The Australian Defence Force has signed a AU$34 million contract with software company CSC Australia for a major upgrade of its communications network.
The e-Defence Project will provide staff with a digital certificate that will enable them to uniquely sign and encrypt their electronic correspondence.
Other enhancements will include smart cards, 'desktop-to-desktop' interoperability with allies and a tactical communications interface to the battlefield, aimed at meeting the needs of commanders executing military operations.
The Defence network is one of Australia's largest, covering over 300 locations nationally and offshore, dealing with the administration of 90,000 personnel and the purchase of billions of dollars worth of weapons.
The project will create approximately 40 high-tech jobs within regional and metropolitan Australia over the next two to three years.
CSC is leading a consortium of Australian companies, including Compucat Research, Baltimore Technologies, Communications Design and Management and Total Logistics Management, in the e-Defence rollout.
