DOD tabs SRA for collaboration tool suite

The Defense Department recently selected SRA International Inc. to provide systems integration and engineering support for the Defense Information Systems Agency's Defense Collaboration Tool Suite (DCTS).

The task order, awarded June 12 under the agency's Next Generation Engineering Services contract, has an estimated value of $3.4 million for one year, according to an SRA spokeswoman.

DCTS is a set of commercial products intended to enhance defense missions planning by enabling DOD's geographically separated combatant commands, military services and agencies to chat, conduct videoconferences and share documents, slides and applications online.

Under this task order, SRA will provide program management and network, security and engineering services from information systems to design and integrate DCTS. Work began June 16.

The SRA team includes Abacus Technology Corp., Dataline Inc. and SNVC, according to an SRA spokeswoman.

Last month, Groove Networks Inc.'s Workspace version 2.5 obtained the first DOD certification for interoperability with DCTS version 2.0. In addition to Groove's solution, other products being tested for DCTS 2.0 include:

* Lotus Development Corp.'s Sametime.

* Microsoft Corp.'s NetMeeting, Digital Dashboard and Outlook.

* Sun Microsystems Inc.'s SunForum.

* First Virtual Communications Inc.'s Conference Server.

* Asynchrony Solutions Inc.'s Envoke software for instant messaging.

* Real Networks Inc.'s RealPlayer client and streaming media server.