Navy SEALs Need More Bandwidth For WebsiteNavy SEALs Need More Bandwidth For Website

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Increased traffic to the Navy's website for its special operations--such as the one that eliminated Osama bin Laden--has spurred the military arm to seek Web hosting services to ensure the site doesn't go down.

The Navy is seeking "an enhanced Web hosting contract that allows for increased bandwidth, with room for fluctuating growth and enhanced networking equipment" to support the combined website for its Sea Air and Land Teams (SEALs) and Special Warfare Combatant Crewman (SWCC) unit, according to a solicitation posted on FedBizOpps.gov.

It was Navy SEALs who attacked Osama bin Laden's compound and killed the al Qaeda leader on May 1, spurring new interest in Navy special forces and hence more traffic to the website. Unfortunately, the site hasn't been able to handle it, according to the solicitation.

"Recent events have demonstrated that SEALSWCC.COM, as the authoritative voice for SEAL and SWCC training, makes the website vulnerable to significant spikes in traffic," the Navy said in its solicitation. "The current steady state Web hosting contract is not adequate to ensure proper uptime of [the site]."

The Navy SEALs are a special operations unit so-named for their ability to operate in various terrains, including the sea, while the SWCC unit operates and maintains state-of-the-art, high-performance boats to support the SEALs and other special-operations missions.

The Navy is seeking three bandwidth levels on a Windows/Intel-based hosting network to keep the site up and running optimally. The first is sustained, committed monthly bandwidth at 25 Mbps per month over an allocated 3 Mbps for a total of 28 Mbps per month, according to the solicitation.

The second and third call for uncommitted bandwidth at 25 Mbps and 50 Mbps, respectively, to be available on demand as needed for peak traffic outside of the normal allocated bandwidth. The Navy plans to negotiate the price per megabit per second in advanced. It also wants to hold purchased bandwidth in reserve without it expiring.

The services also should include software support, firewalling, round-the-clock monitoring, anti-virus protection, server monitoring and response, domain name management, daily backup and OS updates, among others, according to the solicitation.

Interested firms have until May 26 to respond to the solicitation.

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