McLean, Va., Feb 27-- Results of an inspection by a special Air Force team provide further evidence of RS Information System's expertise in operating Network Operations and Security Centers (NOSCs).

The Air Force Materiel Command's NOSC, operated by RSIS at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base outside Dayton, Ohio, is the only one of ten Air Force NOSCs worldwide to receive an "OPTIMIZED" rating from a crack Air Force SCOPE EDGE review team.

The SCOPE EDGE team (EDGE stands for Enterprise, Design, Guidance and Evaluation), evaluated base networks for compliance with architectures and standards, and it concluded the Wright-Patterson NOSC sets the example for NOSCs worldwide, said Ron Trowbridge, RSIS Executive Vice President.

Trowbridge explained that SCOPE EDGE teams perform Base Optimization visits for two reasons: first, to help bases overcome problems due to aging equipment or an influx of new equipment or personnel, and second, to maintain SCOPE EDGE personnel base network optimization skills so they can perform Strike Force contingency operation missions as well as provide network engineering expertise where needed.

Midwest Regional Director Tim Conley who supervises the nearly 240 professionals on RSIS contracts at Wright-Patterson, outside Dayton, Ohio, noted that the one-of-a-kind rating follows last year's rating of "CONTROLLED"; another first for any Air Force NOSC. The SCOPE EDGE ratings are based on the Network Maturity Model with the grading scale of Optimized, Controlled, Documented and Initial. Both last year's "CONTROLLED" and this year's "OPTIMIZED" ratings are indicative of RSIS' expertise at operating NOSCs.

"The critical nature of network operations centers for defense and civilian agencies alike demand they be supported by tested professionals," Trowbridge said. "This RSIS capability demonstrated at Wright-Patterson and at the RSIS network operations center in Washington, D.C. on behalf of the FAA is powerful evidence of our company's strength in this area."