Thin Client

Source article

Northrop Grumman lab works with small firms
Defense giant breaks down roadblocks

BY MIKE FREEMAN, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 2010 AT 9:07 P.M.

Juno Technologies, a 40-employee business in San Diego, makes “Fly Away” portable network kits for the U.S. Navy. These trunk-sized devices allow remote military teams to securely communicate with shipboard command and control networks.

Now, the Navy is preparing to upgrade its information technology networks on ships, and Juno wants to make sure its kits will work with the network architecture on the drawing boards.

So it has turned to Northrop Grumman’s C2 Futures Lab in San Diego, a year-old facility loaded with computer servers, testing equipment and other infrastructure that has allowed Juno to test and further develop its technology.

Juno is an example of Northrop Grumman’s efforts to lure more small businesses into its command-and-control technology contracts.

The $33 billion defense giant, which has information technology and unmanned aircraft divisions in San Diego, faces requirements that it use a certain percentage of small businesses in the contracts it wins from the Pentagon.

So the company developed the C2 Futures Lab and other programs to make it easier for small businesses to join its team.

“The government and Northrop Grumman are interested in taking advantage of the innovative ideas that small businesses can bring to bear on current and future programs,” said Mike Twyman, vice president of command and control communications systems for Northrop Grumman. “The vision is to assist small businesses in developing and deploying technology into programs of record.”

Many giant defense contractors seek to work with small businesses. When Northrop looked at some of the techniques used in the past to bring them into large information technology projects in the military, it found roadblocks.

Often small businesses have a good idea but can’t afford the expensive demonstration and testing equipment to push it forward, said Lee Witt, Northrop’s senior scientist for command and control mission systems. They also may lack engineering expertise, a broad understanding of what the Pentagon wants or knowledge of the requirements necessary to be included in the programs of record.

Northrop aims to help break down those roadblocks with its new lab and Small Business Engineering, Experimentation and Deployment Program, which it started last year.

Witt said the company hopes to work with small businesses early in the process, so integration of their technology into the overall program is easier. There are no set rules for now, other than the company be involved in command-and-control technology.

“It’s an evolving framework,” Witt said. “It has to be command-and-control IT. It has to pass my muster. But we want to get to people early.”

On Thursday, Syzygy Technologies of San Diego, a $15 million, 70-employee company that supplies computer services and other technology systems to the Navy, used the lab to demonstrate a new type of thin client solution. Thin clients are computers that rely heavily on other computers to work.

Juno Technologies has used the lab to refine its Fly Away kits, which include a router, server, switches and other gear for remotely connecting to shipboard networks.

“It’s an advantage for us to get our technology into a lab,” said Chuck Tristani, a director of West Coast operations for the $9 million company. “We couldn’t afford to do this ourselves, being a small business.”

Juno’s kits could be used by other government agencies, such as the Department of Homeland Security, Tristani said. The company hopes access to the lab will help it expand its customer base.

Both Juno Technologies and Syzygy are working with Northrop Grumman on the CANES program for upgrading network infrastructure on Navy ships. Other small businesses involved include Beatty and Co. of San Diego, CenterBeam of San Jose and Atlas Technologies of Charleston, S.C.

Northrop is competing with Lockheed Martin on the CANES contract, with prototype systems due in 14 months. If Northrop wins the multiyear deal, it’s expected to be worth $775 million.

The Space and Naval Warfare System Command is the contracting authority for CANES.

Twyman, the Northrop vice president, said having more small businesses involved might boost Northrop’s chances of winning the contract. But the program aims to do more than that.

“It’s a competitive advantage for Northrop Grumman to continually drive innovative solutions,” he said. “So, we’re broadening our network of idea factories. That’s the main thing.”

Mike Freeman: (760) 476-8209; [email protected]