USAID Wide Area Renovation Project
Globecomm engineers participated in the design of the end-to-end solution to provide voice and data connectivity to United States Agency for International Development (USAID) missions operating in some of the most remote locations in the world. Due to the challenging nature of a Global Network Deployment and the lack of any available infrastructure at many locations, these systems had to be self contained and designed to operate under less than optimal conditions.
Upon completion of participation in the design and with the approval for the Global Deployment, Globecomm, in collaboration with USAID and its partners procured all hardware, assembled and pre-configured the systems prior to shipping and shipped the completed systems to each site. GlobeComm then sent teams of engineers and installers to implement the systems at each Mission. During a 24-month period from late 2001 through 2003, Globecomm successfully deployed satellite terminals and post subsystems to over 60 USAID missions worldwide.
The USAID Wide Area Renovation Project (WARP) project deployed two 48” cabinets that included all the hardware necessary to provide the core infrastructure for the voice and data networks for each USAID mission. These systems included Wide Area Network (WAN) connectivity (satellite modems, encryption equipment and entry router), a complete VoIP enabled telephone system, network perimeter security (firewalls) and content filtering/control systems (cache engines and content servers). All of the hardware necessary for the entire mission telecommunications system was consolidated in one set of cabinets, allowing for a standardized package that could be deployed to upgrade each site.
Globecomm, in collaboration with USAID and its partners developed a systematic plan that included scheduling the procurement, pre-assembly, shipping and implementation of these systems. The pre-assembly and configuration of each system was completed at the Globecomm facility in Maryland; equipment was shipped from our collocated warehousing facility and installed by our technicians who were deployed in coordination with the systems arrival.
At the conclusion of each installation a customer checklist was completed that documented all of the system test results as well as a customer survey to document the performance of our installation team. Installation photographs were taken at every site and included with the “as built” system schematics for each system. These files are stored on the USAID Network Management System (NMS), which provides an online status of the USAID Enterprise Network in real time and acts as a repository for all historical data relating to each site. NMS, in collaboration with USAID was developed by and is still managed by Globecomm engineers working on site for USAID.
Globecomm currently provides the voice and data connectivity for USAID, maintains a 24/7/365 Network Operations Center for systems monitoring and performs maintenance and systems upgrades continually. In addition to providing the connectivity for USAID, Globecomm has personnel that provide direct engineering support for the Enterprise data networks, global telephone systems and Network Perimeter Security Systems for the Agency. Globecomm personnel work in conjunction with other organizations to coordinate interconnectivity. These personnel are dedicated staff that provide key management and engineering support to the Joint Program Management Office (JPMO), which coordinates the interconnectivity between USAID and the U.S. Department of State unclassified networks. Globecomm is now the logistical hub for all of the IT equipment that is purchased or deployed by USAID, IRM.
