Sikorsky Selects Western Data Systems for Helicopter Component Overhaul and Repair Operations

Business Wire, Sept 4, 2001

Business Editors and High Tech Writers

CALABASAS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 4, 2001

Western Data Systems (WDS) today announced that Sikorsky Aircraft Company's Worldwide Customer Service organization has selected CompassENTERPRISE(R) from Western Data Systems (WDS) as the foundation of a new generation operational management system for the company's Overhaul and Repair (O&R) business unit.

Sikorsky will utilize CompassCONTRACT(R) with CompassMRO(R) to enable improved business processes being implemented to speed the overhaul and repair of helicopter rotor heads, gear boxes, and other components for both commercial and military customers.

Sikorsky O&R is a self-sufficient operation within Sikorsky Aircraft, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. With facilities in Shelton and Bridgeport, Conn., Sikorsky O&R employs approximately 470 people, and has its own dedicated engineering, product integrity, and finance staffs.

Sikorsky O&R customers include major corporations enrolled in Sikorsky's Power Assurance Program, the United States Department of Defense, the Royal Danish Air Force, Brazilian Navy, Sikorsky Aircraft Australia Limited, and others.

Larry Goldman, CIO of HSI (Helicopter Support Inc.), stated: "We selected the WDS system because it will provide us with real-time reporting and much improved visibility to support our ultimate goal of reducing turn-around times and costs. We also selected the WDS solution because it is a demonstrable and proven system -- we saw it in use in both commercial and military facilities performing repair and overhaul of aircraft, engines, and a variety of aeronautical components."

Sikorsky is a world leader in the design and manufacture of advanced helicopters for commercial, industrial, and military uses. Sikorsky helicopters occupy a prominent international position in the intermediate to heavy range of 11,700 lb (5,300 kg) to 73,500 lb (33,000 kg) gross weight. They are used by all branches of the United States military services, as well as military services and commercial operators in more than 40 other nations.

Sikorsky's commercial helicopter, the S-76, serves airline, executive transport, and offshore oil, search and rescue, and emergency medical service missions around the world. Sikorsky-built military helicopters include the H-60 aircraft, with the U.S. Army BLACK HAWK and the U.S. Navy SEAHAWK series, and the CH-53E and MH-53E heavy lift aircraft flown by the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. Other H-60 derivative aircraft are fielded for a multiplicity of missions with other branches of the U.S. military. S-70 BLACK HAWK variants are serving, or are on order, with 25 governments.

The WDS CompassENTERPRISE solution for MRO suite will replace multiple legacy systems with a single integrated solution to support the full overhaul and repair cycle from asset induction to teardown & dispositioning, remanufacturing and customer delivery and billing. Resource planning, material management, and procurement are also included in the solution, along with cost and configuration management.

The new system will be deployed using a Sun Microsystems UNIX server, the Oracle RDBMS, and network of Windows PCs. It will initially support up to 80 concurrent users. The CompassCONNECT(TM) integration toolkit will be used to integrate the new system with corporate financials and other specialized in-house applications.

Sikorsky Aircraft joins a growing number of aerospace & defense (A&D) MRO organizations to use the WDS CompassENTERPRISE solution. Other users include customer service organizations within leading A&D OEMs such as BAE SYSTEMS, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman; commercial MRO organizations such as Ozark Aircraft Systems and World Aviation Support; and some of the world's largest military depots within the United States Navy, Marines, and Air Force.

About Western Data Systems

Western Data Systems (WDS) is the leading provider of application software and services to the commercial and military aerospace, defense, and maritime industries. WDS serves the operational management needs of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities in industry and government in the U.S. and throughout the world.

Encompassing prime contractors, component and sub-system suppliers, military depots, and commercial MRO organizations, the WDS customer base includes leading A&D organizations such as Boeing, BAE SYSTEMS, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Smiths Industries as well as the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force. CompassENTERPRISE(R) is the WDS suite of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions. For more information, visit www.westdata.com.

Note to Editors: The WDS logo and CompassENTERPRISE are registered trademarks of Western Data Systems of Nevada, Inc. All other names indicated are trademarks of their respective companies.