NEW 'COTS' SOLUTION CENTER AMS' FIRST R&D FACILITY TO FOCUS ON DEPT. OF DEFENSE.

Fairfax, Va.-based American Management Systems (AMS) has just opened a new research center designed specifically to address the enterprise solutions needs of big information technology buyer the US Dept. of Defense (DOD). Put together by AMS' Industrial Consulting and Systems Group (ICSG), the "DOD Next Generation Enterprise Lab" is based in Fairfax with an additional facility in Norfolk.

Working closely with the AMS Center for Advanced Technologies (AMSCAT), AMS' primary technology R&D facility, the new lab will leverage AMS' systems integration capabilities to integrate AMS business solutions with partners' solutions across E-Business, Knowledge Management, Customer Relationship Management, and applications like Enterprise Asset Management/Supply Chain Management.

The goal is to provide integrated, best of breed COTS (commercial off the shelf) solutions to support defense reform initiatives and acquisition reform. Lab researchers will test products and demonstrate how commercial technological innovations can be used to support enterprise solutions and improve DOD operations.

According to Bill Purdy, AMS vice president and ICSG manager, "By focusing our research along customers needs, we can more fully leverage AMS products and services and integrate them with other best of breed E-Business solutions selected for the DOD market. The research will provide great value for our customers."

AMS is an international business and IT consulting firm. The company had 1998 revenues of $1.06 billion, with eCommerce-related revenues representing 20 percent, an increase of almost 150 percent over 1997.