Global NMCI nerve center picked

After an extensive search, the Navy and EDS have decided that the Navy Marine Corps Intranet nerve center will remain at the existing network operations center in Norfolk, Va.

The global network operations center was originally to be located at the Marine base at Quantico, Va., but no space was available there, so the Navy has been searching for a site.

NMCI's four network operations centers provide mission-critical services for the Navy's new enterprise network, such as network management and monitoring, help-desk support, user administration and information assurance.

Under the Navy's NMCI contract, the Navy provides the site for the network operations centers but EDS provides everything else.

EDS has already constructed three network operations centers: the Naval Station in Norfolk, Va., the Naval Air Station North Island in Coronado, Calif., and Ford Island in Oahu, Hawaii.

The Navy and EDS are still scouting sites for the fourth center. They are still considering placing the fourth center at Quantico, if possible, said NMCI spokeswoman Jennifer McGraw.

Part of the reason for housing the global center in Norfolk is that it will be near the Navy's new Naval Network Warfare Command, which is responsible for all the service's information technology networks, information operations and space requirements, McGraw said.

The global center will be a focal point for computer network defense.

EDS' original plan was to build six network operations centers — with centers at Naval Station Bremerton, near Seattle, and Naval Air Station Jacksonville in Florida. Those facilities will be transformed into server farms that, if necessary, could be transformed into network operations centers, EDS officials have said.

The NOCs provide mission-critical services for the Navy's new EDS-owned network, such as network management and monitoring, help-desk support, user administration and information assurance.

Capt. Chris Christopher, deputy program executive officer for information technology at the Navy Department, noted that NMCI is a contract for a service. Therefore, the Navy does not dictate to EDS how to provide that service but has instead established service levels that EDS must meet. EDS then decides how best to meet those service levels.