HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – After the success of a project at Naval Base Sigonella, Italy, a U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville program is partnering with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Norfolk District and Department of Defense Education Activity leadership to discuss future facility related communications infrastructure and systems support projects.
Huntsville Center’s Communication Infrastructure and Systems Support program, or CIS2, coordinated with Norfolk District to provide technical engineering, project management and acquisition support to equip the DoDEA Europe South District’s Sigonella Elementary School and Sigonella Middle High School with Uninterruptible Power Supply systems.
The Sigonella project supported a DoDEA Information Technology Division’s request to provide sufficient off-line power in the event of planned or unplanned power fluctuations to ensure the “graceful” shutdown of significant IT infrastructure, said Tracy Phillips, CIS2 branch chief.
In addition to protecting the agency’s IT infrastructure investment, the system secures student and staff digital work and applications under abnormal power conditions, he said.
Ricardo Lim, DoDEA information architect, said he is pleased with the system and the capabilities CIS2 present and he will “absolutely” rely on CIS2 for any future projects.
“The ease of use of the contract and the quality of available vendors makes CIS2 a valuable partner for our future projects,” Lim said.
The DoDEA plans, directs, coordinates and manages prekindergarten through 12th grade educational programs on behalf of the Department of Defense. DoDEA operates 164 accredited schools in eight districts located in 11 foreign countries, seven states as well as Guam and Puerto Rico.
Huntsville Center’s Facility Technology Integration Division provides facility communications distribution solutions (FCDS) across DoD-centric programs. FTI’s vision is to “Connect facilities to meet the needs of the future.”
Some of those projects include mass notification systems, audio/video systems, as well as additional UPS systems.
Within the FTI Division, the CIS2 program provides FCDS quality oversight and technical engineering solutions in accordance with Unified Facilities Criteria standards, Unified Facilities Guide Specifications and telecommunications distribution methods.
Work performed by the team includes telecommunications interior infrastructure planning and design, facility-related cybersecurity systems, telecommunications spaces, pathways, cabling and systems and interconnecting components necessary to support the infrastructure of voice, data and video systems.
“Not only does the CIS2 program offer technical expertise for this mission, but that expertise spans the entire process of implementation. From design, development and procurement to integration, installation and project management oversight,” Phillips said.Along with a cadre of Huntsville Center employees, the program also partners with other U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ geographic districts to ensure proper integration of mobile and non-mobile communications distribution systems into facility design, installation, and/or maintenance.