Thoughtmill, A Division of American Systems Corporation, Has Been Accepted Into the Software Engineering Institute Transition Partner Network

Business Wire, March 29, 2005

CHANTILLY, Va. -- American Systems Corporation (ASC) announced today that its Thoughtmill Division in Atlanta, Georgia, has been authorized by the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) to provide SEI Transition Partner services for its CMMI product suite offerings. This recognition places Thoughtmill as the only SEI Transition Partner in the southeast to offer both advanced software engineering services and SEI-licensed process improvement programs.

As a Transition Partner, Thoughtmill is authorized to present "Introduction to CMMI(R)" courses and to provide "Standard CMMI Appraisal Method for Process Improvement (SCAMPI)" appraisal services to companies worldwide.

To provide leadership in the transition of new software engineering technology into practice, the SEI licenses specific SEI technologies -- typically training courses and assessment services -- to organizations that the SEI calls Transition Partners. Stated Thoughtmill's Vice President and Director, Mike Rivers, "The SEI is very selective in granting this status and Thoughtmill is very proud to have been selected as a Transition Partner. It will provide us the ability to further expand our process management and improvement services to companies around the globe."

Thoughtmill's Director of Software Process Improvement, Dr. James Persse, added, "SEI Transition Partners operate in the forefront of introducing new programs and technologies for improving the way organizations perform systems engineering and software engineering. CMMI has become the standard of excellence in improving organizational processes in government and industry. In achieving this partnership with the SEI Thoughtmill finds itself in a select group of companies."

As an SEI Transition Partner, Thoughtmill's team of process improvement experts can deliver a three-fold program of CMMI consulting services. This program includes performing formal and informal gap analyses and assessments, designing customized CMMI solutions based on client needs and directives, and implementing these solutions across the organization. Thoughtmill can provide CMMI SCAMPI Class A, B, and C Assessments; CMMI Level 2, 3, 4, and 5 Program Design; and CMMI Training.

About CMMI

The Capability Maturity Model (CMM) is a process improvement framework designed to provide organizations with a method for developing technology products effectively, efficiently, and in line with budget, schedule, and performance expectations. Developed by the Software Engineering Institute of Carnegie-Mellon University for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), CMM was first introduced in 1986. It was originally used by the DoD to evaluate and select systems engineering contractors that practiced CMM level systems engineering management techniques. Since that time it has become a leading quality management program throughout the world for both commercial and government agencies.

In 2001, a new version of CMM was released: CMMI. While the original CMM was designed chiefly for software engineering practices, CMMI integrates best practices for software engineering, systems engineering, and technology product development.

About The Software Engineering Institute (SEI)

The Software Engineering Institute (SEI) is a federally funded research and development center sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense through the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics (OUSD (AT&L)) and Carnegie Mellon University. The SEI's core purpose is to help others make measured improvements in their software engineering capabilities by providing technical leadership to advance the practice of software engineering. For more information, please visit www.sei.cmu.edu. (SM) SEI and SCAMPI are service marks of Carnegie Mellon University.(R) CMMI is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office by Carnegie Mellon University.

About American Systems Corporation

ASC is a privately held, employee-owned ESOP company headquartered in northern Virginia. The company, which is ranked as one of the largest locally-based systems integrators in the D.C. area, employs approximately 1,400 employees in 26 offices nationwide, and provides a full range of information technology, consulting, and training services.

ASC business lines include systems engineering and professional technical services, training services and simulation products, software development, systems and network integration, national rollouts of network and point-of-sale systems, security solutions, and related information technology services to clients in government, defense, telecommunications, commercial, and retail markets.

The Thoughtmill division has a proven track record for delivering quality services and products on schedule and on budget in the most demanding of commercial and government environments. For more information, please visit www.2asc.com.