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DRS Electronic Warfare & Network Systems Facility Achieves CMMI Level 3 for Systems and Software Engineering

Posted on: Thursday, 22 December 2005, 09:00 CST

DRS Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: DRS) announced today that its DRS EW & Network Systems unit in Buffalo, New York, has been appraised as fully compliant at Maturity Level 3 with the Software Engineering Institute's (SEI) Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI). The CMMI rating, a more comprehensive successor to the Capability Maturity Model (CMM) rating, is being used as a prerequisite and critical evaluation factor for the acquisition of military programs with significant systems and software engineering content.

The Maturity Level 3 rating confirms that the company's DRS EW & Network Systems unit has established effective, well-defined systems and software development processes that meet all of the requirements for providing products for both Department of Defense (DoD) mission-critical and industrial applications.

"This achievement is important recognition of our software engineering capabilities and demonstrates that we have the tools and processes in place to develop complex advanced systems to support advanced programs," said Fred L. Marion, president of DRS's Surveillance & Reconnaissance Group. "Achievement of the Level 3 rating positions the company to effectively support software applications for ongoing and future customer requirements supporting next-generation electronic warfare and ship network systems."

The facility's conformance to the eighteen Key Process Areas prescribed by the SEI CMMI Level 3 was appraised using the Standard CMMI Appraisal Method for Process Improvement (SCAMPI) approach. The SCAMPI method involves the examination of many types of evidence, as well as interviews with system engineers, software developers and program leaders to demonstrate that the documented processes are being followed. The evaluation was conducted by an independent team led by G. Gordon Schulmeyer, an SEI authorized lead appraiser from PYXIS Systems International, Inc., based in Millersville, Maryland.

Originally developed by the Software Engineering Institute of Carnegie-Mellon University, the Capability Maturity Model requires a process-based approach to the development of software, including systems engineering, software engineering and project management. CMM has become the de-facto international standard for measuring the capability of an organization to effectively develop software. The new CMMI model continues to represent the best process improvement models available for product and service development and maintenance, and extend the best practices of the original Capability Maturity Model.

DRS Technologies, headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey, provides leading edge products and services to defense, government intelligence and commercial customers. Focused on defense technology, DRS develops and manufactures a broad range of mission critical systems. The company employs 6,000 people worldwide.

For more information about DRS Technologies, please visit the company's web site at www.drs.com.

Source: Business Wire

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