Defence system late - and $45m extra By IAN McPHEDRAN 12aug02 TAXPAYERS will pay an extra $45 million for a new defence computer system that is running three years late. ADVERTISEMENT A contract for the so-called Personnel Management Key Solution Project - or PMKeyS - was signed in 1998 for $25 million, with a delivery date of late 2000. In what has become a pattern for defence contracts, the system is not only three years late, but will now cost $70 million. PMKeyS will cover records of 100,000 military, civilian and reserve staff. About $60 million has already been paid to the contractor, with another $10 million needed to complete the third of four scheduled phases. The new system has also angered army personnel who claim they have lost their identity because regimental numbers have been removed from personnel files. The contract with the firm PeopleSoft provided an initial budget of $25 million and a completion date of late 2000. PMKeyS is supposed to provide defence with a human resources management computer system replacing more than 20 purpose-built systems. The civilian side of the system was up and running on time by late 1999. http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,4882041%255E662,00...