Wright Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) is one of the largest, most diverse and organizationally complex Air Force installations in the United States. The base links past, present and future, from the pioneering flights of the Wright brothers to the development of today's most advanced aircraft and aerial systems.  Missions for the base's units vary from acquisition and logistics management to research and development, advanced education, flight operations and a vast array of other activities.

WPAFB needed to provide authorized personnel the ability to send highly sensitive digital communications from computers to printing devices, networks and other users without providing access to unauthorized personnel.  Working with classified files required a system to monitor and control access to the office machines.  Further complicating the project, the Department of Defense uses a document management system that has very specific regulations about equipment usage.  All solutions had to be approved by this additional level of security.

WPAFB had an existing card-based security credentialing system in place called Common Access Card (CAC).  MOM recommended that users obtain access to machines approved for their level of security by inserting their CAC cards into the machines prior to initiating a print job.  Adding this level of security required going back to the equipment manufacturer, Lanier, for new software that could authenticate users by using the CAC readers on the Wright Patterson system.  Lanier technical support and IT divisions worked with the MOM team to write the software.

Although working with the military’s CAC system posed a variety of challenges, the team was able to launch the first phase of the fleet within three months, while the complete fleet was up and running four months later. Providing tailored solutions to meet our clients’ needs is what we’re all about at MOM. To read the Lanier LINK Newsletter article on MOM and WPAFB, click here.