U.S. Dept. of the Army Awards Intermec Five-Year Prime Contract to Provide Advanced Mobile Computing and Automatic Identification Systems

The U.S. Dept. of the Army has awarded Intermec Technologies a prime contract to provide mobile computing and automatic identification systems, wireless networking technologies and services worth as much as $238 million over the next five years.

The contract, administered by the U.S. Army, will provide equipment, systems and services to all branches of the U.S. Dept. of Defense worldwide. It is part of the U.S. Dept. of Defense's Automatic Identification Technology initiative, a basic building block in the department's efforts to provide timely asset visibility in its global logistics pipeline, whether in process, in storage or in transit.

Under the terms of the five-year technology contract known as AIT-III, Intermec will supply a complete line of advanced mobile computing, wireless communications and data collection systems and services, all engineered to meet the most demanding military applications and deliver unparalleled levels of efficiency and productivity.

Prime contractor Intermec, a UNOVA Inc. company (NYSE:UNA) teamed with Northrop Grumman Corp. (NYSE: NOC) on the project. Northrop Grumman's Information Technology (IT) sector will provide implementation services. Together, the companies have two decades of experience working with the U.S. Government and supervising large, mission-critical automatic data identification technology programs.

"Intermec and the U.S. government have a long and valued partnership," said Intermec Executive Vice President Steve Winter, who led the Intermec/Northrop Grumman proposal team. "Intermec technology already is at work protecting U.S. borders and improving base access security. Our systems play a vital role in the mission of our military by tracking logistics worldwide, improving the efficiency of resource deployment and ensuring materiel is where it is needed when it is needed. We are honored to be asked to expand this working relationship."

"In the military, there's no room for error," said Kent Schneider, president, Defense Enterprise Solutions, Northrop Grumman IT. "Whether tracking supplies or making sure personnel are where they are needed most, accurate, real-time information can mean mission success or failure. Together with our partner Intermec, we are determined to surpass the Defense Department's technology requirements for this mission-critical implementation."

Intermec and Northrop Grumman competed against other top manufacturers and government contractors for the programme. The Intermec team was selected based on the government's requirements for technical excellence, programme management capabilities, past performance on similar contracts and total value.

The Intermec team's proposal featured a coordinated family of advanced products, systems and services, ensuring interoperability, ease of training and maintenance, and worldwide support.

"This decision is a welcome validation of our ongoing commitment to research and development for the government sector," said Intermec President Tom Miller. "It is an investment that benefits our commercial customers as well, as we incorporate the results of our research into our commercial product lines."

Included in the contract's scope are a range of mobile computers, portable data collection terminals, barcode scanners/imagers and printers, wired and wireless communications systems and security software, barcode labels and technical engineering services. Also included are maintenance, training, system and device management solutions, as well as responsibility for implementation, warranty and technical assistance.