Editor’s Note: Modeling and Simulation (M&S) is a diverse field, making it difficult for the simulation professional to know everything they should, let alone someone new to the field. The good news is that there are a number of resources available to the community where one might go to find out more about an M&S need. Over the next few issues, this section will highlight the variety of information sources that are available to the modeling and simulation community in hopes that someday in the future when a question arises that you need expert advice on, one of these resources will be able to help.
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The Defense Modeling and Simulation Office (DMSO) and the Defense Technical
Information Center (DTIC) announced that the IIT Research Institute (IITRI) in Chicago had been awarded a contract to establish and operate the Department of Defense (DoD) Modeling and Simulation Information Analysis Center (MSIAC).
The new Center and its satellite facilities will perform modeling and simulation studies for military applications. Although the Center’s contract is with the Department of Defense, it is also available to private U.S. industry and other local/state/Federal organizations for modeling and simulation studies.
The MSIAC will merge the capabilities of two existing DoD activities: the Modeling and Simulation Operational Support Activity (MSOSA) and the modeling and simulation (M&S) capabilities of the Defense Modeling and Simulation Tactical and Technical Information Analysis Center (DMSTTIAC).
"The DoD has consolidated and streamlined three previous modeling and simulation initiatives into the Modeling and Simulation Information Analysis Center (MSIAC)," said Barry Watson, Group Senior Vice President Advanced Technology Group at IIT Research Institute. "The MSIAC is now the single source, one-stop shop where the military, public sector or private industry can come for independent, unbiased modeling and simulation projects."
The IITRI teamed with 13 other companies to provide the breadth of necessary skills and services. The team partners are AB Technologies, AEgis Research Corporation, Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), Innovative Management Concepts (IMC), Innotiv (formerly Augins Defense Services, Inc.), Camber Corporation, Virtual Technology Corporation, ITT, Skyward, University of Central Florida's Institute for Simulation and Training, Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), Nichols Research Corporation and Trident Systems.
"For further information, watch the DMSO Home Page (http://www.dmso.mil/
) for additional details and points of contact as the MSIAC becomes operational." Contact the MSIAC at (703) 998-1623/1624, (888) 566-7672, fax (703) 998-1625, or e-mail msiac@msis.dmso.mil. The MSIAC Web site is at http://www.msiac.dmso.mil