Navy Marine Corps Intranet 75 percent done

The Navy is three-quarters of the way to completing the multibillion-dollar Navy Marine Corps Intranet.

The Navy has installed 260,000 of 346,000 computers for NMCI —75 percent of the PCs planned for the program. NMCI also has four network operations centers, three enterprise help desks, 30 of 31 unclassified server farms with a 263-terabyte capacity, and 18 of 21 classified servers with a 41-terabyte capability, according to a new Navy report.

The Navy said more than 500,000 personnel are using NMCI, and that it is the largest corporate intranet in the world. The service accounts for the 500,000 figure because the contract allows two users for each computer ordered, according to the 10-page report sent to Congress in September. The 2005 Defense Authorization Act mandated the report.

The Navy said NMCI has reduced its number of infrastructure servers from 21,000 to 10,000 and the number of routers, switches and firewalls from 10,000 to 5,000. In addition, the service said NMCI has also streamlined its number of applications from 39,000 to 11,300 with a goal of 8,400. Part of NMCI’s purpose is to reduce redundant items to save money and increase efficiency.

NMCI also has improved computer security, the Navy said. The network stopped 10 million unauthorized access attempts in 2004 and a similar number this year, and it trapped, quarantined and disinfected 60,000 viruses, the report states.

The Navy awarded EDS a seven-year, $7 billion contract in 2000 for NMCI to manage its data and voice networks at shore sites here and abroad. NMCI creates an enterprise network to improve security, interoperability and performance, but the program has experienced problems, such as occasional delays in installing computers and Navy personnel rebelling because of enforced use of certain software.