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BURLINGTON, Mass., May 9, 2007 – The DirecNet™ Task Force, an alliance of recognized leaders in the development of military communications systems, today announced the addition of three new corporate members to its multi-vendor organization. Effective immediately, Raytheon Company has joined DirecNet as a Principal member while AAI Corporation and ViaSat, Inc. have joined as Associate-level members.
Formed in July 2006 by nine leading military communications systems companies, the DirecNet Task Force is working to develop an open standard to enable highly mobile, directional, high data rate, ad hoc communications networks. Founding members include: BAE Systems; Boeing; Cubic Defense Applications; Harris; ITT Corporation; Innovative Concepts; L-3 Communications; Northrop Grumman; and Rockwell Collins. DirecNet operates under the auspices of The Open Group, a vendor- and technology-neutral consortium focused on open standards and global interoperability.
“On behalf of the Task Force, I would like to welcome AAI, Raytheon and ViaSat as our latest members,” said Gary Nault, chairman, DirecNet Task Force. “Each member brings a slightly different area of expertise and unique perspective to our stewardship of this process. It’s exciting to think that the DirecNet open standard will be an outcome of this unprecedented collaboration of industry leaders.”
New members announced today include:
- Raytheon Company (Principal Member) – With 2006 sales of $20.3 billion, Raytheon Company (www.raytheon.com) is an industry leader in defense and government electronics, space, information technology, technical services, and business and special mission aircraft. Headquartered in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs more than 80,000 people worldwide.
- AAI Corp. (Associate Member) – Headquartered in Hunt Valley, Maryland, AAI Corp. (www.aaicorp.com) designs, produces and supports aerospace and defense systems. Its products and services include unmanned aircraft systems, training and simulation systems, automated aircraft test and maintenance equipment, armament systems, logistical and engineering services, and other leading-edge technology solutions for aerospace and defense needs.
- ViaSat, Inc. (Associate Member) – Based in Carlsbad, Calif., ViaSat (www.viasat.com) produces innovative satellite and other communication products that enable fast, secure, and efficient communications to any location. The Company provides networking products and managed network services for enterprise IP applications; is a key supplier of network-centric military communications and encryption technologies to the U.S. government; and is the primary technology partner for gateway and customer-premises equipment for consumer and mobile satellite broadband services.
For more general information on the DirecNet Task Force, please visit: http://www.direcnet.org/default.htm. For membership inquiries, please contact John (Jay) Spaulding, DirecNet Task Force Director for The Open Group, a j.spaulding@opengroup.org.
Hosted by The Open Group, the DirecNet Task Force is multi-vendor alliance of recognized leaders in the development of military communications systems focused on creating new specifications for a directional mesh networking system based entirely on open-standards. Serving as critical subject matter expert contributors to the standard development process, DirecNet Task Force members include: AAI Corp., BAE Systems; Boeing; Cubic Defense Applications; Harris; ITT Corporation; Innovative Concepts; L-3 Communications; Northrop Grumman; Raytheon, Rockwell Collins and ViaSat.
The Open Group is a vendor-neutral and technology-neutral consortium, which drives the creation of Boundaryless Information Flow™ that will enable access to integrated information within and between enterprises based on open standards and global interoperability. The Open Group works with customers, suppliers, consortia and other standard bodies. Its role is to capture, understand and address current and emerging requirements, establish policies and share best practices; to facilitate interoperability, develop consensus, and evolve and integrate specifications and open source technologies; to offer a comprehensive set of services to enhance the operational efficiency of consortia; and to operate the industry’s premier certification service. Further information on The Open Group can be found at http://www.opengroup.org.
Note to editors: Boundaryless Information Flow and TOGAF are trademarks of The Open Group.
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