Original Date: 01/23/1995
Revision Date: 01/18/2007

Sandia is developing an Integrated Development Environment and Assistant (IDEA) program that will provide easy and guided access to electronically accessible knowledge, information, and tools in an integrated development environment. IDEA will help personnel avoid duplicative efforts, inadequate scheduling, and continuation of inappropriate conventions. Information available will include relevant past projects, lessons learned, processes, standards, guidelines, tools, and corporate and industry documentation.

IDEA currently provides an electronic facility for access to general Internet resources and to much of Sandia's unclassified information and knowledge such as project files, lessons learned, administrative and technical processes, corporate documentation, and product line resources. For example, IDEA allows the user to view and navigate archived project files developed in a particular tool even if the user does not have a copy of that tool. IDEA also offers an assistant guide to the user to those resources that are relevant to the user's needs.

When fully developed, IDEA will also provide a complete integrated development environment with a smarter assistant. Integration of tools, information, and expertise enhance IDEA's applications. For example, IDEA can help instruct a user to author a requirements document by bringing up the word processor of choice with a template to aid the user in developing that document.

Users will be able to connect to IDEA via Internet or modem from most PC, Macintosh, or UNIX workstation platforms. From IDEA, users may access resources originally developed on PC, Macintosh, and UNIX workstation platforms. The Technology Information Environment for Industry will provide a front end platform that will accommodate others such as DOD, DOE, external (U.S. industry) and internal (Sandia) access to IDEA. IDEA is scheduled for implementation at Sandia in March of 1995 and to others by the end of 1995.

Through IDEA, laboratories, universities, and U.S. industry can share knowledge, information, and tools, thereby enhancing technology transfer, fostering partnerships, and benefitting small businesses who could not otherwise afford to conduct research on this scale. IDEA will also provide an enhanced vehicle for stockpile stewardship.

For more information see the Point of Contact for this survey.