New Messaging System For Pentagon

Ashburn, VA - The Pentagon Telecommunications Center (PTC) has awarded Telos Corporation a new contract for critical IT infrastructure related to messaging. The contract, awarded through the NETCENTS contract vehicle, covers three years of the company's services and is valued at a minimum of $18 million. Contract options could potentially raise the total contract value as high as $34 million.

The PTC is the Army's nerve center in the Pentagon for operating and managing the critical IT infrastructure related to messaging. It is a single, integrated Defense Message System service provider for Army installations, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Joint Chiefs of Staff, military services' headquarters, the White House, combatant commanders, civil departments and agencies, allies and foreign embassies. The system provides the capability to: securely send and track official communications for command and control electronic messaging; transmit messages from one organization to another; provide orders or direction to the receiving organization; and transmit officially recognized intelligence information.

Due to the extremely sensitive nature of the information passed through the system and the critical need for messages to be delivered without fail, PTC has elected to continue working with Telos, a company with a proven track record in Department of Defense (DoD) secure messaging. Telos will support the integration, operation and maintenance of the messaging systems operating at the PTC, including the Automated Message Handling System, an Xacta product used widely throughout the DoD. Xacta is Telos' wholly owned subsidiary that develops secure enterprise solutions. Under the contract, Telos will register new users on the messaging systems as well as operate and maintain the systems and provide 24x7x365 customer service support.

"During the past two years, we've seen Telos' commitment to helping us create and maintain state-of-the-art message handling systems," said Marvin Owens, director PTC. "This contract allows us to continue a highly-productive relationship. They have the expertise to help us operate and maintain a critical component in the DoD's communications infrastructure."

Telos has provided similar support to PTC for the last two years, and with the new contract in place, Telos' existing support level could expand depending upon the contract options exercised by PTC. All Telos staff members working with PTC have Top Secret security clearances.

"This award is the culmination of the efforts of a very talented team - one that has been working hard for years to help the PTC accomplish its mission," said Frank Whitehead, vice president of programs for Telos. "This contract is indicative of the success we're experiencing in secure messaging throughout the DoD. Telos provides the rare skill combination of technical capabilities mixed with the security expertise to handle messaging of such a sensitive nature."

Telos staff will perform services under the contract in a classified, secure environment, 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year.

SOURCE: Telos Corporation