Harris Corporation Selected to Mentor 7 Delta, Inc. Under Department of Veterans Affairs' Mentor-Protege Program

MELBOURNE, Fla. and WASHINGTON, March 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

Highlights:

• Mentor-Protege Program helps Veteran-owned businesses perform VA contracts and compete in marketplace
• 7 Delta, Inc. provides information technology services to commercial and government markets
• Selection represents Harris' continued commitment to Veterans and small businesses

Harris Corporation (NYSE: HRS), an international communications and information technology company, has been selected by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to participate in the Mentor-Protege Program with 7 Delta, Inc., a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB).  The VA selected 20 mentor-protege teams to participate in the new program that will help small businesses owned by service-disabled Veterans and other Veteran-owned businesses.

"For the VA, it's a natural goal to award government contracts to qualified Veteran-owned small businesses," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric. K. Shinseki.  "Not only does it benefit the Veteran entrepreneur, but the VA gets the contractor support it needs more quickly and with less risk."

The VA created the Mentor-Protege Program to assist SDVOSBs and Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (VOSBs) in becoming more competitive in the healthcare marketplace and to increase the number of SDVOSBs and VOSBs that receive VA contracts.  The program helps protege companies enhance their capability to perform VA contracts.

"We are extremely honored that the VA selected Harris to serve as a mentor to 7 Delta," said Jim Traficant, vice president and general manager, Harris Healthcare Solutions.  "The VA's Mentor-Protege Program allows us to continue to demonstrate our strong commitment to Veterans and help foster the growth of Veteran-owned small businesses."

As a member of the Department of Defense-sponsored MPP since 1998, Harris has more than ten years of experience in helping small businesses mature, expand, and compete in the marketplace. Harris will mentor 7 Delta in the areas of  business management, business growth, and employee development.

"7 Delta is very grateful and excited about this opportunity," said Mike Sawyers, CEO, 7 Delta, Inc.  "We look forward to taking our cooperative teaming and corporate development efforts with Harris to the next level under the VA Mentor-Protege Program."

Based in Fulton, MD, 7 Delta, Inc. is a leading provider of information technology services to commercial and government markets.

In healthcare solutions, Harris provides enterprise intelligence solutions and services for commercial and government customers, including interoperability, imaging, managed services infrastructure, systems and cyber integration, and informatics.  Harris products, systems, and services improve health outcomes by ensuring that the right information is delivered with security and privacy to the right person, on the right device, at the point of care.

About Harris Corporation

Harris is an international communications and information technology company serving government and commercial markets worldwide.  Headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, the company has approximately $5 billion of annual revenue and more than 15,000 employees — including nearly 7,000 engineers and scientists.  Harris is dedicated to developing best-in-class assured communications® products, systems, and services.  Additional information about Harris Corporation is available at www.harris.com.

SOURCE Harris Corporation