Department of Defense Selects Traction Software as part of Net-Centric Innovation Initiative

Traction Enterprise Weblogs to Transform DoD Communications, Deliver Simple, Secure Solution Designed to Accelerate Test and Evaluation Programs

Contact:
Dana Harris
Red Javelin Communications, Inc.
978-440-8392
Email: dana@redjavelin.com

Providence, R.I. November 3, 2003 - Traction® Software, Inc., the leader in Enterprise Weblog software, today announced that the Department of Defense (DoD) has selected its Traction® TeamPage solution as part of a Navy-led innovation initiative. The Rapid Acquisition Incentive-Net Centricity (RAI-NC) pilot will use Traction as a platform for simple, secure working communication designed to accelerate DoD Test and Evaluation programs. The T&E Weblog pilot was ranked fourth out of 12 chosen from a pool of 120 applicants.

The five-year RAI-NC initiative was launched this past summer and runs from 2004 through 2008. The program itself is designed to do the following: identify technologies that accelerate net centricity by supporting the advancement of Internet-focused tenets and transformational processes, deploy select business case-driven proof of concept pilot projects and select the technologies that are capable of generating proven results, which can be scaled across the entire DoD enterprise.

In a letter announcing RAI-NC selections to Secretaries of the military departments and other senior defense officials, Department of Defense CIO, John Stenbit said, "The FY04 RAI-NC pilots are consistent with the strategies for each of the DoD Business Domains and the Technical Infrastructure Domain. They represent organizational constituency from the Military Departments, the Joint Staff, Combat Commands, Defense Agencies, and OSD. The pilots support the DOD CIO goals for network centricity. I expect the recommended portfolio will have a very positive effect on DoD transformational efforts and our ability to support the warfighter."

From the initial 120 proposals, the DoD has selected 12 projects for funding in FY 2004, including the "Implementation of Weblog Technology to Accelerate Test & Evaluation Programs" project led by the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC), with participation from the Office of Naval Research (ONR), Marine Corps, Army Night Vision Lab, Defense Acquisition University (DAU), Ford Motor Company, Epsilon Systems, and the New York City Police. Traction Software will provide technology and professional services as part of the T&E Weblog team.

The pilot project will use Traction Software's Enterprise Weblog technology to create a communication hub that will be used to do the following:

  • Identify field-test participants based on program need and leveragable results
  • Plan delivery and installation of test items
  • Brief field-test participants
  • Enable field-test participants to ask questions, monitor results from other teams, and report their own results
  • Enable the program manager and the extended team to quickly resolve issues and make in-process changes to test plans based on incremental results
  • Create a round-the-clock log of significant events available to the program manager and all stakeholders, providing more timely and transparent access while reducing formal reporting overhead

"Current program management processes depend on email to connect the many changing parties who are critical to a project's success." said Greg Lloyd, president of Traction Software. "Enterprise Weblog technology can be quickly and inexpensively deployed to create an instant, secure communication hub using the Internet that already connects program managers, project experts, contractors, sponsors and warfighters."

About Traction's TeamPage Enterprise Weblog Software
Traction TeamPage Enterprise Weblog software is an easy-to-use powerful solution that allows everyday corporate users to collect, link and organize information from e-mail, the Web, Office and other sources and deliver it organized by time, topic and importance to improve productivity, knowledge sharing, communications and collaboration. Traction's easy to use hypertext journaling system can be used to label, cross-link and deliver relevant content gathered from disparate sources, and plugs into an existing Web infrastructure. Traction's unique Instant Publisher allows users to collect and post selected text, pictures, links and attachments directly from Microsoft Word, Outlook or Internet Explorer.

Users who have been granted permission within TeamPage can update and enrich content, easily adding comments, cross-links, topic labels and action flags. To be kept abreast of news in the Enterprise Weblog, users have real-time web access, and can receive a daily Executive Summary™ email newsletter, which summarizes new information by project and importance, with click through access to the full story.

About Traction Software
Traction Software is the leader in Enterprise Weblog software, delivering easy to use tools for groups and teams to communicate, share, organize and link all-sources information in context. The firm's flagship product, Traction TeamPage™, makes the business intranet a writable web that works as easily as email. Traction's pending patent covers the fundamental indexing, cross-reference and navigational elements that jointly make the Traction platform unique. The company distributes its products directly and through global partners. Traction Software was founded in 1996 and is located in Providence, Rhode Island. Investors include In-Q-Tel, Slater Interactive and private individuals. Learn more at www.tractionsoftware.com.

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Traction is a registered trademark and Traction TeamPage is a trademark of Traction Software, Inc.

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