NMCI and its Management of the Step Sites

The Navy possesses obsolete information technology infrastructure and has about 1,000 networks, some without system security. The Navy and Marine Corps Intranet NMCI is an enterprise-wide service contract that was engaged to incorporate the newest strategic computing and communications capabilities. The Department of the Navy DoN, the Defense Information Systems Agency DISA, and the Department of Defense DoD are working with NMCI to improve security, standardize hardware and software, and establish connectivity throughout the command, control, communications, and computer information C4I network. Their goal is to provide online, anytime, and anywhere connectivity for voice, video, and data exchange between tactical and nontactical forces for Naval and other DoD organizations. To achieve these goals, NMCI needs to control the step sites. Step sites are tactical entry points that provide access to the integrated tactical strategic data network ITSDN. The network provides an IP router-based data network to support tacticaldeployed forces MCWP 3-40.3 4-1. There are 14 step sites established through out the world. These sites allow MAGTFs and other DoD organizations to successfully access or link both tactical and garrison networks from any deployment. Data exchange between tacticalnontactical DoD organizations requires that the contractor maintains all hardware and software to standard, and upgrades the system as new technology evolves. This ensures that NMCI does not fall behind corporate America. Quality can only be accomplished if NMCI also controls the steps sites that will connect the Garrison network to the tacticaldeployed network. It is only logical to have the same people controlling both networks equipment.