Spanos out as New York SWN program director
Less than two weeks after the state of New York terminated its $2 billion contract with Tyco Electronics M/A-COM to build and maintain a statewide wireless network (SWN) for public safety, SWN program director Jonathan Spanos no longer is working for the state.
“We have started restructuring the SWN program office, and [Spanos] no longer being with us is a result of that,” said Angela Liotta, spokeswoman for the New York’s office for technology (OFT), who said the state would not comment on the details of personnel matters.
On Jan. 15, the state notified M/A-COM that it was terminating its contract with the vendor after the initial buildout phase of the network—covering Erie County and Chautauqua County—failed three state tests during the past year, each time after M/A-COM officials declared the network ready for testing.
M/A-COM attorneys have issued a notice that the vendor disputes the testing assessments and expressed an intent to file litigation against the state for terminating the contract and for depositing $50 million from a M/A-COM letter of credit. In correspondence with the state, M/A-COM attorneys argue that the state “repeatedly hindered” the vendor’s performance and that state officials wanted to terminate the contract to relieve New York of the $2 billion obligation at a time when the state faces massive budget deficits.
For the moment, the SWN office will be headed by Nancy Perry, who has been appointed as acting director after serving as deputy director to Spanos, according to Liotta. Meanwhile, in light of the fact that there will not be a SWN as planned originally, the SWN office is considering its next steps, she said.
“The office has just begun to start their contingency planning and look at alternatives,” Liotta said.
