Waiting for NMCI

[unhappycamper]

Waiting for NMCI
By Michael Hoffman - [e-mail]
Posted : Saturday Dec 8, 2007 14:21:10 EST

The Navy-Marine Corps Intranet, better known as NMCI, has spawned numerous nicknames over its seven-year existence, most of them far less complimentary than “No More Contracted Infosystems,” one of the few clean enough for print.

It’s also become a verb — “I’ve been NMCIed!” — generally screamed by a Marine or sailor in frustration after a spectacular computer crash.

So when the officials who manage NMCI announced a user satisfaction rating of 83.8 percent in November, based on a quarterly survey issued by the private company contracted to run it, the results raised a few eyebrows across the services.

Ask the average Marine, sailor or civilian who uses NMCI for an opinion of the system and prepare to get an earful. While some report few problems, the majority have vivid recollections of waiting, waiting, waiting.

Waiting for an actual fix after a call to the help desk. Waiting up to 20 minutes for the computer to log on. Waiting, sometimes months, to receive administrative privileges to add vital software. Waiting for permission to add local or network printers. Waiting weeks to transfer accounts from one base to another.


Rest of article at: http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2007/12/marine_NMCI_071208w/



uhc comment: NMCI = clusterfuck

[MADem]

1. What balls--they DIEBOLDED the results, the baaaaastids!!

The whole "using a swipe card to log in" is just STOOOPID. But then, look at the bums who got the damn contract--Diebold's graft amd greed cousins, EDS:

Officials with Electronic Data Systems, the corporation that won the 10-year, $9.3 billion NMCI contract that started in 2000, and Col. Lyle Cross, the program manager for NMCI, said the system has improved over the past seven years, which is shown by the results of the survey.....Those who fill out the survey — which EDS and Cross refused to provide to Marine Corps Times because they said it could skew future results — rate each category on a 1-to-10 scale. After all the ratings are averaged, a score of 5.5 or higher is considered a satisfied customer.

Jesus, that's "EH--no opinion," to me!! And the GAO concurs!!!

The Government Accountability Office issued a report criticizing NMCI last year, citing the poor customer survey results and questioning exactly how satisfied a customer truly is if providing a rating of seven or less.

“Given that the Navy’s definition of the term ‘satisfied’ includes many marginally satisfied and arguably somewhat dissatisfied users,” the users with an average satisfaction rating between 5.5 and seven would be more accurately defined as only “marginally satisfied,” according to GAO’s report titled “DoD Needs to Ensure That Navy Marine Corps Intranet Program Is Meeting Goals and Satisfying Customers.”

The most recent survey showed 66 percent gave the program a rating of seven or above, according to an NMCI release.



For those who care about this issue, it harkens back to the "Does Your Vote Count?" concerns....here is an old but INFORMATIVE article on the bitter, tangled complexity of interests in our Military-Industrial-Political Complex. It's ... disheartening, to say the least to see how some of these assclowns are rewarded: http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Election_Reform/Voting_Machines_Wild.html

EDS, another internationally oriented information technology corporation, recently received a $51 million subcontract from Sytel Inc, a software and service provider to the Army, Air Force and Dow Chemical, among others, to "support personnel systems including personnel management, hiring and job postings, employee training, job exchange programs and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaint tracking for the Department of Homeland Security."....Why Northrop-Grumman, Lockheed-Martin, EDS and Accenture have been hired to alter the election process in America becomes clear when personnel is considered. The three largest voting machine companies in America are Election Systems and Software (ES&S), Sequoia and Diebold. Like Accenture, they, too, have tarnished pasts.

AND...if you want to see what USERS think of this system, get a load of THIS: http://www.govexec.com/mailbagDetails.cfm?aid=29643

A few samples:

EDS is a virus. The company executive "quality of life" strangely enough went up expeditiously and they still claim bankruptcy. They send out obsolete hardware and software and pocket the rest. Tech refresh every 3 years. Hmmm WinDOZE 2000. An it is almost 2008. Can they do the math!. EDS is doing nothing but crippling the Navy and Marines in a time that we need to have working networks, computers and software even more than ever. Is the new CEO of EDS named Osama?

.............

Today I am sitting here at a NMCI computer. This thing took no less than 5 minutes to boot, and another 5 to load. My machine does not have the hardware to support burning, but has more software than it can handle for this task. Not to include the NetScreen Remote, and all the other little I-Spy programs they run.

Today I stepped away pulling my Common Access Card which locked the machine. When I returned I inserted my CAC, put in my PIN and it informs me my account is locked. So I have to drive across the base, find the IT office and get them to update my CAC. Then drive back to my shop. After shutting down the PC and restarting I am working again. Total loss of time about 3 hours.

It is criminal how much time and money is wasted by NMCI. But we are all very happy about our service!

........

NMCI -- I am tired of the constant complaining from my people about this aberration. These computers with their outdated operating systems and hardware are barely tolerable for e-mail. Most have 256Mb of RAM. They are hardly suitable for analysis work, yet we are expected to perform analysis with them. Constant lockups/interruptions throughout the work day from these horrid little machines with the tiny 17 inch CRTs. Good God it is time for a decent sized LCD, don't you think? Now we have this airspeed thing that is supposed to improve productivity, yet any mention of NMCI is off-limits. NMCI is the single biggest productivity inhibitor that the Navy has right now. It takes a year to get a seat?

Everyone have a great 4th of July. I know I will since I won't see this crappy computer for four days.

..............

The sun did come up this morning and was quite beautiful! It provided the perfect backdrop for the screen on my computer, which was still blue from my attempt to re-start it the night before. Gee, that never happened before my NMCI seat rolled. There are good things to be said about NMCI, they're just not IT-related.

[MADem]

2. Ahhh, wait...there's MORE. Some of this IS a scream.....

FWIW, this is NOT the first time NMCI has refused to release their actual polling figures. This has been SOP for SEVERAL years. A few more salient comments from dissatisfied users:

http://www.govexec.com/mailbagDetails.cfm?aid=29380

NMCI. An abbreviation that in today's Marine Corps sends chills down spines, makes eyes roll, makes people either laugh, cringe, or start using four letter words. For at least 6 years, we have had to endure a corporation that has spawned nothing but pure hatred from its customers. They expect many forms, some more complex than a simple tax return form, and give very very very little in the way of service, and customer satisfaction in return. It started out promising, and has become nothing more than a money hungry, non-helpful, arrogant, waste of space and manpower. I hope NMCI reads this and sends me an evaulation form, I'll be glad to get into full detail of why I loathe them.

...................
I would like to see this survey for myself. Obviously I wasn't asked but as far as Government being scammed goes, this one is right up there at the top! Does the survey ask how many production hours are lost due to NMCI? does it ask how many missed deadlines are attributed to NMCI? Does it ask if you have ever been unable to submit a report in a timely manner? Does it ask if you get irritated when you cannot open a .mil ,.com or other official Marine Corps program? ie; MAXIMO, PRISM, Marine Online. Yes, NMCI SUCKS! Where can I get a couple hundred of those bumper stickers?


.......................

Having just returned from serving 3 years in Japan, my wife (GS-11) and I were looking forward to our new jobs at Quantico. Then we encountered NMCI. My wife went to work for 3 weeks without a computer because, NMCI could not fix the problem of "rebooting contantly" on my wife's computer. They eventually took it and replaced it with another. Me on the other hand, I'm working on a P3 500 Mhz, DRMO reject and I hope the heck I never have to cut-over. I've been in the IT side of the Marine Corps for over 15 years, and NMCI will "Nickle and Dime" units to death. Why do so many places have 2 computers on their desks? One for Outlook and another to do actual work on! Too many units are starting their own domains to by-pass NMCI restrictions. Talking to the help-desk is like talking to a 7 year college drop-out who doesn't care if your problem is resolved or not. EDS is so broke that they are hiring 4th echelon folks for 1st echelon support. NMCI = Titanic, it's just a matter of time.

.........................

Navy officals. NMCI officals. EDS officals. Officals to the left of me. Officals to the right of me. Officals behind and in front of me. And all of them denying access to the survey results. And all of them nameless. Gee. Ya need a score card to tell'em apart. Or just maybe you're not supposed to be able to in the first place? Hmm. If I were in Gordon England's position as Secretary of the Navy and IF I had a set of stones, and IF I really cared about the Governments best interests (as opposed to FILL IN THE BLANK) some nameless officals would have 72 hours to have those survey results on my desk so they could be made public. Or I'd be going on a nameless offical head hunting expedition. Unfortunately, they're not an endangered species. Yet.

.........................

....- The recent outbreak of yellow and black bumper stickers at my base that read "NMCI SUCKS". - While visiting the Norfolk Navy Base, the curse from one military officer to another "NMCI You!!!". I think it means promising one thing and delivering a lot less.

:rofl:

[MADem]

3. The disgruntled even have MYSPACE GROUPS!!!!!

:rofl:

And a fast google will pull up some commentary that leaves you rolling on the floor--it is some of the funniest shit I have seen in a while...and it's funny, because it is TRUE!!!

http://groups.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=groups.groupProfile&groupID=103649384&MyToken=61fb1379-5810-42d2-b799-721f08ae581a

NMCI SUCKS

Category: Other

Type: Public Membership

Founded: Aug 16, 2006
Location:: Jacksonville,
North Carolina - US
Members: 14

I hate NMCI!!!

Category: Government & Politics


Type: Public Membership

Founded: May 10, 2006
Location:: Charleston,
South Carolina - US


Members: 28

[unhappycamper]

4. Thanks - I needed the laugh. n/t