FAA Turns to MemoryStore.com to Upgrade America's Air Traffic Control System

Business Wire, Nov 13, 2007

PHILADELPHIA -- When the Federal Aviation Administration needed to upgrade computer memory in the 1,500 servers that control the nation's air traffic, it could have turned to manufacturers in Europe, Korea, China, or Japan. Instead, the FAA chose computer memory manufactured in the U.S.A. by MemoryStore.com, located in Philadelphia. MemoryStore.com manufactured 1,500 IBM compatible 1GB RAM upgrades for the FAA servers that manage 50,000 aircrafts carrying 1.8 million passengers daily. These mission-critical server memory upgrades passed the FAA's rigorous testing, while saving taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The memory upgrades were required when the FAA received a new version of its ERAM software, which controls aircraft flying in the National Airspace System (NAS). The software, which runs on 1,500 IBM pSeries 615 servers, required increased RAM requirements to 2GB, double what the older IBM computers had. When IT leaders at the FAA's Technical Center in Atlantic City, N.J., sourced a memory upgrade, they found the IBM original FC 4446 memory upgrades were no longer manufactured, and available only in refurbished condition for nearly $1 million--far more than the cost of replacing all of the servers. Worse, the computer memory from IBM carried only a 60-day warranty.

Display System Replacement Engineer Tom Ackermann mounted a search for an alternate supplier. He was astonished to discover a local American manufacturer could not only supply the memory upgrades, but do so at a lower cost than every Asian or European supplier, and with a lifetime warranty.

"MemoryStore.com dispels the myth that you can't manufacturer high-quality computer memory cost-effectively in the United States," Ackermann says. "The company's memory upgrades sailed through weeks of our toughest stress, load, and regression testing. It proved its memory upgrades can support the mission-critical servers that guide the nation's aircrafts. And if we need technical support, MemoryStore.com can have a lead engineer here in less than an hour, because their manufacturing facility is locally based."

The FAA plans to roll out its MemoryStore.com memory upgrades in the country's 20 Air Route Traffic Control Centers by March 2008. When complete, the entire air traffic control system will be upgraded to 2GB, representing 50 percent of the redundant system. The other 50 percent will be handled by 1,500 new servers that were delivered by IBM with 2GB of RAM preinstalled.

"Once again, MemoryStore.com met the most demanding requirements to facilitate a major memory upgrade," says Bob Kanoff, Vice President of MemoryStore.com. "Our computer memory is keeping America flying, and keeping fliers safe. We're proud that the FAA chose MemoryStore.com for our high-quality, third-party memory upgrades and our customer service, support, and resources. We look forward to a long relationship with the FAA."

ABOUT MEMORYSTORE.COM

MemoryStore.com provides one-stop, on-demand comparison shopping for both brand-name and third-party memory upgrades for leading brands and virtually any memory requirement--servers, desktops, laptops, printers, legacy computers, and medical devices--with 100 percent compatibility guaranteed and a lifetime warranty. To speak with a U.S. sales and customer support representative, call 877-ADD-RAM9. To place an order online or learn more about MemoryStore.com, visit http://www.memorystore.com.

PRESS RESOURCES

Press contact: KateR@GregoryFCA.com

MemoryStore.com Web site: http://www.memorystore.com/

FAA Information:

http://www.faa.gov/news/fact_sheets/news_story.cfm?newsId=7714

http://www.faa.gov/airports_airtraffic/technology/eram/