National Archives Announces Successful Test of Electronic Archives System

The National Archives and Records Administration announced this week that the Electronic Records Archives (ERA) system has passed a significant milestone, with the successful completion of government testing of the first delivery of software from the developer, Lockheed Martin Corporation. When completed, the ERA will provide the means for preserving virtually any kind of electronic record, free from dependence on any specific hardware or software.

Lockheed Martin started deploying ERA hardware last spring and released the first pilot software to the National Archives on September 27, 2007. After extensive engineering and end-user testing of the system, the National Archives gave Lockheed Martin the green light to complete development of the second pilot.

The first pilot supports creating and processing records schedules and requests for transfer of records. The second pilot, to be delivered at the end of December 2007, will add system functions for transferring electronic records. The third pilot, scheduled for delivery in early March 2008, will provide tools for automated inspection of electronic records.