SAICMagazineWinter/Spring 2003

C O V E R S T O R Y P A G E 6

I N T H I S I S S U E

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SAIC Magazine, published by Science Applications InternationalCorporation for its employees, is available on the internal SAIC Web(issaic.saic.com), and on SAIC’s Home Page at saic.com. Your ideas,stories and suggestions are welcome. Address: SAIC Magazine, 10260Campus Point Drive, San Diego, CA 92121, tel: 858.826.7758, fax:858.826.7191.

Statements contained herein may constitute forward-lookingstatements that involve risks and uncertainties. A number of factorscould cause SAIC’s actual results, performance, achievements orindustry results to be very different from the results, performance orachievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking state-ments. Some of these factors include, but are not limited to, the riskfactors set forth in the SAIC 2002 Annual Report on Form 10-K, andsuch other filings that SAIC makes with the SEC from time to time.Due to such uncertainties and risks, readers are cautioned not toplace undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, whichspeak only as of the date hereof.

E d i t o r s : No l a Sm i t h/Bruc e Ha s l eyW r i t e r : Greg Pankau sk i

D e s i g n / L a y o u t : Dave Poeh lmanP r i n t i n g : Rush P re s s

2-3UAV Global Hawk soars

4Helping first responders prepare

5Our TIGER biosensor

6-7SAIC’s biometrics expertise

8Our RTR-4® X-ray system

9Calpine taps SAIC for IT outsourcing

AWARD-WINNING RESEARCH

10Private information retrieval

11Computing unsteady flows

12Wireless multimedia advances

16EROS Data Center

GLOBAL

HAWK

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SAIC supporting Global Hawk deployment during Operation Enduring Freedom

Unmanned aerial vehicles like the U.S.AirForce’s Global Hawk are playing animportant role in Operation EnduringFreedom, especially in the skies overAfghanistan.

Flying at extremely high altitudes, Global Hawkcan survey large geographic areas with pinpointaccuracy and provide commanders near-real-time,high-resolution, intelligence, surveillance and recon-naissance imagery.According to the Air Force,Global Hawk has provided more than 15,000images during dozens of combat missions over thepast year.

SAIC is part of the Global Hawk OperationEnduring Freedom deployment team that recentlyreceived a top honor from the Air Force – theAeronautical Systems Center Engineering Annual

Award.The award recognized Dan Hinton, a seniorcommunications engineer who represents SAIC onthe team that comprises four contractors and a gov-ernment agency.

With assistance from SAIC’s Frank Shelby,Hinton developed the operational communicationsarchitecture in just 14 days after Global Hawkdeployment efforts began on September 12, 2001.Hinton’s contributions also included communica-tions planning, design, implementation, and thedetermination of the optimal method of employingthe communications infrastructure. His connectivityplanning facilitated the secondary dissemination ofGlobal Hawk imagery to key command and controlcenters by way of the SAIC-built DirectDissemination Element.C O N T I N U E D O N P A G E 1 4

SAICMagazine 4

F rom Utah to West Virginia to Iowa, an interactive, simulation-basedtraining system SAIC developed for the National Guard Bureau ishelping emergency responders prepare for possible terrorist attacksinvolving weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

A team of SAIC scientists and homeland security experts designed and developed theAutomated Exercise and Assessment System (AEAS), which the National Guard is makingavailable to more than 3,000 jurisdictions in the U.S. as part of a community readiness initiative.

Building on simulation technology SAIC developed to train members of the armed forces,the system lets participants respond as a team in real-time to simulated emergency scenarios,such as explosions or the release of radioactive contaminants or biological agents.The systemtracks players’ responses and provides real-time assessments of their expected actions, allowingeach jurisdiction to determine strengths and areas of concern in advance of a real emergency.

“When local jurisdictions nationwide use this training tool, it will allow us to minimize theloss of life of emergency responders and minimize the loss of additional lives following inci-dents involving weapons of mass destruction,” said Dan Donohue, special assistant to the chiefof the National Guard Bureau in Washington, D.C.

HELPING PREPARE FOR

TERROR

C O N T I N U E D O N P A G E 1 4

SAICMagazine 5

Aman drippingsweat staggerstoward the bag-gage carousel ata major U.S. air-port.As his

scab-encrusted arm reaches for aleather valise, the man coughs ariver of blood and collapses.

None of the doctors who seethe man can treat him effectivelybecause they are dealing with anunknown pathogen – perhaps anatural mutation orbioengineered agent.

To help provide answers in ascenario such as this, SAIC ishelping DARPA SPO(DefenseAdvanced Research ProjectsAgency – Special Projects Office)develop a biosensor thatcombines advanced genomic andsignal processing techniques toidentify all known, newlyemergent, and bioengineeredpathogens (including all viruses,bacteria, fungi and protozoa).

Known as TIGER (triangula-

tion identification for geneticevaluation of risks), the biosensoruses mass spectrometry to deter-mine the mass of core geneticmaterial selectively extractedfrom a pathogen. Because it isdifficult to distinguish geneticmaterial from thousands of speci-mens in complex environments(such as a ball of dirt),TIGERuses SAIC-developed signal pro-cessing algorithms to read apathogen’s genetic “signature.”

TIGER then checks thepathogen’s mass against themasses of known pathogens in itsdatabase. If there is no match –because it is a newly evolvedstrain or it has been bioengi-neered – TIGER can tellresearchers if the pathogen issimilar to any known pathogen.

SAIC’s system differs in thisregard from most biosensors,whose antibody-based compo-nents cannot detect unknown orbioengineered pathogens.

In addition,TIGER has a fast

turnaround –tens of minutes–and has extremely low falsealerts.“That’s critical if you aregoing to get into the biodetec-tion business,” says SAICExecutive Vice President SteveRockwood.“You can’t afford afalse alarm because… you’re notgoing to put the population onan antibiotic four times a yearwith false alarms.”

Besides helping health careworkers determine the cause ofmany illnesses, a TIGERbiosensor could help detectbiological warfare attacks onhigh-value installations.This isespecially important as biologicalterrorism ranks as a strategicthreat to the U.S. Not only dobiological agents represent thehighest lethality density of any ofthe major weapons of massdestruction, they are fairly simpleto produce and can be deadly atdoses as small as .00000001milligrams (a paper clip weighsabout 500 milligrams.)

Eye of the

TIGER

SAICMagazine 6

The Future is closerthan you think

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Following the September 11terrorist attacks, securityconcerns sparked increasedinterest in using biometrictechnologies to identifyindividuals. SAIC scientists are

playing a leading role in developing anddeploying biometric technologies and accesscontrol solutions for the Department ofDefense, the New York City PoliceDepartment, the National ScienceFoundation, and others.

Biometrics uses an individual’s uniquephysical characteristics – such as a fingerprint,face, or iris – for personal identification.Thesebiometric identifiers can be converted to dig-ital form and embedded into “smart” creden-tials, decals, and ID cards.The key componentis an integrated circuit chip that performsadvanced cryptographic functions and storesbiometric templates tied to the user’s uniquebiometric information.

For the NYPD, SAIC is helping issuesmart ID badges to thousands of uniformedand civilian workers.The project includesimplementation of an enhanced accesscontrol system using smart cards for policeheadquarters.

“This is a smart card capable of doingmany things, including controlling physicalaccess, logical access, encryption, identi-fication, and time and attendance,” said KirkAgon, director of SAIC’s Smart Solutionsoperation and program manager of theNYPD project.“When it’s printed andloaded, this card will be one of the moresophisticated identification cards in thecountry.”

For another major initiative, SAIC is thelead integrator for the Navy’s CommonAccess Card (CAC) program and assists in theissuance planning for 1.2 million ID cards toauthorized DoD personnel.The standardizedDoD identification card is designed to controlaccess to computer systems and entry tophysical facilities.

“The CAC and its associated public key

infrastructure (PKI) credentials that permit e-mail encryption, secure authentication, andapplication of a digital signature will allow ourcustomer to streamline electronic processesand be in the forefront of information assur-ance,” said Mark Gibson, who oversees SAIC’sSmart Solutions division and its biometricslaboratory, as well as SAIC’s CAC team.� For the National Science Foundation,SAIC conducted a physical security assess-ment and analysis that evaluated access con-trol systems, badging, visitor control andrelated administrative systems, and examinedthe feasibility of an enhanced physical andlogical access control system, including a newsmart ID badge for employees.� For a major U.S. Navy air station, SAICdesigned, integrated, and implemented anautomated smart security access control sys-tem for over 5,000 personnel, contractors, andvisitors.The public-key-enabled system usesPKI certificates to provide role-based authen-tication and administration; creates and editsmaster security records on-line; and automati-cally generates required Navy clearanceforms, reducing administrative burdens.� For the Metropolitan Washington AirportAuthority, SAIC is conducting security threatassessments.We are evaluating potential secu-rity risks and prioritizing options for improv-ing employee credentialing, access control sys-tems, and protection of air intake systemsagainst biological and chemical attacks.

Investigating new biometric techniques.For an important homeland defense initiative,SAIC researchers are helping the DefenseAdvanced Research Projects Agency(DARPA) develop automated biometricidentification technologies to detect, recog-nize and identify humans at a distance.

SAIC has been investigating numerousapproaches for discovering new biometrictechniques for DARPA’s HumanIdentification at a Distance (HumanID) pro-gram. Led by John Irvine, SAIC’s teamincludes the medical expertise of Dr. MarkC O N T I N U E D O N P A G E 1 3

SAICMagazine 8

The terror attacks on the WorldTrade Center and the Pentagonhave made it clear that we arenot invulnerable in the U.S.While the average citizen mayhave been somewhat unaware ofthe many dangers lurking out-

side of his home, SAIC has been a leader in devel-oping systems to detect tools of the terrorist.

For example, SAIC has developed a digital X-raysystem – the RTR-4® – that enables quick searchesfor weapons, drugs, and contraband in areas too difficult or time-consuming to search by hand. Inaddition, the portable system helps enhance thesafety margin for explosive ordnance disposal profes-sionals (and innocent civilians).

“The single key discriminator of the RTR-4 isthat we have the only system in the world that’sfully digital,” says Doug Smith, applications engi-neering manager for RTR-4 at SAIC.“That is, thecommunications between the controller and theimager are digital, as is every other facet of the sys-tem.The other systems out there translate digitalimages into analog and send the data to the con-troller and redigitize it – we don’t do that.We can

even collect the images over the Internet with noadditional equipment.” (The ethernet interfacemeans that no matter how far away you send animage, it does not lose quality.You can send animage across the room or across the continent, andthe quality will be exactly the same).This alsoenables wireless communications with inexpensive,reliable, commercial off-the-shelf equipment.

“One key challenge was developing the digitalinterface; another was getting the price down towhere it was feasible for communities,” says Smith.

In fact, many cities and counties around the U.S.use the RTR-4 system to detect weapons anddrugs. (SAIC has sold thousands of RTR-4 systemsin the last four years.) The FBI, according to Smith,bought a large number of systems and distributedthem to various bomb squads in regions around thecountry.The U.S. Post Office has also purchasedseveral systems.

In addition, all of the branches of the U.S.ArmedForces use the RTR-4 system around the world. Forexample, the U.S. military has used the system inAfghanistan, Kosovo, Bosnia, as well as Cambodiaand other far-flung places, for explosive ordnance

DIGITAL X-RAY SYSTEM

scans around the world

C O N T I N U E D O N P A G E 1 3

SAICMagazine 9

When the U.S.’sleading indepen-dent power pro-ducer, Calpine,wanted to focus

on its core business of providingclean, efficient energy, Calpineturned to SAIC for IT outsourcing.

SAIC is helping Calpine savemoney and improve efficiency byproviding infrastructure support ser-vices, including help desk, desktop,and voice and data network services.(Specifically, we support about 3,300desktops and monitor Calpine’s net-work routers and switches from San

Diego, California.We also provide24/7 help desk support for voice,video and teleconferencing servicefrom our North American IntegratedServices Management Center in OakRidge,Tennessee.)

In addition to our role as the sin-gle point of contact for infrastructuresupport services, we provide Calpine– the world’s largest geothermalpower producer – with access to astrong team of project managers andapplication developers.

“Collaborating with twoentrepreneurial cultures thatrecognize and value creativity and

flexibility can help Calpine betterrespond to changing business needs,while improving customer service,usability and lowering costs,” saysSAIC senior vice president MarkPierson.

Based in San Jose, California,Calpine generates and marketsnatural gas-fired and geothermalpower through its plants in the U.S.,Canada, and the United Kingdom.The majority of SAIC’s work on thethree-year, $34-million outsourcingcontract is in the U.S., with somework in Canada – about 126locations in total.

HOTIT SOLUTIONS

SAIC’s

Innovative IT outsourcing for geothermal power leader Calpine

A hundred years ago, if you had wan-dered down from the Sierra NevadaMountains to the general store toorder new pans to sift gold, extra packsfor your burros, and the location of the

nearest claims office, the clerk might have assumedyou had struck gold.

Today, many people store information as valuableas gold – about stocks, patents, medical research, etc.– in databases that they may assume are secure. Butwhen you query a database you leave clues forsomebody – such as a dishonest databaseadministrator – to infer what you are after.

To help surmount this,Telcordia Technologies(Eyal Kushilevitz and Rafail Ostrovsky) developedand patented cryptographic protocols (known assingle database private information retrievalschemes) that allow users to get information from adatabase, while keeping the content of their queriessecret (and without having to download the entiredatabase).This technology was made even more effi-cient in a recent ESTC Award-winning paper (and

patent) by Giovanni Di Crescenzo,Yuval Ishai, andRafail Ostrovsky, who have extended the originalmethod to commodity-based private informationretrieval schemes.

The Telcordia solution involves using indepen-dent commodity service providers that offline sendcommodities – special-purpose randomized mes-sages – via secure channels to the user and eachdatabase.The simple and modular schemes allowyou to significantly reduce overall communicationand computation through the offline messages,which enhances security.

The service providers need only know the datasize, not the database contents or future userrequests. In fact, the service providers do not needto know how many other service providers you use– they only send a single message (commodity) toeach client.

Some of the commodity schemes the Telcordiaresearchers have developed include those for singleand multiple databases, and for information-theo-retic multiple databases. In addition, the authors

SAICMagazine 10

IN ITS ANNUAL COMPETITION, SAIC’S EXECUTIVE SCIENCE &

TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL RECOGNIZES SOME OF THE MOST

INNOVATIVE RESEARCH AND BEST WRITTEN TECHNICAL PAPERS

AND BOOKS BY SAIC SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS. HERE ARE

THE FINAL THREE SUMMARIES OF THE LATEST AWARD WINNERS.

DATABASE INFORMATIONR

ET

RI E V I N G

C O N T I N U E D O N P A G E 1 3

SAICMagazine 11

As computer simu-lation becomesmore sophisticated,humanity makesstrides toward the

ability to predict the future.Nowhere is this propositionmore challenging than in themodeling of complex, dynamicphenomena, such as gases andliquids in motion.

To numerically modelunsteady phenomena in spaceand time, scientists continuallywrestle with tradeoffs betweenaccuracy, speed, and economics.

In general, to improve theaccuracy and speed of simulation,a numerical algorithm mustincrease in complexity, memoryand CPU usage, and associatedcost.

SAIC’s Hong Luo has defiedthis conventional wisdom by cre-ating a new computer algorithmthat is fast, accurate, and eco-nomical. Luo’s “matrix-freeimplicit method” conservesmemory and CPU time – a wel-come deviation from traditionalCPU- and memory-intensivemethods for simulating fluiddynamics.

Luo summarizes,“With thespeed of the new matrix-freeimplicit algorithm, we can solveproblems that before now wereimpractical to solve.And becausethe method uses only a fractionof the memory required by pre-vious methods, the matrix-freeapproach is even cost effective forsolving flow problems aroundcomplex, three dimensional con-

figurations.”While Luo tested thealgorithm on several unsteadyfluid dynamics problems, themethod could be applied to vir-tually any engineering applica-tion that is governed by a set ofpartial differential equations.

The predecessor of Luo’smatrix-free implicit method isthe “fully implicit method.”While the fully implicit methodexecutes rapidly, it requires a vastamount of memory to store aJacobian matrix at each time step,making it unrealistic to solve –even with modern supercomput-ers.An alternative algorithm, theexplicit method, is more realisticin its memory requirements butis too slow to be useful in solvingcomplex problems.

BREAKING theMOLDin computer modeling

C O N T I N U E D O N P A G E 1 3

SAICMagazine 12

Web

Music delivery. Game playing. High-speedInternet. Streaming video.These and other emerg-ing multimedia wireless services come with highcustomer expectations and increased demands onnetwork resources. Carriers can better satisfy both

with the help of two patent-pending techniques developed byresearchers at our Telcordia subsidiary.

Even before multimedia wireless, allocating the right amountof bandwidth had been a challenge.Allocate too littlebandwidth in one part of the network, and wireless calls getdropped much more frequently when they are handed off fromone wireless base station to another. Customer satisfaction candrop at the same time.Allocate too much bandwidth andcarriers may not achieve the revenues needed to operateprofitably. Now add to this more flexible wireless InternetProtocol (IP) networks – and data and video calls that acceptdifferent levels of service quality and successfully hand off withdifferent levels of bandwidth – and the difficulty in predictingbandwidth needs increases dramatically.

In spite of the increased complexity, the new techniquesdeveloped by Telcordia researchers successfully predicted the lev-els of network resources that would both optimize the amountof traffic on the network and, at the same time, reduce thenumber of dropped handoff calls.

They did so because they model demand directly (unlikeprevious methods that try to model the myriad complicated andchanging set of factors that affect demand). By modelingdemand directly, the new techniques allow for wide variabilityin per-call resource demands, call and channel holding times,call arrival times, and network configurations.

The first technique used Wiener models similar to those thatpredict stochastic processes such as Brownian motion in physicsor stock prices in finance.This technique used present networkresource demands to predict future resource requirements.

Sometimes, future resource requirements may also depend onpast resource demands.To take this into account, the researchersdeveloped a second technique based on time series analysis.

Interestingly, these dynamic resource prediction techniquesgenerated almost identical results that agreed well with the mea-surements of actual network resource demands about 95% ofthe time.The new techniques required fewer capabilities to runand were easier to implement compared to previous methods.

Leading the research effort was Prathima Agrawal.The teamincluded Toshikazu Kodama, President of Toshiba AmericaResearch, which helped fund the research,Tao Zhang, Eric vanden Berg, Jasmine Chennikara, and former Telcordia ResearchScientist Jyh-Cheng.Their paper,“Local predictive resourcereservation for handoff in multimedia wireless IP networks,” waspublished in IEEE Journal on selected areas in communications.

WIRELESSMULT MEDIA

Breaking theMoldC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 1 1

SAICMagazine 13

Together with Joseph Baum and Rainald Löhner, Luo hasdeveloped the matrix-free implicit approach, which uses only asmall fraction (3%) of the original matrix of data from theimplicit method.The matrix-free method boasts just one-fifththe required memory of the fully implicit method and onehundred times the speed of the explicit method, making it farmore practical than previous algorithms.

And what about accuracy? In the team’s prior research, thematrix-free method successfully approximated steady-state prob-lems (at one point in time) but could not approximate unsteady,time-dependent problems (over a given time period). In theircurrent research, the scientists have extended the accuracy of thematrix-free method to time-dependent problems by introducinga correction mechanism called the “pseudo time variable.”Thenew pseudo time-marching scheme increases the matrix-freeimplicit method’s accuracy to that of the fully implicit andexplicit methods.

Luo’s award-winning paper,“An accurate, fast, matrix-freeimplicit method for computing unsteady flows on unstructuredgrids,” appeared in Computers & Fluids.The research wassponsored by the Defense Special Weapons Agency.

Digital X-rayC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 8

disposal and base security appli-cations. (The rugged and flexibleRTR-4 family of products caneven be transported in a com-partmentalized padded backpackfor use in remote locations.)

“This is a very flexible, adapt-able system,” says Smith.“Therewas a case where a customer hadto do hundreds of X-rays at acertain location.The RTR-4worked for several days con-stantly shooting and camethrough unscathed – no objectsblew up. Our customer was ableto inspect virtually everything onsite in a reasonable amount oftime.That was very beneficial tothe customer and enabled themto release that area and declare itsafe faster than they could haveunder other circumstances.”

The largest future growth areafor the system, however, is over-seas, says Smith.“In fact, Italybought the first RTR-4 systems.With the simple, flexible archi-tecture of the RTR-4, customiz-ing the system for other lan-guages has been very simple,shortening the time to marketand making it potentially avail-able to the whole world.”

BioMetrics C O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 7

Wiederhold, and signal processing and data analysis by SteveIsrael and Andrew Cheng.The goal: develop technologies to pro-vide critical early warning support for force protection andhomeland defense against terrorist, criminal, and other threats.

According to Irvine, SAIC’s research has shown that new bio-metric methods are viable for human identification based onmedically verified features of a person’s heartbeat and pulse.Analyses indicate that features can be extracted from standardmedical sensors, such as electrocardiograms, that provide goodidentification of individuals across a range of mental and emo-tional states.These approaches can be fused with conventionalbiometrics, such as fingerprints or facial recognition, for moreaccurate identification.

In addition, SAIC’s Todd Scruggs is leading the team’s effortto help DARPA identify and implement facial recognition algo-rithms from scientific documentation.

“By leveraging our efforts on the HumanID program, we arewell positioned to pursue opportunities involving the develop-ment, integration, and deployment of biometric systems andadvanced database management systems,” said Scruggs.“In fact,we are currently developing a face-recognition system and asso-ciated database for another government customer.”

show how to test the reliabilityof service providers.

The results of the researchfrom Di Crescenzo, Ishai, andOstrovsky,“Universal service-providers for database privateinformation retrieval,” werepublished in the Journal ofCryptography.

Database InformationC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 1 0

TERROR C O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 4

SAICMagazine 14

The exercises are based on a comprehensive setof tasks, conditions, and standards identified bystakeholder response agencies throughout the U.S.Scenarios apply to most small, medium, and largejurisdictions in the U.S.They are detailed enoughfor making weapons effects calculations using algo-rithms implemented in SAIC’s ConsequencesAssessment Tool Set and Joint Assessment of Cata-strophic Events (CATS/JACE) suite of models.

The CD-ROM-based exercise system creates arealistic training environment without the cost,safety, and logistics concerns associated with live, on-location training that can involve hundreds of roleplayers, dozens of emergency vehicles, and otherequipment.

Instead, the exercises can be conducted in a singleroom. Each participant plays one of approximately40 different roles (such as law enforcement, publichealth, fire protection, transportation) on a personalcomputer that provides scenario information andsituational message traffic, including communica-tions chaff designed to create realistic chaos andconfusion within the communications chatter.

Officials in Weber County, Utah, and StoryCounty, Iowa, recently used the SAIC system forinteractive training exercises.

“The 2002 Winter Olympic Games enabledWeber County to be in the forefront of emergencyand response training,” said Dr. Jim Cline, director ofSpecial Projects, Readiness and Response in SAIC’sHomeland Security Solutions Group.“This trainingexercise enables us to continue the work we pro-vided the citizens of Utah during the WinterOlympics and, working with the National Guard,we look forward to offering all the counties andjurisdictions nationwide the effective tools availabletoday to train for terrorist attacks involving weaponsof mass destruction.”

SAIC is working with the National Guard andthe Department of Defense, exploring how theAEAS could be adapted to address the needs of thehospital emergency incident command system(HEICS), thereby broadening the impact and effec-tive use of AEAS for enhanced medical WMD pre-paredness in the hospitals and medical treatmentfacilities.

Additionally, Hinton’s efforts enabled the Air Force to deploy the GlobalHawk communications system internationally and to conduct flight opera-tions over an area the size of the United States.

“Dan Hinton has been extensively involved in the satellite communicationsplanning for all Global Hawk deployments and long range missions – Alaska,Portugal,Australia, and most recently for Operation Enduring Freedom,” saidClay Stewart, who manages SAIC’s Reconnaissance Surveillance Operation.“It is gratifying to have Dan’s accomplishments so acknowledged by the cus-tomer.”

Intelligence information provided by unmanned aerial vehicles such asGlobal Hawk is extremely valuable to theater-level commanders, but only if itis received in a timely manner. SAIC developed the Direct DisseminationElement (DDE) to meet this need. DDE allows military analysts and strategiststo request, receive, view, and forward intelligence information in near real-time. Jim Meagher is the SAIC program manager for DDE.

The DDE was the result of a requirement by the Defense AdvancedResearch Projects Agency and the Air Force to field a low-cost imageryexploitation/dissemination platform for the Global Hawk, Stewart said.

Global Hawk C O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 3

SAICMagazine 15

walking away, the group rallied.The result was a very strategic,six-year campaign to win overthe customer, the U.S. GeologicalSurvey.“We knew we could doan excellent job for the EROSData Center (EDC); we just hadto persuade the USGS,” saidHutchinson.

It’s lucky they stayed thecourse. In October 2002, afteryears of hard work and monthsof rising anticipation,Hutchinson’s group unseated along-term incumbent andbecame the new technical sup-port contractor for the EROSData Center.The contract, valuedat almost $177 million over fiveyears, is the largest USGS win inSAIC’s history.

But this was much more thana business victory for Hutchinsonand his staff.They see this as anopportunity to make animportant contribution to theworld.“The work at the EROSData Center is vital to ourunderstanding of future land useand environmental change,which is at the center of nationaland international debate today,”says Hutchinson.“Our work at the center will potentiallyaffect millions of lives,” addsDeputy Program ManagerSandra Murray.

The center also plays a keyrole in research on natural andman-made disasters. In the past,these have included volcaniceruptions, oil spills, floods,hurricanes, droughts, as well asthe Chernobyl nuclear reactoraccident and the environmentaldamage caused during the Gulf War.

Researchers worldwide relyon the center for maps, images,and data products. In fact, thecenter holds the world’s largestcollection of non-militaryremotely sensed data - more than 15 million images capturedby NASA’s Space Shuttle, byNASA and commercial aircraft,and by USGS, NASA, andNOAA satellites.

All of this makes the centerthe premier facility of its kind inthe world and an excellent fitwith Hutchinson’s Space, Earth& Atmospheric Sciences Group.The group performs similar work for the AtmosphericSciences Data Center at NASA’sLangley Research Center, as wellas key technical support for several spaceborne remote sens-ing instruments at NASA’sGoddard Space Flight Center.The Group also provides signifi-cant engineering support to theSpace Shuttle and InternationalSpace Station.

The strong capabilities matchalso explains why, when it cameto winning the contract,Hutchinson and Deputy GroupManager (and Capture Manager)Al Watkins took this as a personalquest.According to Dovie,“theirinvolvement was key.When thebosses are at all the meetings andpersonally lead all the reviews,the capture team has a sense ofurgency and unity.”

With the win now behindthem, the SAIC team has a clearvision of the challenges ahead.“We begin work on the contractagainst the backdrop of EDCinternal reorganization, shiftingpriorities, budget limitations

within the USGS, an aggressivemove toward performance-basedcontracting at the center, poten-tial privatization of the Landsatsatellites, and the increasinglymultidisciplinary nature of landscience,” says Ed Gibson, SAICprogram manager and formerNASA Skylab astronaut.

Another important initiativewill be to keep the data centerand USGS on the forefront ofinformation technology.“Welook forward to helping USGSdevelop new technologies andapplications to handle the explo-sive growth of data beingarchived at the center and toappropriately process these data,”says Gibson.

Thanks to the collection capabilities of today’s remotesensing instruments, these dataare increasing toward multipleterabytes a day. Finding informa-tion in this growing mountain ofdata will require some of themost advanced software andalgorithms used in high-perfor-mance computing. Having betterdata mining tools is essentialbecause these “enormous,absolutely unique data sets willhelp determine land use and veg-etation cover, manage nationalresources, and advance theunderstanding of anthropogeniceffects on the earth,” saysHutchinson.

Sharing this commitment areabout 475 SAIC and subcontrac-tor employees, who will be operating the world’s leading data center for land use and landprocesses research from its location in Sioux Falls, SouthDakota.

EROS Data Center C O N T I N U E D F R O M B A C K C O V E R

The first time Neil Hutchinson and his group competed forthe Earth Resources Observation System (EROS) DataCenter contract back in 1996, they received unwelcomenews.“We came in a close second, and I hate that number,”remembers Group Contracts Director Tony Dovie. Instead of

C O N T I N U E D O N P A G E 1 5

EROSData Center

Long campaign to win USGScontract a success: SAIC to

help operate world-renownedEROS Data Center

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