The Network Centric Operations Industry Consortium (NCOIC) announces its official launch with a media briefing at the National Press Club in Washington, DC on Tuesday, September 28, 2004. NCOIC is composed of leading global companies in aerospace, communications, defense, and information systems. The Consortium works to develop a common network centric environment, allow for technical interoperability, and provide guidance to develop common standards for the departments or ministries of defense and the intelligence, homeland security, and law enforcement agencies of allied nations in response to asymmetric threats of the 21st century.

  Who:             Executives from BAE Systems, Boeing, CACI, CBT, Cisco
                   Systems, EADS, EMC Corporation, Ericsson, Factiva(R), a
                   Dow Jones and Reuters Company, Finmeccanica, General
                   Dynamics, HP, Honeywell, IBM, Innerwall, L-3
                   Communications, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, Northrop
                   Grumman Electronic Systems Sector, Oracle, Raytheon
                   Company, Rockwell Collins, Saab, SAIC, Smiths Aerospace,
                   Sun Microsystems, Thales, Themis, and The Open Group as
                   management firm.

  What:            Launch of Network Centric Operations Industry Consortium
                   (NCOIC)

  When:            September 28, 2004
                   8:00 am - Continental Breakfast
                   8:30 am - Press Briefing and Questions

  Where:           National Press Club, Frank Holman Room
                   529 14th Street, NW
                   Washington, DC 20045

  Dial in number:  1-888-882-NEWS (1-888-882-6397)
  Webcast:         http://www.connectlive.com/events/ncoic

Executives from member companies will be available for one-on-one interviews following the briefing.

SOURCE: Network Centric Operations Industry Consortium