RESTON, Va., 7 Sept. 2005. SI International, Inc. today announced that it was awarded a new task order by the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) to support the Department of Defense (DoD) Internet Protocol version six (IPv6) Transition Office. The one-year task order is valued at $3.8 million.

IPv6 is the next-generation protocol for the Internet designed to support the continued growth of the Internet and remove the limitations of the current Internet Protocol (IPv4) that was developed in the 1970s. The key benefits of IPv6 include a vast increase in IP address availability, improved and scalable routing of data, easier configuration capabilities, enhanced mobility features, improved quality of service, and built-in Internet protocol security.

The Federal civil government and DoD are pursuing the ability of services and organizations to leverage and migrate efficiently to IPv6. The Federal government has set a goal of having IPv6 implementation underway by 2008. In an August 2, 2005 memorandum, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) provided overall transition guidance and specific direction to Federal agencies. Agencies were instructed to produce an initial inventory and assessment by November 15, 2005 and to provide a comprehensive transition plan by February 2006.

SI International will provide technical and personnel support to the DoD IPv6 Transition Office in the following areas: transition management; technology transfer coordination; integrated solutions development; network transition solutions development; applications transition solutions development; information assurance development; and, network management solutions development and training.

SI International has been DoD's IPv6 Transition Office's prime contractor for the past year. The company provides internetworking, transition planning, and program management consulting services to support the rollout of IPv6.

"SI International is pleased to support DoD and DISA in planning for the transition to IPv6," said Brad Antle, president and COO of SI International. "IPv6 will enable critical enabling infrastructure for the implementation of net-centric warfare and new homeland defense applications."

SI International, a member of the Russell 2000 index, is a provider of information technology and network solutions (IT) primarily to the Federal government. The company combines technology and industry expertise to provide a full spectrum of state-of-the-practice solutions and services, from design and development to documentation and operations, to assist clients in achieving their missions. SI International is ranked as the 49th largest Federal Prime IT Contractor by Washington Technology and has over 3,800 employees. For more information, see www.si-intl.com.