Adding Blockchain Capabilities for DoD and IC Customers
NCMS and Guardtime Federal Sign Contract for KSI Blockchain
Ann Arbor, Michigan — 5/4/2018
The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences and Guardtime Federal have signed a contract as the key supplier for KSI Blockchain software and services. Guardtime Federal provides a US-based, permission-based blockchain that differs from the typical Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) approach as it does not proliferate the customer’s information to a large community as part of a root of trust. Instead, the KSI Blockchain allows customer data to remain private and integrate with existing legacy systems delivering scalable cross-boundary immutable verification of registered data without the use of complex key management. This is particularly important for DoD and Intelligence Community (IC) customers.
Guardtime Federal is providing NCMS a KSI – Manufacturing Integrity capability that will provide verification of digital manufacturing files moved from a “gold file” repository to a depot or a deployed location anywhere on the globe. With this technology, both manufacturing centers and deployed forces can exploit additive manufacturing or numerical machining processes with certainty that design files have not been altered from their original, authentic state.
The NCMS contract will: a) Increase confidence that parts manufactured with 3D printing match the intended design and meet any related qualification and certification criteria without the need for re-testing; b) Establish a basis for providing provenance concerning the evolution of design and processes (assets) involving multiple partners and the fabrication of physical items from those designs; c) Form grounds for assuring third parties, such as other national Ministries of Defense or equipment manufacturers, that proprietary digital assets can be handled in a secure and trusted manner, so encouraging a collective approach; d) Increase the number of available solutions to a logistic requisition by extending the possibility of 3D fabrication across the entire length of the supply chain, whether in a strategic home base, on a theatre or regional basis, or at the tactical level.
About Guardtime Federal
Headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, Guardtime Federal is a US-chartered business with the objective to deliver data integrity products developed by Guardtime into the US National Security market (DoD, IC, and their support industry). Guardtime Federal integrates Guardtime KSI Blockchain technology with US developed high end Black Lantern® tamper-resistant hardware for providing data and process integrity and provenance in cross-domain, embedded and private networked environments.
For more information on Guardtime Federal, visit www.guardtime-federal.com
About NCMS
The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences, a large cross industry collaborative research and development consortium in North America, is dedicated to driving innovation in commercial, defense, robotics and environmentally sustainable manufacturing. NCMS’ vast experience in the formation and management of complex, multi-partner collaborative R&D programs, is backed by corporate members representing virtually every manufacturing sector.
For more information on NCMS, visit www.ncms.org