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Gateway’s Customer Service – A Concept Whose Time Has Come!

SUMMARY

The SIGINT Contact Center was set up to manage customer requests during the Iraq crisis. Staffed by returning NSA retirees, it now also tracks requests for SIGINT database access and has significantly reduced the number of days from request to access.

DOCUMENT’S DATE

May 11, 2004

PUBLICLY AVAILABLE

Feb 05, 2018

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Page 1 from Gateway’s Customer Service – A Concept Whose Time Has Come!
DYNAMIC PAGE -- HIGHEST POSSIBLE CLASSIFICATION IS TOP SECRET // SI / TK // REL TO USA AUS CAN GBR NZL (U) Gateway's Customer Service - A Concept Whose Time Has Come! FROM: SIGINT Contact Center (S111) Run Date: 05/11/2004 FROM: SIGINT Contact Center (S111) (U//FOUO) Gateway's SIGINT Contact Center (SCC) evolved in the early months of 2003 and was rushed into existence on the 24/7 Battle Bridge operation in the National Security Operations Center (NSOC) during the Iraq crisis. It was formed to address the many special needs of internal (NSA) and certain external clients, including requirements falling outside the established National SIGINT Requirements Process (NSRP). (U//FOUO) With the drawdown of Battle Bridge operations in mid-April 2003, the SCC reverted to an 8-hour a day schedule while continuing to support the Customer Information Needs Desk (CINDesk) on the NSOC floor, the 24/7 SID "front door" for time-critical customer requests. Today, the SCC serves as an innovative and much-needed focal point for satisfying customer service needs. (U//FOUO) The SCC handles a wide variety of requests from all kinds of customers. For example: (S//SI) An Army Intelligence Officer assigned to Fort Eustis, Virginia had a hard-drive failure and requested assistance to recover vital classified information on the hard-drive. The officer turned to NSA for help when the command's Information Technology Support Center was unable to provide the necessary assistance. A series of phone calls led to a point-of-contact (POC) in the Hardware Bridging Office who accepted the task. The customer and the POC were united and the problem was resolved. (S//SI) In another instance, the SCC and the CINDesk began coordinating requests for the release of potentially actionable dialing records to foreign liaison partners. When the SCC and CINDesk took this on, it took an average of 38 days to get these released. It is now done in less than a week, and within a few hours for critical requests. (S//SI) In November 2003, the task of tracking incoming requests from tactical elements directly involved in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) for access to four National SIGINT databases was transferred from S141, National Tactical Technology and Interoperability Division, to the SCC. On 8 December, SID expanded this duty to include tracking requests for any database access received from any NSA/CSS activity. The transfer of this process to the SCC reduced the average number of days from request to access from 77 to 8. (S//SI) The SCC anticipates the further expansion of its mission to handle "special requests" from other activities such as CIA's Directorate of Operations. This initiative will continue to be further refined as the SID moves toward implementation of DIRNSA's Transformation 2.0 strategy for teaming and greater sharing of information. (U//FOUO) The SCC is currently staffed by retirees brought back to assist during OIF/OEF under the Temporary Employment During National Emergency (TEDNE) program. Collectively, the team members have extensive experience in the military, the commercial sector, and Agency operations. Experience in the field of communications and analysis, education and training, computer applications, oral and written communications skills, and an urgent sense of prompt service to its customers are hallmarks of the SCC team. (U//FOUO) If you would like to know more about the SCC, visit our website or "go SCC," give us call on , drop us an email at @nsa, or stop in for a visit in .
Page 2 from Gateway’s Customer Service – A Concept Whose Time Has Come!
"(U//FOUO) SIDtoday articles may not be republished or reposted outside NSANet without the consent of S0121 (DL sid_comms)." DYNAMIC PAGE -- HIGHEST POSSIBLE CLASSIFICATION IS TOP SECRET // SI / TK // REL TO USA AUS CAN GBR NZL DERIVED FROM: NSA/CSSM 1-52, DATED 08 JAN 2007 DECLASSIFY ON: 20320108