Leidos meets NGEN-R SMIT milestone

On August 2, Reston, VA-based Leidos announced that it has completed the transition for the Department of the Navy’s enterprise information technology (IT) networks. The effort represents the foundation for the broader IT modernization planned under the Service Management, Integration and Transport (SMIT) contract that was initially awarded in February 2020 as part of the Next Generation Enterprise Network Recompete (NGEN-R).

On August 1, the Leidos team assumed responsibility for the end-to-end IT operations for the Navy-Marine Corps Intranet (NMCI) and the OCONUS Naval Enterprise Network (ONE-Net), as well as support for the Marine Corps Enterprise Network (MCEN). Combined, the three networks provide IT services for more than 650,000 uniformed and civilian professionals who use it daily in more than 1,500 locations across the U.S. and worldwide.

“Ensuring the Navy has an agile and responsive network is critical to national security, and we are proud to complete the transition successfully,” said Dan Voce, senior vice president and enterprise and cyber solutions operations manager for Leidos. “With this contract, the Navy is moving closer to enterprise networks that can more rapidly develop, test and deploy new mission-critical technologies while maintaining the highest levels of cybersecurity.”

In February 2020, Leidos was awarded the NGEN-R SMIT contract, valued at $7.7 billion over 8 ½ years. After a series of contract protests, Leidos received the formal go-ahead to begin the transition in February 2021. To speed delivery to the Navy, Leidos negotiated with the Government Program Office an acceleration of the transition time from nine months to six months; with the final phase of the transition completed on August 1.

As part of the modernization efforts expected by the Navy, the Leidos team will focus on using innovative technologies, such as artificial intelligence operations (AIOps) and high-performance, risk-reduction virtual labs, to improve service. These advancements will support improved network operations and foster quicker development, testing and deployment of new IT solutions. Additionally, planned improvements such as new omni-channel support services using mobile, email, telephone, text and chat have the goal of enhancing the end-user experience and ultimately reduce time needed to resolve their issues.

“We are excited to have completed our transition and start improving operations,” said Didier LeGoff, Leidos division manager for the SMIT contract. “SMIT’s success will be measured by how well the Navy can leverage smart, scalable networks while addressing future warfighting challenges. Leidos is ready to help the Navy meet and exceed that standard.”

Source: Leidos