Lockheed Martin Integrated Systems and Solutions (IS&S) has received official Notice-to-Proceed instructions from the Army to begin the development, integration and maintenance of the $152 million Army Knowledge Online (AKO) program.

"We are excited to begin work on this important program for the Army," said Lee Hall, Lockheed Martin's program director of AKO. "Our team is working directly with the Army to create a streamlined, integrated infrastructure that will continuously evolve to meet the needs of both the current and future force. Our first priority is to create a joint plan with the Army to ensure an effective transition to the next-generation portal."

With more than 1.8 million users worldwide, AKO is the premier web gateway to the Army enterprise. The sophisticated web portal gives soldiers fast, easy access to dozens of logistics and combat support applications, secure e-mail and messaging, and volumes of valuable information about the Army itself. The AKO Enterprise Services (AKO-ES) program calls for a single contractor team to take over the management and administration of AKO, developing and implementing a strategic plan for streamlining operations and improving service to warfighters.

"This is truly a full-scope effort, one that spans from basic server administration and network maintenance all the way to helping define the future of the Army's technology road map," said Hall. "AKO is poised to become the centerpiece of an evolving IT infrastructure, one that will ultimately link every soldier to a worldwide network powered by the Global Information Grid. For Army soldiers, their entry point into that transformational network will be AKO. Our job is to make sure that every time they log on, they're able to quickly and precisely get to the information they need."

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 135,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2005 sales of $37.2 billion.

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin