CENTERFOLD

NEXCOM Sails On A Streamlined Network

On an American naval installation in Iceland, a Navy employee runs out of coffee. The only store for miles is the Navy Exchange. This networked store supplies various familiar and necessary products to American Navy members stationed abroad. "We bring a little bit of America to our most remote locations," says Sue Dubman, CIO of the Navy Exchange

Service Command (NEXCOM). Dubman has updated and streamlined the NEXCOM network (NEXNET) for more than a year. Dubman and the NEXCOM team designed a Point Of Sale (POS) system, which allows for continuous improvement and provides a stable, efficient way to process enterprisewide transactions.

TCP/IP Integration NEXNET has been implemented at headquarters, selected regional centers and store complexes. When fully implemented worldwide, NEXNET will provide central management of a new POS and distribution/chain of supply network. There are 1,000 users at headquarters and 8,000 users in the field. One goal is to have 100 percent TCP/IP integration. Novell IPX is currently used at headquarters. The network consists of PC clients (Windows and a few Macs), Unix file servers, Unix and AS/400 enterprise database hosts, routers, switches and hubs. Core applications include warehouse management, PC-based point-of-sale, in-store systems and EDI.

Wide area connection occurs through dedicated T1s to the major regional centers. Frame relay is used for the large stores, ISDN in midsized stores and the public switched telephone network for the smallest stores. "Two different WAN technologies going to the same facility are cost efficient and allow for diverse routing through the telco vendors," says Bo Gorham, director of enterprise networks. NEXCOM has external connections to vendors, sister retailers (Marines, Army/Air Force Exchange) and the Internet.

NEXCOM has moved into the realm of distributed computing, in which applications run across a heterogeneous network. The goal is secure, real-time access to data and applications anywhere, anytime. One challenge to "intergalactic" client/server computing is a lack of an integrated middleware approach. "No single vendor offers a solution for all the kinds of glue we need in different types of situations," notes Dubman.

NEXCOM has an SNMP-managed network and uses products integrated with HP's OpenView platform. NEXNET supports worldwide consolidation of buying and accounting, improved service to authorized patrons, operational cost reduction and strong working relationships with NEXCOM's vendors.

Maureen Zapryluk may be reached at mzapryluk@nwc.com

September 1, 1995