Downers Grove, IL -- UPP Business Systems was in attendance at the annual Air Force Information Technology Conference (AFITC), held in Montgomery, Alabama, and sponsored jointly by the city and the HQ Standard Systems Group at Maxwell AFB-Gunter Annex, a leading Information Technology unit for US Air Force and Department of Defense (DoD) operations worldwide. The conference, geared toward buyers, developers, and managers from across the Department of Defense responsible for identifying and defining tomorrow's requirements for IT, featured an estimated 180 vendors on-hand to showcase their wares and services, and present technical seminars and workshops, as well as interactive exhibits.

Highlights of this year's event included the opening day keynote address from General John P. Jumper, the Chief of Staff of the US Air Force. The General's remarks exemplified the theme of the conference, "Air Force IT for a Changed World," emphasizing the need to integrate the Air Force's various platforms, programs and procedures in order to speed up the means to ensure the continued success of its mission.

Additional key note speakers included Michael Capellas, President of The New HP; Michael Dell, CEO of Dell Computer Corporation; Jeff Henley, CFO of Oracle Corporation; Brig. Gen. Bernard K. Skoch, Director of Communications, Deputy Chief of Staff, Installations and Logistics, Headquarters US Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, DC; and Brig. Gen. John W. Maluda, Deputy Director for Command, Control, Communications, Computer, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR), Headquarters US Air Force, Washington, DC.

Among the vendors on hand in support of Air Force goals were Northrop Grumman, leading a Network Security Seminar; Lockheed Martin, leading a talk on Systems Integration; Cisco Systems, presenting on the topic, "Optical Technologies for the Air Force;" Microsoft Corporation with "Business Intelligence: Information Wins Wars;" and many others, including UPP Business Systems. Approximately 5,500 people attended the conference, featuring 3,700 government personnel and more than 1000 involved in exhibits. UPP attendees included CEO Scott Upp; Executive Vice President Mark Harrison, Director of DoD Services, Jim Hawk; and Sr. Consultant onsite at Gunter AFB, Bob Ralph.

Said Jim Hawk, "The conference allowed us to exhibit our credentials," displaying UPP talents to the fullest, and "showing how strong the company's capabilities are in all facets of the IT world." UPP was also able to interface with government and civilian personnel, including IT management decision-makers stationed overseas, and from other branches of the military. "Not only were there people from Gunter and the surrounding bases," continued Hawk, "but representatives from The Pentagon along with European and Pacific IT managers. We were able to conduct one-on-one conversations with them," he said. "And now they all have an idea of the services UPP is capable of providing."

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