EDS sails onward with Navy project

Information technology services company Electronic Data Systems on Wednesday said it has assumed responsibility for computer operations and maintenance at the U.S. Marine Corps base in Quantico, Va.--a key step in its delayed Navy-Marine Corps intranet project. The massive $6 billion project aims to improve computer system compatibility between the Navy and the Marine Corps and to enhance security through the creation of an integrated network for voice, video and data.

The shift of responsibility marks the first step in the Marine Corps' transition to the intranet. EDS said it and its partners will begin to survey and evaluate the current IT infrastructure to determine upgrades needed for the intranet project. EDS initially landed the Navy-Marine Corps contract in 2000 as a five-year deal. Last year, the period was stretched by two years.