RSIS AWARDED $10 M CONTRACT TO SUPPORT NATIONAL WEATHER FORECASTING.

RS Information Systems (RSIS) has been awarded a $10 million contract to support the Meteorological Development Laboratory (MDL) of the National Weather Service (NWS) in Silver Spring, Md.

The five-year contract calls on RSIS primarily to support the development and maintenance of hydro-meteorological applications at the Laboratory, and includes systems administration, configuration management, quality assurance, testing, and Web development and maintenance.

"The work of the Laboratory is critical to developments in forecast guidance and preparation as well as in the evaluation of weather forecast tools," said Rodney P. Hunt, president and CEO of RSIS. "We're delighted to be supporting this vital component of the National Weather Service."

The MDL is part of the NWS Office of Science and Technology. The Laboratory conducts and sponsors applied research and development for the improvement of weather analysis and forecasting. It collaborates with other laboratories and centers in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and elsewhere and seeks to identify new techniques in response to NWS objectives.

The contract was awarded through COMMITS, a contract vehicle of the U.S. Commerce Department. RSIS' main partner on the contract, which requires 22 professionals in all, is SAIC.

With this contract, RSIS now supports three of the organizations

-- MDL, the Office of Hydrologic Development (OHD) and the Systems Engineering Center (SEC) - that develop software for the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS).

Mainly through its work for NOAA, RSIS has become one of the ten largest professional services contractors for the Commerce Department. The company also supports the U.S. Census Bureau in Commerce. In all, RSIS serves about 50 government agencies.

RSIS provides advanced technical and business solutions in information technology, science, engineering and management consulting.

Based in McLean, Va., RSIS is a minority-owned firm that has climbed into the ranks of the largest federal information technology contractors. With 1300 employees nationally and revenues expected to reach $200 million in 2002, RSIS serves a wide range of federal agencies, both civilian and defense.