Intranet access continues to be a major, major intranet challenge for most organizations with manufacturing or remote employees. Remote, manufacturing and retail employees very rarely have access to a computer. Therefore in some organizations a huge chunk of employees do not have access to the intranet.

If a large chunk of your potential audience cannot access the intranet, the intranet’s value to your company is severely limited.

For those in this position, there are three principal options:

1-    Virtual Private Networks (VPN) – can be expensive

2-    Internet-based portal – inexpensive but security often a concern

3-    Central kiosks – moderately expensive, moderate security concern

I really don’t want to spend too much time on VPNs as this is my least favorite of the options – though it serves its purpose well – and there’s tons available for reading on VPN by just doing a simple search. Besides, it’s more of the “executive” solution most often related to senior management or senior sales staff who are afforded a laptop when away from the office.

Internet-based access via a .com site that requires a user id and password is becoming more and more de rigeur.

Already outmaneuvered by the massive US$9 billion U.S. Navy-Marine Corp Intranet project (read my most recent blog on the NMCI) the U.S. Army has announced a more austere intranet contract of $152 million.

The aerospace giant Lockeeed Martin (they now call themselves a “technology systems integrator”) was awarded the contract the Army Knowledge Online enterprise Web portal (or AKO) and will subcontract to Computer Sciences Corp. and Science Applications International Corp.

When I think of Lockheed Martin I don’t necessarily think ‘intranet consultants’. What leaps to mind are visions of missiles, fighters and covert sales teams in dark trench coats and metal briefcases (LM’s most recent press release:

U.S. NAVY AWARDS LOCKHEED MARTIN-LED TEAM MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR CONTRACT TO DEMONSTRATE KEY TECHNOLOGIES FOR BALLISTIC MISSILE SYSTEM).

The three amigos will provide “systems operations and maintenance, network communications, hardware and software integration, and around-the-clock help desk support for both the Non-Classified IP Router Network and the Secret IP Router Network,” according to GCN.com (“Army intranet portal to be managed by Lockheed Martin”).

On the surface it seems like a relatively small project compared to the gushing billions spent on NMCI (how many of us are working with small $152 million intranet budgets?! Most of us, right?!?). However, $152 million is for only ONE YEAR. There is an option for six additional years.... now we’re talking!

This is a big intranet. U.S. army ‘employees’ login to the intranet approximately 500,000 times per day.

Interestingly enough, this contract is labeled as a performance-based contract.

"Combining the great things that AKO has done in the past with the net-centric future that Army modularity will provide — this is a great opportunity for the Army," says Kevin Carroll, the Army's program executive officer for enterprise information systems, in an Army news release.

According to the army, AKO the project will see the integration of hundreds of applications and services “across a common enterprise portal.”

"AKO prides itself in service to soldiers supporting Army operations around the world. Through the hard work of countless IT pioneers, AKO has steadily grown to a world-class intranet service in a few short years, and our team looks forward to the continued evolution of technological advances to meet the needs of the Army—active duty, Guard, Reserve, civilians, retirees, family members and other users," said Greg Fritz, acting director of AKO, in a statement.

Want to see the U.S. Army intranet? Okay...

Actually, you can get to the main home page yourself as it is on the Internet at: http://www.army.mil/ako/.

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