Industry News
Boeing FIRST Program Awarded $995 Million Multi-year Contract
The U.S. Navy has awarded Boeing a five-year performance-based logistics contract valued at $995 million for the F/A-18E/F Integrated Readiness Support Teaming (FIRST) program.
In addition to substantial savings, the new multi-year contract will allow the U.S. Navy to consolidate the separate contracts the FIRST program currently operates under into a single contract overseen by the Naval Inventory Control Point, NAVICP. The contract also adds features not currently covered, including automated maintenance environment, an integrated software program that improves maintenance data, fault diagnosis and decisions, and integrated electronic technical manuals for F/A-18A-D models.
FIRST is a performance-based logistics contract to provide support to the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. The objective is to improve fleet support and aircraft readiness while reducing costs. The contract provides asset management (spares and repairs), supportability improvements, obsolescence management, technology insertion and integrated logistics support.
As part of FIRST, Boeing provides field support representatives on site at fielded aircraft bases in California and Virginia under the Hornet support network concept. Boeing utilizes several original equipment manufacturer suppliers along with Navy depots in California, North Carolina and Florida to perform repairs as part of FIRST.
FIRST began in 2001 with annual contracts. The program is projected to provide approximately $1.0 billion in cost avoidances and savings over the 30-plus-year life cycle of the Super Hornet. FIRST was nominated for the Department of Defense awards program for excellence in performance based logistics by the Navy's Program Executive Office for Tactical Aircraft, Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md.
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Banco Espírito Santo and IBM Sign 150 Million Euro IT Services Contract
Banco Espírito Santo (BES), one of the major multi-specialist financial groups in Portugal, and IBM representatives announced a 150 million euro (US$181 million), 10-year outsourcing services agreement for IBM to manage the bank’s information technology infrastructure. The contract is expected to reduce the bank's IT infrastructure costs by 25%.
Established in 1920, BES Group is ranked among the top three financial institutions in with more than 1.6 million clients and operations in 17 countries.
The contract with IBM includes management of the main information systems infrastructure of the BES Group, supporting the operations of Banco Espírito Santo, Banco BEST, Banco Espírito Santo dos Açores, Tranquilidade, Tranquilidade Vida and Espírito Santo Seguros. This follows a strategic move by the group towards greater flexibility, while simplifying processes and cutting IT costs.
IBM will also manage the IT infrastructure (IBM zSeries, IBM pSeries and IBM iSeries servers), providing business continuity and recovery services through a network of IBM recovery centers, protecting the bank’s activities from potential interruptions.
The agreement with IBM is part of a key program by the BES Group with the aim of increasing the group's global efficiency. In the computing area, the goal is to rationalize the applications architecture, and consolidate and standardize IT processes, providing an enhanced and integrated computing infrastructure management.
The project begins this month.
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Ericsson to Build and Manage Natrindo's 3G Network in Indonesia
Indonesian mobile operator Natrindo Telepon Selular (NTS) has awarded Ericsson a contract to build, operate and manage its new 3G/WCDMA network in Jakarta and surrounding areas.
Under the two-year agreement Ericsson will supply both 2G and 3G/WCDMA radio network equipment and undertake the turnkey implementation of NTS's upgraded network. Implementation will begin immediately.
Kusnadi Sukarja, President of NTS, says Ericsson was chosen primarily because of its technical and commercial merits, supported by its world-leading expertise in the rapidly changing mobile telecommunications industry.
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Fujitsu to Construct New Fab for Logic Chips Employing 65nm Process Technology and 300mm Wafers
Representatives of Fujitsu Limited announced that the company will construct a new fab to mass-produce logic semiconductors employing leading-edge 65-nanometer (nm) process technology and 300 millimeter (mm) wafers. The fab will be constructed at Fujitsu's Mie semiconductor plant, in Mie prefecture of central Japan, as the second 300mm fab of the plant and will be referred to as 300mm Fab No.2. In addition to accommodating increasing demand for semiconductors produced using advanced processes through construction of the new fab, by continuing to offer optimized solutions and high-performance products based on leading-edge technologies, Fujitsu will continue to be a trusted business partner to its customers.
300mm Fab. No.2, which will feature a dual-level clean room structure, is scheduled to be constructed within fiscal 2006 (April 2006 - March 2007) and become operational from April 2007, with volume shipments expected to start from July 2007.
During the two year period till the end of fiscal 2007, Fujitsu will invest approximately 120 billion yen in the new fab and production capacity will reach 10,000 wafers per month. Further investments will be made in stages as the company evaluates trends in market demand. Fujitsu expects the maximum capacity of the facility will be 25,000 wafers per month.
300mm Fab. No.1, the first 300mm fab that was constructed at the Mie plant with a line for mass production of 300mm wafers employing 90nm technology, has been operational since April 2005 and will reach a production capacity of 15,000 wafers per month in fiscal 2006.
Fujitsu has been highly appraised by its customers for its ability to offer advanced process technologies which realize high-speed operation and low power consumption simultaneously, a competitive edge made possible by its transistor technologies and copper wiring and low-K process technologies, in addition to receiving high marks for its design methodologies which enable first-shot full operation. Fujitsu is continuously in negotiations with various global technology partners, and expects that from fiscal 2007, demand will significantly exceed the production capacity of its currently operating 300mm Fab. No.1.
By constructing the 300mm Fab No.2 with a dual-level clean room structure capable of easy expansion of capacity, Fujitsu will ensure a stable supply of leading-edge logic chips to its customers.
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EDS Names Jeff Baum to Lead Global Communications
Representatives of EDS announced the company has promoted Jeff Baum to vice president of Global Communications, effective immediately. In his new role, Baum will be responsible for all of EDS’ internal and external communications in 60 countries around the world. He will report directly to EDS’ Office of the Chairman. Baum replaces Tom Mattia, who is leaving the company.
Baum, who joined EDS in 2000, most recently served as vice president of External Relations, where he directed the company’s corporate public relations and community affairs efforts.
Prior to joining EDS, Baum served as director of financial media relations for Lucent Technologies. Previously, Baum managed government affairs, corporate communications, and corporate media relations for Warner-Lambert Company. He began his career as a congressional staff member and later worked with the Washington office of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, a leading legislative law firm.
Baum holds a degree in journalism from The Pennsylvania State University. He is a member of the Public Relations Society of America and Communications Executive Council and serves on the board of directors of the Dallas Zoological Society. Baum lives in Plano, Texas with his wife, Lori, and his sons, Alex and Matthew.
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Raytheon Names Courtney B. Banks to Lead Homeland Security Strategic Business Area
Raytheon Company has appointed Courtney B. Banks vice president of Homeland Security for the company's Intelligence and Information Systems (IIS) business. She will operate from Raytheon's Washington office in Arlington, Va.
In her new position Banks will lead Raytheon's Strategic Business Area of Homeland Security, using resources and expertise from across the company to pursue and enhance homeland security and defense programs. Banks will focus on providing mission-assured, knowledge-driven security systems and services that help protect our nation and its allies.
Banks brings a wealth of leadership experience in the defense industry and the homeland security business sector. She comes to IIS from Lockheed Martin Systems Management Corp., where she most recently served as director of the company's Homeland Systems Solutions and Screening Partnership Program business units. In that role, she was responsible for strategic business planning and development focused on customers in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Secret Service, Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, Transportation Security Administration, FBI and other government agencies.
A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor's of arts degree, Banks earned her master's of arts degree in national security studies from Georgetown University. She is vice chair of the American Society for Industrial Security's Combating Terrorism Council and sits on the National Defense Industrial Association's Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict Board.
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Alcatel Appoints Charles Matthews as Chief Compliance Officer
Charles Matthews has been appointed Chief Compliance Officer of Alcatel ( Paris : CGEP.PA and NYSE : ALA), effective immediately. In this newly created position, Mr. Matthews will oversee regulatory compliance according to international laws and standards, corporate governance and business practices worldwide for the Group. He will be a member of the Ethics Committee and will report to Serge Tchuruk, Chairman and CEO of Alcatel. This appointment is part of Alcatel's commitment to the highest standards of best practice.
Charles Matthews joined the Group in 1986 as Secretary and General Counsel of Alcatel in Australia. He then held various legal positions in Alcatel's Headquarters, Submarine and Optics activities. From 2001 to 2003, he was Alcatel's Chief Country Officer in the UK and Ireland. Charles Matthews began his career as commercial manager in GEC Marconi, supporting export business. He holds a degree in Engineering from London University and is a member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers in the UK. He is a qualified lawyer called to the bar in England & Australia.
