WASHINGTON, Oct. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has selected IBM (NYSE: IBM) for an operations and maintenance contract for the ongoing maintenance and evolution of its Electronic Records Archive (ERA), in a contract valued at more than $240 million over a 10 year period. The ERA project is intended to ensure the transparency of government documents, allowing broader citizen access to permanently-valuable public records.

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The ERA systems track, preserve and provide access to the electronic records of the U.S. Government. They allow NARA to fulfill its mission in the digital age: to safeguard and preserve the records of government, ensure that people can discover, use and learn from its documentary heritage, and ensure continuing access to the essential documentation of the rights of American citizens and the actions of their government.

"We look forward to working with IBM to ensure the continued operation of our ERA systems, and to provide for their evolution as we adapt to emerging needs and inevitable changes in technology and software," said Michael Wash, Executive for Information Services and Chief Information Officer, NARA.

"In today's increasingly mobile society, access to digital information has never been more critical," said Todd Ramsey, general manager, U.S. Federal, IBM. "We are excited to be supporting this landmark endeavor for one of the nation's most important institutions, and to demonstrate how technology can be used to deliver smarter government solutions."

IBM will perform the work at its labs in Gaithersburg, Maryland and on site at the NARA Archives II building in College Park, Maryland.

For more information about IBM Smarter Government solutions, visit http://www.ibm.com/smarterplanet/us/en/government/ideas

Whitney Forster
1-202-551-9524
wdforste@us.ibm.com

SOURCE IBM