Lockheed Martin Develops Context-Aware Computing for Intelligence Analysts

CHERRY HILL, N.J., Aug. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) has
developed Contrail, a context-aware computing framework that gives the
intelligence community much needed support to capture, retrieve and share
contextually relevant information at reduced time and cost.
Analysts review and file hundreds of pieces of data from multiple sources
amid the everyday challenges of interagency sharing requirements and
compressed timetables to provide mission-critical intelligence. However,
mission success may depend on analysts re-finding that same, now critical bit
of data weeks or months after they first discovered it. But making
rediscovery even more difficult is how analysts organize their data.
Analysts traditionally file data in highly personalized ways, meaning that
filing methods across the intelligence enterprise can be quite diverse. As a
result, personalization may make it more difficult for analysts to share data
files and rediscover the original context of the data.
Contrail solves the problem of rediscovery.
Integrated into an intelligence agency's computing infrastructure,
Contrail's software builds an explicit, machine-understandable representation
of analysts' contexts by monitoring how they handle information. The
technology then builds a personalized software model that automatically tags
newly found data, enabling analysts to later refind that needed intelligence
using metadata, content, or context at time of storage.
Analysts can also share data by using context tags-typically people,
places, events, or concepts active when they first stored the data. During
searches, Contrail automatically suggests stored items that are relevant by
matching the current situational context with that on the tags of stored
items.
"Rediscovery is just a portion of the technology's capability," said Mark
Hoffman, ATL technology manager. "By capturing analysts' trails of discovery
and reasoning as well as the items they encountered along the way, our
technology can re-find old information, find and share new information, and
provide an audit trail for items like capturing lessons learned."
The Advanced Technology Laboratories (ATL) developed Contrail in 2007 as
part of the Collaboration and Analyst/System Effectiveness program sponsored
by the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity. Through internal
research and development, ATL continues to expand Contrail's functionality.
Headquartered in Bethesda, MD, Lockheed Martin is a global security
company that employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged
in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment
of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation
reported 2007 sales of $41.9 billion.
For information on Lockheed Martin Corporation, visit:
www.lockheedmartin.com
SOURCE Lockheed Martin

Stephen P. O'Neill, +1-856-792-9815, soneill@atl.lmco.com