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The new system requires significant IT infrastructure changes, including the installation of servers, PCs and network architecture to several sites in the UK and abroad. Extensive software development and security testing is also required to ensure the messaging system meets MoD requirements and government guidelines.
The system, which is due to go live in May 2003, is being delivered by defence specialist BAE SYSTEMS, in partnership with infrastructure services provider, Computacenter.
The UK's Royal Navy has 50,000 personnel posted at various locations
throughout the world, including on the Service’s 130 ships and
submarines. Like any other global operation, the Navy requires a sophisticated
information exchange network to ensure the organisation can function
effectively.
To facilitate communication, the MoD has opted for a new messaging
solution - Pasco - based on commercially available hardware and software.
Pasco will provide an information exchange system for personnel in
the Navy and Ministry of Defence, enabling them to distribute operational
information securely between various shore-based locations and with
their colleagues at sea.
Pasco is being deployed by BAE SYSTEMS and ComputaCenter and will be used for a variety of purposes, as Nigel Yard, Head of Information Exchange at the Communications and Defence Infrastructure Division of BAE SYSTEMS, explains: "Pasco will handle a whole range of information from personal e-mail to military orders. It will provide the Navy with additional functionality such as intranet browsing and web-based information transfer while also providing a secure messaging platform. As Pasco is based on modern technology, it will also deliver enhanced performance and reliability and be a lot easier to maintain."
Out with the old, in with the new
Equipment at more than 100 sites in the UK and overseas requires upgrading with new PCs and networks to run Pasco. A number of core sites also require the installation of new servers. BAE SYSTEMS has extensive experience in deploying defence systems but decided, due to the scale of the IT provision, to partner with an experienced commercial IT systems integrator. "There are massive infrastructure implications to rolling out this project. It's not just a case of developing specialist secure messaging software, there's also a new infrastructure to design, integrate and install," comments Nigel.
By outsourcing the design and implementation of the hardware and network, BAE has been able to concentrate on its core competencies, as Nigel explains: "By giving Computacenter responsibility for various elements of the project, we can save time and money. We can also use our in-house resources more effectively, which means we don't have to divert our staff from complex software development work to make decisions on the best way to implement the hardware or configure desktops."
Computacenter has already configured, tested and installed the servers and is now preparing to roll-out approximately 600 desktops, which will eventually serve some 3,000 users by the time Pasco goes live early in 2003.
Testing for the future
The work doesn't finish, however, when the roll-out is complete - a core part of Pasco is the implementation of an effective support and obsolescence management programme, as Nigel explains: "The decision by the MoD to deploy commercial off-the-shelf projects rather than bespoke systems brings enormous benefits in terms of cost, performance, support and administration. There is, however a downside: commercial products are subject to more changes and shorter life cycles compared to the length of service expected from a defence system.”
To overcome this, Computacenter has created a secure reference facility at its Operations Centre in Hatfield. Currently being used by BAE SYSTEMS to test the Pasco software modules prior to deployment, the centre will eventually provide an environment for managing product replacement and obsolescence, as Mark Nevill, Technical Account Manager for Computacenter's Defence Team, explains: "Due to the confidential and sensitive nature of Pasco, all these changes need to be tested and approved before being implemented in a live environment. These tests will be carried out in our government-funded reference facility and will ensure that the security and high availability of the system is not put at risk."
High availability is a fundamental requirement of Pasco, so the reliability and stability of the infrastructure is crucial. Ongoing support services will be provided by Computacenter, who will work with the Ministry of Defence to solve queries on the commercial products involved in the system.
Repeatable Partnership Solutions
Computacenter and BAE SYSTEMS have also worked together on another project to provide British forces with a Pilot Direct Broadcast System while on military expeditions. The system can deliver a range of military information, such as video briefings and data from geographical applications and has already been operated by the Armed Forces in Oman.
"The partnership for Pasco is not a one-off. We need a company like Computacenter to enhance our systems integration skills and knowledge of commercially available technology," comments Nigel. "We have found Computacenter to be very flexible, and together have built an open and honest relationship, which we hope will continue to grow."
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