Boeing

HUNTSVILLE, Ala., Oct. 26, 2011 -- The Boeing [NYSE: BA] Huntsville facility recently achieved the highest possible rating on the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) scale from the nationally recognized Software Engineering Institute (SEI).

The Huntsville site achieved the Level 5 rating in the CMMI disciplines of systems, software, and hardware engineering, which were evaluated against the standards developed by industry and government.

"Achieving a CMMI Level 5 is a competitive discriminator in today’s marketplace,” said Tony Jones, vice president for Operations and Boeing Huntsville site executive. “It not only gives our customers greater confidence in our ability to execute on our current programs, but also strengthens our site’s capability to win new business, as CMMI rankings are becoming a prerequisite for many competitive proposals.”

The CMMI appraisal benchmarks the commercial and defense industries’ best practices for system and software engineering; integrated product and process development; and supplier sourcing. The ratings provide insight into a company's ability to execute on proposed projects, thereby reducing risk and required oversight by the customer.

The certification process for the Boeing Huntsville site was conducted by independent auditor American Systems and included an extensive review and analysis of development processes, documentation, measurement systems and quality assurance tools used by the Ground-based Midcourse Defense and International Space Station programs.

"This achievement is the culmination of years of hard work and discipline, demonstrating that Boeing Huntsville employees are committed to the highest standards of business operations in delivering quality products and solutions," Jones said.

SEI is a federally funded research and development center sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense and operated by Carnegie Mellon University. Additional information about SEI's Capability Maturity Model Integration is available at www.sei.cmu.edu/cmmi/.

Boeing is the largest aerospace company in Alabama and one of the state's largest employers. Current company operations in Huntsville include the Ground-based Midcourse Defense program and other missile defense work, including the Standard Missile-3 Block IIB program, the Arrow system and the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 seeker, as well as support of Space Exploration Launch Systems, the International Space Station, Army Integrated Logistics, and engineering support for commercial and commercial-derivative airplanes.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world's largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $32 billion business with 64,000 employees worldwide. Follow us on Twitter: @BoeingDefense.

# # #

Contact:

Jessica Carlton
Strategic Missile & Defense Systems
Office: 256-461-5124
Mobile: 256-603-7137
jessica.m.carlton@boeing.com