NASA

Communication is Key to Keeping IT Processes Running

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is the government agency that runs the civilian arm of the U.S. space program. The aim of NASA is to increase understanding of the solar system and the universe that contains it, and to improve American aeronautics ability. To achieve this goal, NASA must have a solid infrastructure, particularly in technology and computing. With an annual budget that can be counted in the billions, and tens of thousands of employees, this is not always a simple task.

The Problem: How to Keep Critical Systems Up and Running at All Times

OAO Technology Solutions, the managed service provider that supports much of the computing infrastructure for NASA’s Office of Space Flight, needed a way to provide practical and timely technical responses to various network events, both urgent and routine. Any sort of delay could threaten NASA’s computing-intensive operations, and part of OAO’s charge was to see that NASA systems were running smoothly at all times. On top of that, OAO also had a relationship with a high-profile client of significant business importance who was keeping a close eye on the NASA project.

The Solution: OnSolve

In order to enhance and streamline communications at NASA, and to improve response time to network events, OAO implemented OnSolve technology. OnSolve provides automated notifications, customized remote management and interactive voice response  to  ensure security and effective communications throughout the NASA network. According to NASA’s engineering department, OnSolve has met all immediate challenges and is “keeping pace with OAO’s continuing growth. In so many ways, it helps us deliver the quality of service our clients demand.” Keeping NASA network systems running smoothly by enhancing communication maximizes uptime and helps OAO uphold its commitment to NASA, as well as NASA’s commitment to excellence.

Benefits NASA has Reaped from OnSolve:

• Decreasing time to resolve issues — Person-by-person or group- by-group escalation strategies minimize the time it takes to locate someone who can resolve issues. This helps keep NASA’s systems running smoothly.
• Tracking and reporting alerts — Provides closed-loop communication with detailed reporting of who received alerts, when and with what responses. This feedback loop is useful for continuous process improvement at NASA.
• Rapid integration with existing ITSM software — Integrates out-of- the-box with leading ITSM platforms from HP®, IBM®, Microsoft® and BMC®, and can rapidly integrate with additional platforms.
• Contact various devices on any carrier — IT leaders at NASA can now reach personnel on any number of devices regardless of what carrier they’re on, including mobile phones, landlines, pagers and emails. Schedules can be set to contact different devices depending on the day and time.

The End Result

OnSolve has provided automated notification to alert the IT staff that can help when systems are compromised. It features customized remote management and interactive voice response to improve OAO Technology Solutions’ management of the project. Intelligent notification technology provides the secure communication critical in avoiding any kind of computing delays and in solving critical network events affecting NASA’s Office of Space Flight.