CP is the Communications Program (CP) and is the NASA office responsible for delivery of communications services at NASA. This responsibility includes the NASA Integrated Communications Services (NICS) contract. NICS is responsible for providing communication services across the NASA enterprise. The overall management responsibility is at MSFC with key support from GSFC for mission communications and ARC for innovation and project management. The NICS contractor is Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) and the contract was awarded on March 28, 2011.
The services provided by CP/NICS are divided into Enterprise Services and Center Unique Services. Enterprise Services are provided to all Centers and cover both corporate network and mission network and support services. For Center Unique Services, each center chooses which of the services they want to be provided by NICS.
Enterprise Services include:
- Customer Relationship Interfaces
- Network Services
- Wide Area Network Services,
- Center to center routed data
- Peering
- Circuit provisioning
- Local Area Network to include
- Virtual Private Networks
- Remote Access Service (RAS)
- Center specific routed data
- (Internet Protocol) IP address support
- Firewall support
- Proxy services
- Long Distance Voice Services
- Voice and Video Teleconferencing Service and Facilities
Center Unique Services include:
- Radio
- Cable Plant
- Emergency Warning System (EWS)
- Public Address (PA) System
- Telephone
- Voice over IP service
- Cable TV Distribution
The services elected by each Center to be provided by NICS can be found in section 3.9 of the Communications Program Services Document (CSD).
Select the Login button on the line underneath the CSO Logo. Once you have been authenticated, you should see a "Contacts" button on the far right of the screen. This will privde the current contacts per NASA location.
The NICS contract has a Base Period of three years from Jun 1, 2011 - May 31, 2014. There are three Option Periods: Option 1 is two years - June 1, 2014 - May 31, 2016; Option 2 is three years - June 1, 2016 - May 31, 2019; and Option 3 is two years - June 1, 2019 - May 31, 2021.
Cost Plus Award Fee (CPAF)/Cost plus Incentive (CPIF)/Award Fee (AF). The contract utilizes both subjective and objective performance measurement criteria. CLINs associated with PWS sections 3.6, 3.8, and 4.0 transitions to CPIF at CY4.
A Communications Subject Matter Expert (Comm. SME) provides technical and performance oversight for communications service implementation and delivery at their Center and is able to commit their Center in areas such as communications networks budget and requirements for service.
A Service Element Technical Expert (SETE) is the Center lead for specific Service Element(s) (e.g. LAN, WAN, voice, video, etc.) and report on service delivery for specific element(s).
A Center Service Delivery Manager (CSDM) is the onsite NICS (SAIC) manager responsible for any service delivery and response issues at the local NASA Center and associated component facilities. All NICS employees at the local site report to this person.
A Customer Service Representative (CSR), NICS (SAIC) personnel located at a NASA Center, provides dedicated support for CSO/NICS services and will support the CSDM in providing CP/NICS services to local Center projects and customers.
MSFC will provide leadership for the overall program management, administrative and financial management, and management of the Corporate WAN, Center LANs, and Center services.
ARC will provide integration and leadership in the areas of IT security, research networking, emerging network technology and innovation, enterprise architecture, and project management governance.
GSFC will provide leadership for the overall management of the Mission Network Services.