Enterprise IT Services

Enterprise Architecture

S4 Inc. provides Enterprise Architecture (EA) support using various business methods, analytical techniques and conceptual tools to understand and document the structure and dynamics of an enterprise. We produce artifacts such as lists, drawings, documents and models. These artifacts describe the logical organization of business functions, capabilities, ; processes, and systems; people organization; information resources; software applications; computing capabilities; information exchange and communications infrastructure within the enterprise.

S4 supports the development, documentation and analysis of partner nations’ current EA and makes recommendations to leverage the architecture framework process to enhance security, performance, interoperability and to identify capability gaps and opportunities for technology leveraging and sharing in support of current and future mission requirements. We conduct analysis to capture operational linkages, tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) to support development of C4 Communications & Information Sharing and knowledge management. S4 supports the development of EAs, and designs and validates information sharing / knowledge management processes and tools for USNORTHCOM’s leadership role in the North American Maritime Security Initiative (NAMSI).  We offer focused analytical recommendations, enterprise architecture drafts, and prioritized actions and recommendations for future investments.

Asset Management

S4 Inc. manages a 6760 SF climate controlled warehouse IAW industry standards for proper storage of IT assets.  We perform warehouse, storage, and service asset shipping/receiving functions; and store, inventory, package, ship, receive and deliver classified and unclassified ADPE service assets to provision and/or retire services.  On a monthly average, S4 services 109 equipment account owners by fulfilling over 24 orders and delivering over 531 systems to N&NC account holders and customers.  We also receive an average of 350 systems to replenish the warehouse Bench-Stock and Technical Refresh inventories.  The warehouse inventory consists of over 550 line items in which the value including Bench-Stock and Technical Refresh inventory is $4M. Also, the warehouse processes and decommissions over 155 accountable systems and over 1,000 consumable systems monthly. S4 receives, processes, and delivers the equipment to Fort Carson’s Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office (DRMO).

S4 also provides inventory/configuration control of hardware (HW), software (SW) and maintenance/warranty coverage while acting as equipment custodian. We maintain account paperwork; perform annual inventories; and track software provided as Government Furnished Property (GFP), as well as contractor & government furnished SW licenses. S4 ensures that SW maintenance agreements are up-to-date and renewed without lapse of coverage; documents the status of SW license numbers and maintenance; and ensures that software meets accreditation requirements including Certificates of Networthiness (CoNs).

Service Desk

At the US Army Logistics Data Analysis Center (LDAC), S4 Inc. delivers 24/7/365 enterprise computer and communications support, network and switch infrastructure, data/voice equipment operations and maintenance, and direct customer services down to and including the desktop. As part of a 24×7 hour call center, S4 provides Tier I support to almost 60,000 customers with computer service (including email distribution and user account management) via an Automated Call Distribution (ACD) system.  We monitor a 24/7 operation help desk supporting 180,000 Users. S4 provides accurate and timely monitoring of multiple IBM mainframe and/or server systems at a second level of support.  S4 determines, analyzes and resolves system problems such as system performance degradation, network monitoring & recovery, and workload monitoring & recovery.

S4 provides, integrates and manages Service Desk functions that support N&NC designated users and provides output meeting Government specifications. We maintain the Service Desk as the primary point of contact for all incoming calls, walk-ins, web/portal, and emails. S4 provides a responsive, customer focused interface between the users to enable the efficient use of IT services, assisting in the restoral of normal services, in addition to assisting users against potential service interruptions.  We ensure all Service Desk requests that are identified as standard requests are immediately processed based on approved request models, and nonstandard requests are logged and routed for contractor analysis. S4 provides accurate status updates and feedback on all incidents, service and change requests. Our experts utilize an incident, request, and call management system to log, categorize, and escalate incident records as well as record workarounds, maintain a known error database, and document final resolution within required timelines. S4 has a self- help function and uses IT Service Management (ITSM) and provides a service catalogue for new functions.  Complexity: S4 supports 6,800 users and 12,000 workstations in a bi-national NEN and classified and unclassified (SIPRNet & NIPRNet) data, voice, and video networks for N&NC in multiple locations.

Database Administration

S4 designs, develops, documents, migrates and tests database and other software applications. We provide database development and support including software such as Visual Basic, Microsoft Access, Oracle, Lotus Notes, UNIX, Microsoft SQL Server. S4 is responsible for all database management associated with organizational databases. This involves organizing and loading data, generating quality control reports for same, check pointing the database, performing database retrievals, and maintaining log files and a database dictionary. S4 incorporates both user and infrastructure generated updates into the databases. We help users identify and document database requirements, including the evaluation and analyses of new HW/SW packages. S4 also offers SQL Server and Access database support to retrieve data from external systems.

S4 monitors database storage and integrity and offers recommendations for storage updates and upgrades. S4 analyzes and provides reports on system health, storage and usage. We also maintain existing databases supporting websites and create new databases as required.

Systems Operations

S4 Inc. delivers state-of-the-art system administration solutions and support for HW and SW platforms including the legacy, Government-Off-The-Shelf (GOTS), Open Source, Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) and COTS-tailored applications that reside on them. The hardware/software, and physical and virtual servers supported include: application servers, web servers, access servers, communications, performance monitoring, print servers, hypervisors, physical and virtual file servers, reporting tools, etc., and all tasks associated with their backup/recovery, performance, and operations. S4 provides administration for local and remote systems for various operating environments (development, test, integration, pre-production, and production, etc.).

Our functional systems administrator (FSA) support services ensure that servers and associated SW are available on a 24×7 basis. Each server is available 97% of a 24-hour day, excluding scheduled outages. We ensure that servers, PCs, workstations, laptops, peripherals (both wired and wireless), communication devices, operating system and common-use application SW, network systems, LAN interfaces and other information management services are properly configured for network operations, are on-line, and are available to the customer.

Storage Management

S4 Inc. manages, stores, disposes of, restores and tests backups, and cleans/maintains backup devices. We manage, configure, troubleshoot, and upgrade the remote N&NC Disaster Recovery (DR) replication and fail-over capabilities including Storage Area Network (SAN), Disk to Disk backup system, and archive systems at the remote DR location. S4 manages, maintains and restores data archive storage. We also create, maintain and restore back-ups for system configurations, application, logs and user data.

Network Engineering

S4 analyzes requirements documentation and coordinates the validation of technological specifications.  We research and provide estimates of costs of viable options (including equipment, engineering, installation, quality assurance, and sustainability cost).  S4 evaluates technical solutions and addresses planning to meet current and future projected demand of reliability, availability and maintainability; attain optimal operational efficiency; and effectively interface with existing and future systems. We evaluate the design, engineering, installation and testing of LANs, other prevalent networks, existing patch panels, available bandwidth, inside wiring, and existing inside and outside plant (copper and fiber) distribution systems.  S4 evaluates opportunities to converge base networks where possible as part of overall infrastructure modernization. We analyze C2 equipment ensuring the comprehensive interoperability and integration of hubs, routers, bridges, FM/UHF/VHF/HF radio systems, print servers and associated LANS, microwaves systems, telephone switches, and other equipment identified as components of the base telecommunications infrastructure.  This includes all new technology associated with Unified Communication (UC) and the DoD movement to everything over IP (EoIP).

Facility Engineering

S4 Inc. provides planning support for facility furnishing efforts, space management, Building Information Modeling (BIM), and other facility projects for the fit out and transition to the new USSTRATCOM Command and Control Facility (C2F). S4 uses AutoCAD to prepare graphics and reports representing space management and furnishings to communicate transition execution status with STRATCOM leaders, facility managers, and occupants.

S4 utilizes Revit software to support construction of a BIM to reflect a change in facility data or construction efforts caused by a Military Construction (MILCON) change-order. We create and edit BIM models, templates, and conduct space analysis based on Air Force guidance and requirements. As a collateral duty, S4 provides training on the use of Revit software to Government personnel required to use Revit capabilities.

As of Sep 2019, S4 has provided Space Allocation Support for the transition of 738 personnel into the new C2F.  This support includes establishing the impact of cost, time, and other second order effects of updates and changes occurring during the transition. S4 works directly with the Change Management Board (CMB) and the Space Management Board (SMB) to approve changes and update (BIM) models accordingly. S4 also works with FSMB, Command Security, and the COR to reconfigure SCIF space and ensuring proper SCIF boundaries and security requirements are followed.

S4 delivers on-site facility management support for the maintenance and operation of facility IT support equipment, security requirements for VTC equipment, and restructure of 1200+ Workspaces and Conference Rooms including Executive, Multi-purpose, and CAVEs (Collaborative and Visualization Environments). Tasks include major and minor repairs, modifications, replacements, and installation of equipment and systems for routine mechanical and electrical equipment operation, electrical distribution system modifications, scheduled preventative mechanical/electrical maintenance, unscheduled mechanical/electrical maintenance and repair, component repair and replacement, and system upgrades and modifications. Some electrical tasks are on energized systems and must be accomplished in conformance with NFPA70E.

VTC/Telecommunications Support

S4 Inc. provides integration and convergence of voice, data, and video solutions for NIPRNet and SIPRNet. S4 installs, operates, and maintains the VTC, AV, desktop VTC systems, and Satellite Television capabilities in the N&NC Headquarters (HQ) and CMAFS including the VTC capabilities, video wall systems, video matrix switches, television infrastructure (televisions, cabling, related network devices, etc.), public announcement systems, command displays, conference room audio/video, and other audio/video capabilities. We coordinate with Telephone Control Officers on a monthly basis to ensure users of smart phones, cell phones, and other wireless devices are still active and assigned to the command to ensure wireless accounts are not continued after a user is terminated, transferred, and/or released from the command. S4 performs Communications Security Officer responsibilities installing, operating and managing the cryptographic keys for Secure Telephone Equipment and SECNET-54 secure phones.  S4 experts perform Circuit Management Office duties for over 350 active circuits utilized by N&NC and its subordinates. We maintain long haul telecommunications services and circuits between the command, DISA, AFCA and others.  We track all long-haul telecommunications expenditures for services provisioned through DISA and the Defense Information Technology Contracting Office.

Cloud Development

S4 is providing cloud Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) capabilities to USSTRATCOM by creating a hybrid cloud on the ITCC II contract. We are integrating a hybrid dev/ops cloud, which is the integration of a private cloud (Dev/Cloud) with the  USSTRATCOM production cloud. The hybrid cloud  involves creating parallel environments in which applications can move easily between the development and the production clouds ensuring a safe transfer of new systems and technology to the operational environment.  These applications are developed and tested using current production platforms like web servers, databases, and security appliances. This minimizes hardware, software, personnel and time required to maintain two separate systems.  This will allow the customer to migrate the current production stand-alone applications to virtual applications.

S4 is successfully migrating from a legacy hybrid physical and virtual blade solutions, to a multi-location, full scale Nutanix on-premises private cloud. This work is for the North American Aerospace Defense Command and US Northern Command (NORAD and USNORTHCOM) [N&NC] N2ITSM contract. Multiple enclaves are being migrated; unclassified NIPRnet, classified SIPRnet (both NOFORN and REL), and the NORAD Enterprise Network (NEN). Significant data size is also a factor, with upwards of one PB being migrated and managed.

IT Training

At the US Army LDAC, S4 Inc. provides technical expertise and training on the products within the Logistics and Engineering Center (LEC).  LEC is home to the following products: Cost Analysis and Strategy Assessment, Computer Adaptive Placement Assessment and Support System, Electronic Technical Manual Online, PowerLOG, Post-Fielding Support Analysis, and Systems Planning and Requirements Software. S4’s training responsibilities also extend to Decision Support Tool, Army Test, Measurement, and Diagnostic Equipment, and Battle Web. S4 trainers build courses using instructional design methods and deliver training through the classroom and virtual courses.  Instruction is provided according to customer specifications and standards (operate, maintain, and repair in classroom or laboratory settings) supporting DOD Enterprise infrastructure IT goals and includes all required materials.  We collect feedback after each course.