the design and implementation of computer systems for simulation training and other government work. In 2007, SAIC plans to finish building a new facility in the research park to consolidate local operations and add another 50 jobs to its work force. SAIC was founded in San Diego in 1969 and currently employs close to 5,000 people in San Diego. Among other things, the company has more than 9,000 active government contracts and counts the Army, Central Intelligence Agency and National Security Administration among its biggest customers. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Wed Jan 3 12:22:52 2007 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily SAIC News) Date: Wed, 3 Jan 2007 07:22:52 -0500 (EST) Subject: [saic] Wall St. watching SAIC's workers Message-ID: <20070103072244.B2973-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 3 January 2007 ; San Diego Union-Tribune Wall St. watching SAIC's workers http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20070103-9999-1b3saic.html --- Employees now free to sell preferred stock By Bruce V. Bigelow UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER January 3, 2007 One of the biggest questions that many Wall Street traders have about SAIC could be answered today. Once the opening bell rings this morning at the New York Stock Exchange, SAIC's employee stockholders will be free to sell roughly 100 million preferred shares in the San Diego defense contractor. The block represents more than 30 percent of the outstanding preferred shares in the company, also known as Science Applications International Corp. It also exceeds the 86.25 million shares of common stock at the company's initial public offering. Widespread selling by employee shareholders could push the price of SAIC shares lower, and some analysts fret that it also might unleash a broader market sell-off. So the big question that many Wall Street investors have about SAIC's employee owners is, to paraphrase The Clash, will they stay or will they go? "There's a huge overhang, and you just don't know when or how it will hit -- you just don't," said Laura Lederman, an analyst for William Blair & Co. in Chicago. In documents filed in October, SAIC explained that the 100 million preferred shares were subject to the Pension Protection Act of 2006. Under the new federal law, SAIC employees who own their company's stock in their retirement plans can sell their preferred shares or diversify into other types of investments offered by the plan on Jan. 1. In response to questions about the potential stock sale, SAIC spokesman Ron Zollars released a statement: "Because of the New Year's holiday and the national day of mourning for President Ford, the first date that those shares of (SAIC) stock may be sold by retirement plan participants in the public markets is Jan. 3, 2007." The preferred shares, which are not publicly traded, must first be converted to common shares, which trade on the NYSE under the ticker symbol SAI. SAIC created the preferred shares, which carry preferential voting rights of 10-to-1, as a way to continue SAIC's legacy as an employee-owned company. Only current and former SAIC employees hold preferred shares. Yet SAIC noted that an additional block of SAIC stock that was "locked up" under restrictions governing the company's IPO also can be sold as of Jan. 11. This additional block, which is held by employee stockholders outside their retirement plan, amounts to roughly 40 million shares. In its statement, SAIC noted that the expiration of lockup restrictions "only (provides) an opportunity to sell stock and (does) not require any stockholder to sell." Under the gradual phaseout of the IPO lockup restrictions, an additional 40 million shares can be sold in April, 180 days after the IPO. An additional 58 million shares can be sold 270 days after the IPO, and 58 million shares can be sold 360 days after the IPO. "Mitigating the risk that employees will sell their holdings is that they were able to liquidate their shares four times a year before the IPO," Lederman wrote in November. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Fri Jan 5 12:23:33 2007 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily SAIC News) Date: Fri, 5 Jan 2007 07:23:33 -0500 (EST) Subject: [saic] SAIC to support Army chemical materials agency in $250M contract Message-ID: <20070105072321.T2973-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 5 January 2007 ; Washington Business Journal SAIC to support Army chemical materials agency in $250M contract http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2007/01/01/daily24.html --- SAIC, an engineering and research company, was awarded a contract Thursday worth up to $250 million from the Army Research and Development Command Acquisition Center. The company will provide program management, integration and site services for the Army's Chemical Materials Agency at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., which develops technologies to store and eliminate chemical weapons. SAIC, which is based in San Diego and has its regional headquarters in McLean, says the contract will run for five years if all options are met. The company (NYSE: SAI) has been supporting the Chemical Materials Agency for more than 15 years, SAIC officials say. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Fri Jan 5 22:26:44 2007 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily SAIC News) Date: Fri, 5 Jan 2007 17:26:44 -0500 (EST) Subject: [saic] OSI Systems unit settles suit with SAIC Message-ID: <20070105172638.L2973-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 5 January 2007 ; Business Week OSI Systems unit settles suit with SAIC http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8MF5JNG1.htm --- HAWTHORNE, Calif. -- OSI Systems Inc., which provides electronics for health care and government uses, said Friday its Rapiscan Systems unit settled a patent lawsuit with defense contractor SAIC Inc. In the lawsuit, SAIC claimed that Rapiscan's Gamma-ray based cargo inspection systems infringed one of its patents. OSI said Rapiscan considered the allegations "meritless" and "wrongfully made for improper purposes." As part of the settlement, SAIC agreed to never allege that Rapiscan's current and future cargo inspection products infringe its patent. Both parties agreed not to allege that each others' current and future Gamma-ray based inspection systems infringe on any existing or pending patents. The settlement also includes a general release of claims. "We have consistently maintained that SAIC's patent infringement claims were baseless. As such, Rapiscan has agreed to this settlement on the basis that it vindicates our position in the fullest measure," Rapiscan President Ajay Mehra said in a statement. A representative for SAIC could not be immediately reached. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Wed Jan 10 12:30:44 2007 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily SAIC News) Date: Wed, 10 Jan 2007 07:30:44 -0500 (EST) Subject: [saic] SAIC Awarded DHS Contract for New VACIS(R) P7500 High-Energy Container Inspection Systems Message-ID: <20070110073034.K2973-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 10 January 2007 ; Yahoo (PR Newswire) SAIC Awarded DHS Contract for New VACIS(R) P7500 High-Energy Container Inspection Systems http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/070109/dctu003.html?.v=88 --- SAN DIEGO and MCLEAN, Va., Jan. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Science Applications International Corporation (NYSE: SAI - News) today announced a contract from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Customs and Border Protection, to install three VACIS(R) P7500 container inspection systems in support of the Secure Freight Initiative international pilot program. SAIC's VACIS(R) P7500 inspection system is a compact, high-energy X-ray- based portal container inspection system designed to image dense cargo in high-volume throughput operations. SAIC's patented drive-through technology scans only the cargo, allowing drivers to safely drive through the access control area during scanning operations, enhancing throughput and operational simplicity. The VACIS(R) P7500 imaging system can scan up to 150 containers per hour in free-flow operation (depending on operator training and other conditions). "Our ability to provide screening in support of the 100 percent goal for freight bound for the U.S. is key to enhancing national security without compromising supply chain efficiencies," said Alex Preston, SAIC senior vice president and general manager of the Security and Transportation Technology Business Unit. "This contract marks a transition to higher penetration and the need for greater systems and data integration." For this contract, the VACIS(R) P7500 systems will be deployed as part of SAIC's focused technology support at international seaports. That support includes an open-interface, networked solution integrating the VACIS(R) P7500 imaging system within an overall container processing environment that can include remote viewing for image analysis, alerts or centralized alarms, as well as vehicle and container identification, radiation portal monitor data, and information from the terminal management system. This open-interface architecture allows for collection and fusion of data from independent vendor sources. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Wed Jan 10 22:08:47 2007 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily SAIC News) Date: Wed, 10 Jan 2007 17:08:47 -0500 (EST) Subject: [saic] Army launches video pitch for futuristic weapons program Message-ID: <20070110170838.Q2973-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 10 January 2007 ; Government Executive Army launches video pitch for futuristic weapons program http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=35822 --- By Anne Laurent The Army's crown jewel of transformation and network-centricity, the $120 billion Future Combat Systems, is under assault on Capitol Hill. FCS is intended to network soldiers and commanders with sensors, unmanned vehicles, a satellite-based Internet in the sky, and new vehicles, weapons and communications devices. Now, to tout the program and stave off funding cuts, the Army and its contractors are revving up a public relations offensive with DVDs, online videos and a video game reminiscent of the recruiting sensation, "America's Army." For example, "Safehouse," a video released on the Army's FCS Web site in October 2006, promotes FCS not only as the ultimate in network-centric warfare, but as a lifesaver, too. It opens with an Army sergeant working in a clinic in a Southeast Asian village. A woman rushes in carrying her unconscious daughter. The sergeant slaps sensors on the child and, using a laptop, gets a fast meningitis diagnosis from the United States. The video continues as soldiers using unmanned aerial and ground vehicles, sensors and high-tech communications gear track and capture Salandeo, a narcoterrorist. See the video below: [1] YouTube Video, ~ 10 minutes. On another front, Future Force Company Commander (known as "F2C2") a video game developed and paid for by FCS integrator SAIC can be downloaded for free [2] from the Army Web site. Players command a mounted combat team in 2015. Regen Wilson, SAIC spokesman, says the game was de-signed to let troops have a taste of what FCS will be like. SAIC has handed out more than 24,000 copies of the game. Also on the FCS Web site is a debunking section called Myths and Realities. [3] "The problem is not that the Army or FCS is too expensive; it is that some in our country seem to balk at what is historically imperative for our national defense," it warns. --- [1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9iTUMQKrD8 [2] http://www.army.mil/fcs/f2c2/index.html [3] http://www.army.mil/fcs/myths/ From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Wed Jan 10 22:09:41 2007 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily SAIC News) Date: Wed, 10 Jan 2007 17:09:41 -0500 (EST) Subject: [saic] SAIC Awarded Blanket Purchase Agreement to Provide Information Technology Support Services to the Department of Veterans Affairs Message-ID: <20070110170852.G2973-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 10 January 2007 ; Yahoo (PR Newswire) SAIC Awarded Blanket Purchase Agreement to Provide Information Technology Support Services to the Department of Veterans Affairs http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/070110/dcw003.html?.v=87 --- Engineering and research firm SAIC is one of eight companies being awarded a blanket purchase agreement to maintain and sustain health information and technology systems for the Department of Veterans Affairs. The eight contracts represent an estimated total value of $1 billion if the government exercises four, one-year option periods, and five, one-year award terms are earned. The SAIC-led team includes 18 companies providing a spectrum of services to the Department of Veterans Affairs' Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture, or Vista, program. Vista consists of more than 100 clinical and administrative applications and is run at 157 health-care facilities and 887 ambulatory care and community-based outpatient clinics nationwide. SAIC (NYSE: SAI) is a provider of scientific, engineering, systems integration and technical products and services to all branches of the U.S. military and other government security, intelligence and defense agencies. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Wed Jan 10 22:12:32 2007 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily SAIC News) Date: Wed, 10 Jan 2007 17:12:32 -0500 (EST) Subject: [saic] SAIC Awarded Blanket Purchase Agreement to Provide Information Technology Support Services to the Department of Veterans Affairs Message-ID: <20070110171224.P2973-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 10 January 2007 ; Yahoo (PR Newswire) SAIC Awarded Blanket Purchase Agreement to Provide Information Technology Support Services to the Department of Veterans Affairs http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/070110/dcw003.html?.v=87 --- Note: Last article body was from Washington Business Journal. Two articles (corrected) follow. -Ed. --- SAN DIEGO and MCLEAN, Va., Jan. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Science Applications International Corporation (NYSE: SAI - News) today announced it was one of eight (three large and five small) businesses awarded a blanket purchase agreement (BPA) to maintain and sustain the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture (VistA), program. These eight BPA awards represent an estimated aggregate value of $1 billion, if the customer exercises four one-year option periods and if five, one-year award terms are earned, for a potential 10-year term. The SAIC-led team consists of 18 specialized businesses, which will provide the VHA with a spectrum of services. "SAIC is pleased that the VA has selected our team," said Robert McCord, senior vice president and general manager of SAIC's Health Solutions Business Unit. "We look forward to working with them on maintaining the current world- class VistA system." VistA includes over 100 clinical and administrative applications and is run at 157 healthcare facilities and 887 ambulatory care and community-based outpatient clinics nationwide. VistA is recognized as one of the most comprehensive health and clinical support systems in the world today. George Hou, SAIC vice president and account manager for the Department of Veterans Affairs commented, "We are honored to support one of the key programs that help ensure, through the use of technology, that our veterans receive the exceptional care that their service commitment and patriotism have so rightfully earned, through an organization that has received accolades for the quality of care they provide." SAIC is a leading provider of scientific, engineering, systems integration and technical services and solutions to all branches of the U.S. military, agencies of the Department of Defense, the intelligence community, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other U.S. Government civil agencies, as well as to customers in selected commercial markets. With more than 44,000 employees in over 150 cities worldwide, SAIC engineers and scientists solve complex technical challenges requiring innovative solutions for customers' mission-critical functions. SAIC had annual revenues of $7.8 billion for its fiscal year ended January 31, 2006. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Wed Jan 10 22:13:48 2007 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily SAIC News) Date: Wed, 10 Jan 2007 17:13:48 -0500 (EST) Subject: [saic] SAIC to support systems for Department of Veterans Affairs Message-ID: <20070110171238.E2973-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 10 January 2007 ; Washington Business Journal SAIC to support systems for Department of Veterans Affairs http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2007/01/08/daily27.html --- Engineering and research firm SAIC is one of eight companies being awarded a blanket purchase agreement to maintain and sustain health information and technology systems for the Department of Veterans Affairs. The eight contracts represent an estimated total value of $1 billion if the government exercises four, one-year option periods, and five, one-year award terms are earned. The SAIC-led team includes 18 companies providing a spectrum of services to the Department of Veterans Affairs' Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture, or Vista, program. Vista consists of more than 100 clinical and administrative applications and is run at 157 health-care facilities and 887 ambulatory care and community-based outpatient clinics nationwide. SAIC (NYSE: SAI) is a provider of scientific, engineering, systems integration and technical products and services to all branches of the U.S. military and other government security, intelligence and defense agencies. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Fri Jan 12 00:11:23 2007 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily SAIC News) Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2007 19:11:23 -0500 (EST) Subject: [saic] SAIC officer gets new job Message-ID: <20070111191117.R2973-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 11 January 2007 ; San Diego Union-Tribune SAIC officer gets new job http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20070111-9999-1b11bizbrfs.html --- San Diego's Science Applications International Corp. said that Donald H. Foley, the chief engineering and technology officer, will take on a new job devoted to managing the company's troubled Greek Olympics contract. Foley, who was named to SAIC's board of directors in 2002, resigned from the board, according to a regulatory filing. The move was a sign that SAIC is still grappling with its contractual obligations to provide a command, control and communications network to Greek security forces that was designed for use during the 2004 Athens Summer Olympic Games. SAIC already has incurred $123 million in losses on the contract. The company also has reported the Greek government has the right to call some or all of $245 million in performance bonds required under the contract. Under a corporate reorganization, Theoren "Trey" Smith III was named as SAIC's new chief technology officer, effective Jan. 31. Smith previously headed SAIC's research, development, testing and evaluation group, which will be merged with two other operating groups. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Fri Jan 12 00:12:32 2007 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily SAIC News) Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2007 19:12:32 -0500 (EST) Subject: [saic] Herndon Products Receives 2006 Small Business of the Year Award From SAIC Message-ID: <20070111191220.O2973-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 11 January 2007 ; Yahoo (PR Newswire) Herndon Products Receives 2006 Small Business of the Year Award From SAIC http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/070111/dcth001.html?.v=76 --- SAN DIEGO and MCLEAN, Va., Jan. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ Science Applications International Corporation (NYSE: SAI) today announced that Herndon Products of Maryland Heights, Mo., has received SAIC's 2006 Small Business of the Year Award. During the 2006 award reception held in McLean, Va., George Singley, president of SAIC's Engineering, Training and Logistics Group presented the award to Herndon's Chief Operating Officer Scott Herndon and to Skip Herndon, vice president of Herndon Products. "Herndon Products has been a true business collaborator with SAIC and is a plank owner in our prime vendor business area," said Jim Cuff, SAIC senior vice president and general manager of the Logistics and Engineering Solutions Business Unit. "SAIC's experience with Herndon runs the gamut of business enterprise, from joint marketing and teaming arrangements on proposal efforts to working on programs to support and sustain the warfighter. We look forward to seeing this mutually beneficial relationship continue to grow as we strive to support our customers' requirements." "We've come a long way from using the dining-room table as our first stock shelf just three years ago," said Hope Herndon, chief executive officer of Herndon Products. "Thanks to SAIC and the Mentor-Protege program, we were able to develop some tools early on that helped us to build a solid foundation." SAIC has recognized small businesses for their efforts in enhancing contract performance, improving customer satisfaction and assisting in obtaining new business since 1998. About Herndon Products Herndon Products is a woman-owned small business and is a protege of SAIC under the Defense Logistics Agency. Established in 2003 and headquartered in Maryland Heights, Mo., Herndon Products specializes in integrated logistic solutions to meet customer requirements. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Tue Jan 16 12:37:48 2007 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily SAIC News) Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2007 07:37:48 -0500 (EST) Subject: [saic] GENEART awarded contract by SAIC-Frederick, Inc. for the US National Cancer Institute part of the National Institutes of Health Message-ID: <20070116073731.Y2973-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 16 January 2007 ; Market Wire GENEART awarded contract by SAIC-Frederick, Inc. for the US National Cancer Institute part of the National Institutes of Health http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=203491 --- REGENSBURG, GERMANY -- (MARKET WIRE) -- January 16, 2007 -- - SAIC-Frederick, Inc. awards contract for the production of 2,000 to 3,000 genes with a stop codon and the same genes without the stop codon - The expected order volume amounts up to USD 6.5 million - GENEART will perform the synthesis within the scope of the NIH's "Mammalian Gene Collection Program" GENEART today announced that the company is a recipient of a contract for the synthesis of 2,000 to 3,000 genes and 2,000 to 3,000 gene variants thereof. The expected order volume amounts up to USD 6.5 million. The genes to be synthesized by GENEART will be added by the National Cancer Institute to the NIH'S comprehensive collection of genes of humans and mice to provide an important resource for basic and biomedical research. Within the scope of the "Mammalian Gene Collection (MGC) Program", the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has been working on creating a comprehensive, publicly accessible cloned gene library of humans and mice since 1999. The goal of Mammalian Gene Collection is to include at least one defined full-length clone of each known gene sequence of these two species. The Mammalian Gene Collection is the largest publicly available cDNA library, and of crucial importance for molecular research in mammals. All genetic sequences are freely accessible via a database; the associated genes can be ordered by any researcher. The GENEART is to synthesize up to 3,000 genes and 3,000 gene variants for the Mammalian Gene Collection over the next eight to ten months. The subset to be synthesized mainly comprises genes which could not be obtained at all or only at significant higher cost by using conventional methods (from cDNA libraries or RT-PCR). "We are very happy that we were chosen for this project. The record size and the scientific importance of this order confirm that our company is the worldwide leader in the field of gene synthesis", stated Mr. Christian Ehl, CEO / CFO of GENEART AG. "By consistently increasing capacities while simultaneously miniaturizing and automating the production process, we are now able to manufacture genes in an industrial process, "just like on an assembly line". Gene synthesis is therefore becoming a standard tool worldwide in the field of modern biotechnological and pharmaceutical research. The de novo synthesis of genes, however, not only provides cost advantages for our clients, but also offers researchers completely new possibilities in terms of designing new medications, vaccines, and industrial enzymes. We are therefore certain that this is just the beginning of a revolutionary development in the field of DNA engineering and synthetic biology", Prof. Dr. Wagner, CEO / CSO of GENEART AG points out. About GENEART AG GENEART was founded in 1999. Today, the company ranks as the leading global specialist in gene synthesis for research institutions, the pharmaceutical industry and for enterprises in biotechnology and chemistry. GENEART offers integrated product systems based on gene synthesis for the development of innovative drugs, in particular for DNA- and protein-based therapeutics and vaccines, and for the identification of improved industrial enzymes. Service offerings range from synthesizing artificial genes according to DIN EN ISO 9001:2000, via constructing gene libraries in the field of combinatorial biology, to the production and development of DNA- based active components. The team of more than 80 employees in Regensburg and with the subsidiary GENEART Inc. in Toronto/Canada reached break even in 2005. Since May 2006 GENEART AG is listed at the German Stock Exchange. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Wed Jan 17 04:12:00 2007 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily SAIC News) Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2007 23:12:00 -0500 (EST) Subject: [saic] SAIC Unveils Commercial Tsunami Buoy Message-ID: <20070116231154.E2973-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 16 January 2007 ; PRNewswire SAIC Unveils Commercial Tsunami Buoy http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/01-16-2007/0004506377 --- SAN DIEGO and MCLEAN, Va. -- Science Applications International Corporation (NYSE: SAI) today announced the successful completion of testing of a buoy developed to provide early warning detection of tsunamis. The SAIC tsunami buoy (STB) was deployed Oct. 25, 2006, approximately 200 nautical miles west of San Diego in 3,876 meters of water. The location is approximately 28 nautical miles from a National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunami (DART(TM)) buoy that has been used in part to evaluate the performance of the STB. The genesis of SAIC developing a tsunami warning capability began after the December 26, 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami tragedy and has continued to build and mature since that catastrophe. With the goal of developing an end-to-end tsunami warning capability that can be integrated into international disaster warning systems, SAIC engineers determined that the cornerstone of this effort would be the development of a technically advanced, commercially available, deep-ocean sensor that could match the capabilities of the NOAA DART(TM) system that currently protects the coastal United States. Additionally, the STB has been designed to handle additional meteorological and oceanographic sensors that could be required in various ocean regions of the world. As a major support contractor to NOAA's National Data Buoy Center, SAIC has extensive experience building, deploying and maintaining the DART(TM) buoys. The SAIC STB team built on this background as well as decades of experience designing and deploying ocean sensors in support of other U.S. government agencies to develop a commercial version of the DART(TM) buoy to meet the emerging requirements of the international marketplace. On November 15, 2006, during this test period, the Kuril Islands experienced an 8.3 magnitude earthquake which generated a small tsunami that propagated across the Pacific Ocean. Approximately nine hours later the SAIC tsunami buoy detected and reported the first tsunami waves arriving in the area. The nearby NOAA DART(TM) also detected the tsunami waves. Just as in earlier laboratory testing throughout the Kuril Island tsunamigenic event, the SAIC tsunami buoy demonstrated it can match the operational capabilities of NOAA's DART(TM) system during actual tsunami conditions. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Thu Jan 18 12:17:16 2007 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily SAIC News) Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2007 07:17:16 -0500 (EST) Subject: [saic] Unmanned FCS Platforms May be Cut Message-ID: <20070118071701.V2973-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 18 January 2007 ; Military.com Unmanned FCS Platforms May be Cut http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,122311,00.html --- Additional cuts to the Future Combat System could be on the horizon as Army officials examine whether they can reduce the number of unmanned ground vehicles in the program, Gen. William Wallace, commanding general of Training and Doctrine Command, said last week. According to sources and budget documents, variants of the Armed Robotic Vehicle could be pared down. "We are looking at unmanned ground vehicles to see if our initial notion, with regard to FCS, was right in terms of numbers and types of vehicles and the purpose of those vehicles . . . [and] whether we can reduce that or not," Wallace told reporters at a Jan. 11 breakfast. Current FCS plans call for a Small UGV, three variants of the Multifunction Utility/Logistics and Equipment (MULE) system, and two ARV variants -- the assault version and the Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition platform. According to documents and sources, the Army will cut a variant of the ARV line in its 2008 though 2013 budget, as well as reduce the number of MULE-Transport vehicles it buys. Additional proposed changes to FCS include separating the Intelligent Munition System from the FCS brigade combat team and reducing the quantity of Non-Line-of-Sight Launch Systems. Although the service has not announced any of the changes to its FCS ground vehicle plans, it did officially announce plans to cut two to of its four FCS unmanned aerial systems last week. Inside the Army first reported last month the Army's plan to pare down the number of unmanned aerial vehicles under FCS, leaving the program with only its smallest and largest aircraft -- class I and class IV. Col. John Burke -- the Army's director for unmanned systems integration -- told reporters Jan. 9 the class II and class III UAV initiatives will now be "deferred as objective." Under the service's former FCS plan, four classes of UAVs were to be fielded -- class I, operating at platoon level; class II, operating at company level; class III, attached to the battalion; and class IV, attached to the brigade commander. The UAS Mix Analysis, conducted by TRADOC, was designed to compare the current and anticipated requirements of each echelon commander against the capabilities and characteristics associated with each class of UAV under its modernization plan. "What the study told us was that the four UAVs we'd initially planned for the FCS equipped brigades, the missions associated with those UAVs could actually be [carried out] by two UAVs as opposed to four," Wallace said last week. With the reduced number of UAV classes, the four-star said there will be "some increase" in the number of class I and IV platforms. Currently fielded Raven and Shadow systems, as well as the forthcoming Warrior system, will also be integrated into the future force, Burke said. In a Jan. 11 e-mail to ITA, a Boeing spokesman said the lead systems integrator "is working with the Army to accommodate any changes to the FCS program as a result of the conclusions of the Unmanned Aerial Systems study. At this point, we are awaiting further specific guidance from our Army customer." Boeing and Science Applications International Corp. are the FCS lead systems integrators. This fall, the Army said it would restructure FCS following cuts amounting to approximately $500 million over the past two years. Those changes will be reflected in the service's next six-year spending plan, which is under development amid debate over how much money the Army needs to modernize while fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. At press time (Jan 12), the Army had not responded to ITA's questions about how UAV cuts will impact the budget. Aside from the announced UAV changes, officials have been tight-lipped about any other moves that may be contained in the budget request, due to lawmakers on Feb. 5. Lt. Gen. David Melcher, the Army's budget chief, told reporters Jan. 10 that the service is always reevaluating FCS to make sure it is still consistent with the direction in which the Army is headed. "We've bought an awful lot of things here in the last couple of years. . . . I think it makes sense that we would go back and look at the FCS program and say, .Are there any adjustments that ought to be made in light of things that we've been buying near-term with a lot of with supplemental dollars?'" Melcher asked. "Every year when we build a program or a budget we go though a soup-to-nuts [review] of every modernization program that we have and ask ourselves, .Is it still the right program and the right amount?'" When asked by ITA if there would be more cuts to the FCS program, the three-star responded, "Let's wait till the '08 budget comes out." From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Fri Jan 19 12:33:06 2007 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily SAIC News) Date: Fri, 19 Jan 2007 07:33:06 -0500 (EST) Subject: [saic] Success for SAIC's STB Message-ID: <20070119073259.J2973-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 19 January 2007 ; The Engineering Online Success for SAIC's STB http://www.e4engineering.com/Articles/297818/Success+for+SAIC%E2%80%99s+STB.htm --- Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) this week announced the successful completion of testing of a buoy developed to provide early warning detection of tsunamis. The SAIC tsunami buoy (STB) was deployed on October 25, 2006, approximately 200 nautical miles west of San Diego in 3,876m of water. The location is approximately 28 nautical miles from a National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) [1] Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunami (DART) buoy that has been used in part to evaluate the performance of the STB. The genesis of SAIC developing a tsunami warning capability began after the December 26, 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and has continued to build and mature since that catastrophe. With the goal of developing an end-to-end tsunami warning capability that can be integrated into international disaster warning systems, SAIC engineers determined that the cornerstone of this effort would be the development of a technically advanced, commercially available, deep-ocean sensor that could match the capabilities of the NOAA DART system that currently protects the coastal United States. Additionally, the STB has been designed to handle additional meteorological and oceanographic sensors that could be required in various ocean regions of the world. As a major support contractor to NOAA's National Data Buoy Center, SAIC has extensive experience building, deploying and maintaining the DART buoys. The SAIC STB team built on this background to develop a commercial version of the DART buoy to meet the emerging requirements of the international marketplace. On November 15, 2006, during this test period, the Kuril Islands experienced an 8.3 magnitude earthquake that generated a small tsunami that propagated across the Pacific Ocean. Approximately nine hours later the SAIC tsunami buoy detected and reported the first tsunami waves arriving in the area. The nearby NOAA DART also detected the tsunami waves. Just as in earlier laboratory testing throughout the Kuril Island tsunamigenic event, the SAIC tsunami buoy demonstrated it can match the operational capabilities of NOAA's DART system during actual tsunami conditions. --- [1] http://www.noaa.gov/ From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Tue Jan 23 12:45:18 2007 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily SAIC News) Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2007 07:45:18 -0500 (EST) Subject: [saic] Lake Borgne survey set Message-ID: <20070123074511.S2973-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 23 January 2007 ; The Advocate Lake Borgne survey set http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/suburban/5299396.html --- By AMY WOLD Advocate staff writer [1] Image: Advocate staff photo by Richard Alan Hannon; Caption: Tim Osborn, left, a regional manager with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, explains a hurricane debris survey being done in Lake Borgne. Paul Donaldson is the lead hydrographer with Science Applications International Corp., which is doing the survey for NOAA. SHELL BEACH -- When scientists want to study hurricane storm surge or a fisherman wants to know about underwater hazards, they often turn to the federal National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. But much of that agency's information on Lake Borgne in St. Bernard Parish is 70 to 80 years old. NOAA and Science Applications International Corp., a surveying firm, have started work to change that. Using sonar technology, the entire lake bottom is being surveyed for depth of water, type of water bottom and the location of underwater hazards, such as Hurricane Katrina debris. "The main purpose of the contract is to find debris from the hurricanes that is a danger to boat traffic," said Paul Donaldson, lead hydrographer and marine scientist for Science Applications International. Two retrofitted fishing and oyster boats have been equipped with several types of sonar. In addition to side sonar scanners -- which map the water bottom -- one of the boats uses relatively new technology. The interferometric sonar not only shows where debris is, but also calculates how deep it is, Donaldson said. The boats basically "mow the lawn" in straight lines to cover the whole lake with overlapping sonar. Donaldson said the boats will travel more than 9,000 miles to get the survey data needed. The work started in early January and will probably continue for five or six months to cover the lake's 128,000-acre area. However, updates on any major finds will be made in a more timely manner. "We give all this data on a weekly basis to NOAA," Donaldson said. NOAA uses the information to update navigation charts, and the U.S. Coast Guard releases local notices to mariners. Few items of interest have shown up during the several hundred miles of survey work done so far. A pipe was found sticking up out of the floor of the northern part of the lake, which could pose a hazard. It needs to be identified further, Donaldson said. "There's no way for us to know if it's pre-Katrina or not," he said. While the main goal is to find hurricane debris, updated information about the lake is important for other reasons as well, said Tim Osborn, NOAA's regional manager with the Office of Coast Survey. The water depths will help update navigation charts. Hurricane centers can use the data to better estimate storm surges. The state can use the locations of oyster reefs to direct recently received reef-repair money. Once the survey is completed, it will provide a mosaic of what the lake looks like after years of alterations, coastal erosion and hurricanes. Osborn said the last Lake Borgne survey was done by workers measuring depth by dropping lead lines to the bottom. This time, it's more than just a sample. "We're imaging Lake Borgne totally," Osborn said. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Tue Jan 23 12:46:47 2007 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily SAIC News) Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2007 07:46:47 -0500 (EST) Subject: [saic] Science Applications International reiterates their status "hold" Message-ID: <20070123074640.B2973-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 23 January 2007 ; SocialPicks Science Applications International reiterates their status "hold" http://www.socialpicks.com/ideas/show/6332 --- NEW YORK, January 20 (dailywallstreet.com) - In a research note published yesterday, analysts at Jefferies & Co reiterate their "hold" rating on Science Applications International (ticker: SAI). The target price has been reduced from $20 to $16. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Tue Jan 23 21:30:47 2007 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily SAIC News) Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2007 16:30:47 -0500 (EST) Subject: [saic] SAIC Becomes Member of ESRI's Authorized Systems Integrator Program for Geospatial-Intelligence Solutions Message-ID: <20070123163038.P2973-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 23 January 2007 ; PRNewswire SAIC Becomes Member of ESRI's Authorized Systems Integrator Program for Geospatial-Intelligence Solutions http://jdj.sys-con.com/read/274224.htm --- SAN DIEGO and MCLEAN, Va., Sept. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) today announced a strategic business relationship with ESRI, in which SAIC has become a member of ESRI's Authorized Systems Integrator program. Under this program, SAIC and ESRI intend to jointly develop and market system solutions and services for defense, intelligence and homeland security. ESRI is the world leader in geographic information system (GIS) software development, and this arrangement will enable SAIC and ESRI to support key customer initiatives involving GIS with a special focus on geospatial- intelligence analysis and production, multi-intelligence data fusion and exploitation, and horizontal integration. SAIC brings a strong innovative focus to ESRI's Authorized Systems Integrator Program. "We're extremely pleased to formalize this strategic relationship with ESRI," said Stu Shea, SAIC senior vice president and general manager of the Space and Geospatial Intelligence Business Unit. "SAIC has been an industry leader in providing integrated end-to-end geospatial-intelligence solutions to our customers, while ESRI has long been an industry leader in commercial-off- the-shelf geospatial solutions. A strong business relationship with ESRI supports our ability to not only continue delivering mission-critical solutions to our customers, it also will enhance our capacity to attack their most complex and challenging problems." "We welcome SAIC into our Authorized Systems Integrator program," said Jack Dangermond, president, ESRI. "ESRI is committed to building strong relationships with system integrators and developers skilled in ESRI technology to help them deliver results and satisfy client needs. ESRI supports the growth of SAIC's GIS practice which will add key delivery capabilities to a line of products that are already state-of-the-art." This relationship enhances SAIC's system integration work in the area of geospatial-intelligence and enables expansion of ESRI's commercial off-the- shelf product line, integrating it with national defense, intelligence and public safety systems. This collaboration enhances support for geospatial database architecture development and integration, system architecture design, and customer needs assessments. Under this relationship, SAIC will utilize its lab facilities to develop prototypes and demonstrate the integration of ESRI technology in support of customer missions. ESRI software is already a key component of existing GIS analysis software suites that allow analysts to collect, integrate, visualize and analyze geospatial data, including commercial imagery and standard government cartographic products. These suites provide intelligence to personnel in the field, including warfighters and first responders. About ESRI Since 1969, ESRI has been giving customers around the world the power to think and plan geographically. The market leader in geographic information systems (GIS), ESRI software is used in more than 300,000 organizations worldwide, including each of the 200 largest cities in the United States, most national governments, more than two-thirds of Fortune 500(R) companies, and more than 5,000 colleges and universities. ESRI applications, running on more than one million desktops and thousands of Web and enterprise servers, provide the baone for the world's mapping and spatial analysis. ESRI is the only vendor that provides complete technical solutions for desktop, mobile, server, and internet platforms. Visit us at http://www.esri.com/. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Thu Jan 25 12:39:03 2007 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily SAIC News) Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2007 07:39:03 -0500 (EST) Subject: [saic] Army Drops Armed Robotic Vehicle From FCS Message-ID: <20070125073855.S2973-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 25 January 2007 ; Aviation Week Army Drops Armed Robotic Vehicle From FCS http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story.jsp?id=news/FCSC01237.xml --- By Jefferson Morris Aerospace Daily & Defense Report The U.S. Army has decided to drop the Armed Robotic Vehicle (ARV) from the Future Combat Systems (FCS) program, bringing the total number of systems in the mammoth modernization effort down to 14. Last week, Brig. Gen. Thomas Cole, deputy program manager for FCS program integration, said the ARV is being cut from production and put back into the science and technology base (DAILY, Jan. 22). Another possible casualty is one of the unattended munitions being developed for FCS, a source told The DAILY. The largest unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) planned for FCS, the ARV was being developed in an assault variant and a reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition (RSTA) variant by BAE Systems. A company spokesman said BAE has received no official confirmation of the cut from the Army. FCS Lead Systems Integrators Boeing/SAIC would not comment specifically, other than to say they will "work with the Army on any possible adjustments to the program." FCS is developing a networked suite of manned and unmanned vehicles, aircraft, sensors and munitions. The program had been stable at 18 systems until the Army earlier this month decided to cut two of the planned four classes of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from FCS (DAILY, Jan. 10). Overall pressure on the Army's budget, plus three consecutive years of congressional cuts to the FCS program ranging from $200 million to $300 million annually, have necessitated trimming the number of systems in FCS to 14 to keep the program on track, according to Army Secretary Francis Harvey. Service leaders believe they are minimizing the overall risk of getting FCS capabilities into the field by "cutting the scope a little bit," Harvey said in Washington Jan. 22. The decision to cut work from the current program isn't necessarily irreversible, Harvey said. In the case of FCS UAVs, "if we decide in the next couple of years ... the concept of operation does not allow that [reduction], then we will certainly restore that," he said. During a speech delivered to the Heritage Foundation, Harvey repeatedly stressed that FCS is not a Cold War system, and has been designed with 21st century warfighting, including counter-insurgency operations, in mind. The Army recently ran a simulation to determine how different the outcome of the April 2004 "Black Sunday" insurgent attacks in Sadr City, Iraq, might have been had U.S. forces been equipped with FCS. On that day, insurgents dressed in civilian clothes ambushed a platoon of 18 soldiers, killing two, wounding three and destroying two Humvees. The battalion that came to the aid of the platoon weathered multiple improvised explosive device (IED) attacks and ambushes, suffering eight soldiers killed and 50 wounded during a three-hour rescue operation. In the simulation, FCS-equipped soldiers took less than an hour to accomplish the same mission and suffered no casualties, according to Harvey. Key to this result was the added surveillance capability afforded by the FCS network, which allowed soldiers to stay in their vehicles longer, only dismounting when they knew exactly where the enemy was, Harvey said. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Thu Jan 25 21:21:00 2007 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily SAIC News) Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2007 16:21:00 -0500 (EST) Subject: [saic] SAIC Awarded Contract to Provide Information Technology Support to Navy Personnel Command Message-ID: <20070125162029.H2973-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 25 January 2007 ; Yahoo (PR Newswire) SAIC Awarded Contract to Provide Information Technology Support to Navy Personnel Command http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/070125/dcth003.html?.v=81 --- SAN DIEGO and MCLEAN, Va., Jan. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Science Applications International Corporation (NYSE: SAI - News) today announced it won a single award, cost-plus-award-fee contract to provide information technology support services for Manpower, Personnel, Training, and Education (MPT&E) for the Navy Personnel Command in Millington, Tenn. The contract has a one-year base term, four one-year options, and a total value of $52.9 million if all options are exercised. Through the contract, SAIC will provide an array of IT services including service-oriented architecture, Web-enabled applications development, and disaster recovery and continuity of operations. "For nearly a decade, we've been supporting the evolution of the Navy's mission," said Randy Cash, SAIC's senior vice president and general manager of the Enterprise Solutions Business Unit. "We look forward to continuing our long-standing relationship with MPT&E by providing seamless continuity of IT services, and helping tackle future challenges for this vitally important customer." From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Thu Jan 25 21:23:14 2007 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily SAIC News) Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2007 16:23:14 -0500 (EST) Subject: [saic] SAIC gets $52.9M Navy deal Message-ID: <20070125162307.B2973-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 25 January 2007 ; Business Week SAIC gets $52.9M Navy deal http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8MSDO801.htm --- SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Science Applications International Corp. said on Thursday it received a one-year contract worth up to $52.9 million to provide technology support for Navy personnel in Tennessee. SAIC will provide a variety of technology services including disaster recovery and using Web-based applications for the Navy in Millington, Tenn. Shares of the SAIC dropped 1 cent to $18.27 in late morning trading on the New York Stock Exchange. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Sat Jan 27 17:59:09 2007 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily SAIC News) Date: Sat, 27 Jan 2007 12:59:09 -0500 (EST) Subject: [saic] SAIC enlists for Navy Personnel Command tech support Message-ID: <20070127125902.L2973-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 27 January 2007 ; Washington Technology SAIC enlists for Navy Personnel Command tech support http://www.washingtontechnology.com/news/1_1/daily_news/30037-1.html --- By William Welsh Deputy Editor Science Applications International Corp. will deliver IT support services to the Navy Personnel Command through a five-year, $52.9 million contract. Under the contract, SAIC of San Diego will provide support for manpower, personnel, training and education aspects of the Navy Personnel Command in Millington, Tenn. The services range from service-oriented architecture and Web-enabled applications development to disaster recovery and continuity of operations. SAIC offers scientific, engineering, systems integration and technical services and solutions to the government and commercial sectors. The company, which has about 44,000 employees and had annual sales of $7.8 billion in fiscal 2006, ranks No. 3 [1] on Washington Technology's 2006 Top 100 [2] list of the largest federal IT contractors. --- [1] http://www.washingtontechnology.com/top-100/2006/3.html [2] http://www.washingtontechnology.com/top-100/2006/ From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Sat Jan 27 18:01:00 2007 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily SAIC News) Date: Sat, 27 Jan 2007 13:01:00 -0500 (EST) Subject: [saic] Michelin Selected To Supply Ground Tires For U.S. Military Worldwide Message-ID: <20070127130052.N2973-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 27 January 2007 ; Manufacturing.net Michelin Selected To Supply Ground Tires For U.S. Military Worldwide http://manufacturing.net/article/CA6410352.html --- By Anita LaFond, News Editor Michelin, the tire manufacturer, announced Thursday that the U.S. military has again chosen Michelin to manage its military tire program. The Defense Supply Center, Columbus, Ohio, has awarded Michelin Americas Truck Tires a 10-year, $1.7 billion contract to provide ground tires for every wheeled vehicle for all military branches (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines) worldwide. This contract is in addition to the over $700 million contract for all military aircraft tires that Michelin received in early January 2007. Michelin will work with Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) to manage the wholesale supply, storage and distribution functions for all ground tires used by the U.S. military, and will provide all of the military's ground tire needs through its own and competitive tire sourcing. The ground tire contract is expected to save U.S. taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars over the life of the contract, as it allows the U.S. Department of Defense to take advantage of the most recent technologies, expertise, and business practices of private industry to provide a more responsive supply/support program for its forces in the U.S. and worldwide. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Mon Jan 29 21:38:03 2007 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily SAIC News) Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2007 16:38:03 -0500 (EST) Subject: [saic] Buy These Stocks While They're New Message-ID: <20070129163701.K2973-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 29 January 2007 ; Morningstar Buy These Stocks While They're New http://news.morningstar.com/article/article.asp?id=184534 --- By Michael Hodel, CFA During 2006, investor demand for initial public offerings (IPOs) was again fairly tepid: By our tally, about 200 companies went public--roughly the same number as the previous two years--but well below the overheated figures seen during the heady times at the end of the 1990s. Morningstar has been tracking the ranks of newly public companies for years, looking for businesses (and stocks) worthy of attention. But more recently, we've increased the amount of attention paid to the IPO market, and our analysts have taken a hard look at many of the firms that went public last year. We bring the same research process to a firm regardless of its tenure as a public company, looking for firms with strong competitive positions and stocks trading well below our assessment of fair value. Because we have a broad array of industry expertise, we're able to put a new offering in proper industry context (though there are times when we have the opportunity to learn about new businesses--see Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico PAC ). Since firms tend to go public when valuations favor the seller (a disadvantage to investors), we spend time thinking about why a company is going public and looking at demand for the shares shortly after the offering. MasterCard MA is a great example of a situation in which insiders were selling stock for reasons other than maximizing their returns. The banks that owned MasterCard were looking to raise funds to cushion against and separate themselves from potential legal liabilities. While every firm should be judged on its own merits, one way to guard against buying into an IPO at peak valuations is to examine which sectors are "hot." Health-care, energy, and financial services have been the most active recently; of the roughly 80 firms that went public in the fourth quarter of 2006, half fell in or around these three sectors. Getting in on an offering in a hot sector can produce a quick gain, but predicting which stocks will be popular can be risky. For example, within health care, Trubion Pharmaceuticals TRBN is up more than 50% since going public in October, whereas Catalyst Pharmaceuticals Partners CPRX , which went public three weeks later, is down 35%. Also, with energy prices high throughout the year, it's no surprise that a number of firms with ties to oil and gas have sought to raise funds. As energy prices have fallen, though, the sector has performed poorly: About a third of fourth-quarter IPOs are below their initial offer price. We actually think there are some interesting companies in this group, particularly among pipeline operators, to which we often assign our highest wide-moat rating based on their strong competitive positions. In the space below, we'll take a look at a handful of the newly public firms we think have attractive stocks and businesses. We'll review these firms again and take a look at another crop of ideas after the first quarter. To see our full Analyst Research, fair value estimates, and risk and moat ratings on these and more than 1,900 other stocks, take a free Premium Membership trial today. SAIC SAIC (SAI) is a defense contractor that went public in October. The firm distinguishes itself with its broad scientific and technological expertise that runs the gamut from future combat systems and integrated port inspection systems to advanced robotics and even biopharmaceuticals. Owing to a diverse base of engineers and scientists, the firm has successfully identified and capitalized on several emerging technologies. As long as defense intelligence and technological advancement are crucial on the battlefield, we believe SAIC will remain a strategic partner of the government and a good long-term bet. One of the reasons SAIC chose to go public was to create liquidity for employee stockholders. Employees have long received equity in the firm based on contributions to contracts and cultivation of new business opportunities. This ownership culture has helped the firm build a deep bench of engineers who remain loyal to the company. Stanley Stanley (SXE), which also went public in October, does extensive information technology (IT) services work exclusively for federal government agencies, including the Defense Department. By focusing its resources strictly on federal agencies, Stanley has developed highly specialized expertise in systems and processes that positions it to benefit from the government's increasing affinity for outsourcing. On the civilian side, more than half of revenue comes from nonappropriated programs. For example, visa and passport user fees fund Stanley's passport processing contract, and bank fees fund its work for the Federal Reserve. On the military side, Stanley's contracts are not, for the most part, dependent on events, such as military engagements. As an incumbent vendor, the firm has the upper hand when contracts are renewed; consider that since Stanley won the State Department's passport-processing contract in 1992, the re-competes in 1997 and 2002 went uncontested, as rivals determined that its position was unassailable. Also 55% of Stanley employees have secret or top-secret clearances. Energy Transfer Equity LP Energy Transfer Equity (ETE), the general partner for Energy Transfer Partners (ETP), went public 11 months ago. The partnership units have had a nice run since, but we think they're still worth a look. We love the natural-gas pipeline business, and ETE, via ETP, operates one of the best natural-gas distribution networks in the industry, in our view. The Barnett Shale continues to be the hottest natural-gas play in the country, and we believe ETP is in the best position among pipeline operators to benefit from production growth there. The firm's 2006 acquisition of the Transwestern pipeline offers access to markets in the western United States, and building a pipeline with Kinder Morgan KMP to reach the East will give it a system that enables producers to sell into whichever market offers the best price for gas at any given time. ETE's current yield is low, compared with those of similar partnerships, which typically fall in the 6%-10% range. But ETE holds incentive distribution rights that give unitholders an increasing share of ETP's cash flow as the firm grows. For example, a 10% increase in distributions to ETP's unitholders would result in nearly 20% more cash flow to ETE. So, while ETE investors may not receive a big yield today, we think the shares will appreciate nicely over time. From saic at vision.moundalexis.com Wed Jan 31 12:29:27 2007 From: saic at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily SAIC News) Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2007 07:29:27 -0500 (EST) Subject: [saic] IT Defense Firms get $12.2B deal Message-ID: <20070131072915.Q2973-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 31 January 2007 ; Business Week IT Defense Firms get $12.2B deal http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8MVU84G0.htm --- WASHINGTON - The Defense Information Systems Agency on Tuesday awarded a $12.2 billion contract to several government information technology services providers, including SAIC International Inc. and Lockheed Martin Corp. The 10-year contract will provide a range of information technology services for the federal, state and local levels. Winners of the contract included Arlington, Va.-based CACI International Inc.; San Diego-based SAIC International Inc.; Bethesda, Md.-based Lockheed Martin Corp.; and Plano, Texas-based Electronic Data Systems Corp. Each company will still be required to compete for specific task orders within the bundled contract. Incumbents El Segundo, Calif.-based Computer Science Corp.; Chicago-based Boeing Co. and Blue Bell, Pa.-based Unisys lost the contract. Stanford Group Co. equity research analyst Erik Olbeter predicted one or more of the losing companies would protest the contract, which could delay the start of the new contract by three to four months. Shares of CACI gained 11 cents to finish at $46.63 on the New York Stock Exchange, while share of SAIC gained 16 cents to close at $18.67. Lockheed shares gained 18 cents to finish at $96.24, while shares of EDS added 33 cents to close at $26.24. Computer Science Corp. shares added 8 cents to finish at $52.42. Boeing climbed 50 cents to end at $86, and Unisys shares fell 4 cents to end at $8.45.