Convergence of 'hard spots' in the Army tactical command and control systems (ATCCS)

Abstract

This paper presents a case study in large-scale systems integration, the Army tactical command and control system (ATCCS). ATCCS is being acquired by the Army under the evolutionary acquisition concept. The classical system engineering strategy for system integration is to ensure interoperability of system components. This paper presents the concept of 'convergence' as a better method to ensure effective integration of software components in the evolutionary acquisition process. In order to achieve convergence of software products, the Army program manager must implement three management initiatives: accurate definition of system requirements; continuous evaluation (CE) of system development progress: continuous identification, assessment and management of software risk.<>