AMRAD (Automatic Message Routing And Distribution)

The Challenge

The Automatic Message Routing And Distribution (AMRAD) programme was initiated by the UK MoD to facilitate replacement of old equipment and technology used in Communications Centres (COMCENs) for routing and distributing military messages between the MoD’s main building and the Army, Navy and Air Force. The RAF and Army have more than 150 COMCENs around the world.

Based on ACP 127 technology, the existing equipment was becoming difficult and expensive to maintain, with required skills and mechanical components increasingly scarce. It also required high staffing levels for distributing, copying and delivering messages manually. The content of the messages had to be short and textual.

The requirements were to:

• Provide a standards-conformant Military Message Handling System (MMHS)
• Remove the burden of manual message handling from COMCEN staff
• Install the new system quickly before existing equipment failed
• Carry more complex and varied content.

The Nexor Solution

Nexor worked with Fujitsu to provide a solution based on STANAG 4406 X.400 standards. The solution comprised several established products:

• Nexor Mailer: This is a high-capacity, multi-protocol message server that is both reliable and flexible, with extensive management and security features. It routes messages through the system, with messages stored in its P7 Message Store.
• Nexor Software Development Kits: Fujitsu used these in building profiling user agents, ACP 127 gateways and special handling access units. The kits provide a series of standard Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) that enable developers to access X.400 messaging, X.500 directory and security services from new or existing applications

To complete the system, directory services were provided by Informix and ACP 127 message switching was provided by Compucat.

The Result

As the first operational X.400-based MMHS, the new system introduced reliable Secret-level messaging to the desktops of a large number of UK defence users. It delivered major benefits to the MoD:

• Delivery direct to desktops removed the need for costly manual intervention from COMCEN staff.
• The ability to attach files to messages enabled any kind of electronic information to be sent using the system.
• The standards-driven design of all Nexor’s products guaranteed interoperability with other MoD and NATO systems.

For Fujitsu, Nexor’s product and consultancy services helped in building a solution that has formed the basis of similar systems for its other clients. The use of Nexor Software Development Kits made it easy to develop new products to run alongside Nexor Mailer, following the Open philosophy to which Nexor is committed.