THE NDDC PROJECT

The project is structured as a design, build and operate (DBO) contract between FutureShock Consultants and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). This gives FutureShock full responsibility for the development of network, hardware, and telecommunications infrastructure and the software required to manage the daily business activities of about 800 staff of the NDDC distributed across the nine states of the Niger Delta.

The business objectives include:

Ø       Provide electronic mail, shared diaries, internet access to large number of users in secure network environment

Ø       Implement a disaster recovery plan that will centralise the storage of documents for easy backup and retrieval

Ø       Management of critical business processes in the areas of project information management, financial control and management, inventory and warehouse management

Some of the technologies being deployed:

Ø       Cisco switches and routers at the network level. Network management tools from HP

Ø       Telecommunications network based on VSAT technology deployed in 10 locations. A metropolitan area network linking 4 locations is being planned in Port Harcourt

Ø       Various servers based on HP Proliant single-, dual- and quad-processor machines. The network operating system is MS Windows 2003 Server with Active Directory

Ø       The applications hosted on the network include MS SQL 2000, MS Exchange 2000, IIS for Web hosting, SharePoint Server 2003 for Document and Workflow Management, and Server Management (SMS) for remote management of desktop machines

Ø       SAP is used to capture the core business processes in Financial Control and Management, Project Management, Inventory and Warehouse Management, Human Resource Management and Contract Management. The collection of project monitoring information at the field is enhanced using handheld computers coupled with gps and digital cameras

Ø       Security on the desktop is enhanced through the use of Iris-based biometric devices for secure logon. This in addition to a tablet-PC interface enables busy executives use the system with minimal training