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Information Services Inch Closer to the Edge

Leaps in technology innovation and changes in the business enterprise climate are transforming the military’s view of its primary information systems provider. Network stability, computing advances, increased financial transparency, enhanced governance and the compelling need to modernize systems are key instigators in this new perception. But because supplying warfighters with bleeding-edge technologies quickly can be an elusive goal, work continues in earnest to remain one step ahead of the next requirement.

John J. Garing, chief information officer and director for strategic planning, Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), says the improved relationship between the agency and its customers is the result of the continual progress DISA has made in many areas. However, despite the urgency for bigger and better capabilities, DISA must continue to strive for the right balance between oversight and speed, he adds.

Enhancing the focus in the financial sector is one benefit of improved governance in the network area. While governance in the computing area has been solid for some time, Garing admits commensurate oversight has not existed in the network area. This is changing, and he emphasizes that he does not believe that the control is overwhelming.

 

Soldiers radio in their location and enemy contact results during a search for a sniper in SadrCity, Baghdad, Iraq. Because the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) is delivering more services to the tactical edge, the agency must consider the distinct requirements of warfighters in the field.

Another influence on customers’ views about DISA has been operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. The toll the wars are taking on equipment is compelling all of the armed forces to modernize and refit. They are making decisions concerning information technology services purchases so they can delegate some of their work when appropriate.

E-mail is one example of a service the agency will provide in the Defense Department enterprise, and the agency must closely evaluate the details when this service is taken to the tactical edge. When a ship or an Army unit cannot connect to the network, they still must have e-mail service among themselves. “And when they are connected, we have to be sensitive to the narrow bandwidth available to most edge users,” Garing explains. However, when the ship or unit reconnects to the network, they must be able to communicate with other entities such as their headquarters without missing a beat.

This same connectivity also must be available for other activities, including collaboration, he shares. Warfighters must be able to collaborate while they are disconnected or in a disadvantaged position and then synchronize to collaborate with the entire unit when they reconnect.

In addition to providing services rapidly and remaining agile, as chief information officer Garing has a number of other essential priorities. He believes cyberdefense is a crucial focus area. The agency must ensure that the network, including computing, is available and protected no matter the threat, he says.

“Second, and I'm not sure whether this is more or less important, is information sharing at all levels, among the services and agencies, with our coalition partners, and with our national partners for disaster relief and first responders,” Garing relates. Information-sharing services must both facilitate sharing and protect the information, he adds.

Garing’s third priority is developing the ability to set up the network and compose services where and when they are required based on U.S. warfighting strategies rather than on adversarial influence. DISA must be able to do this with information assurance in mind, he notes.

“Fourth, we've got to acquire services and capabilities and deploy them much faster than we are today. But we have to pay attention to speed and agility to make sure that the processes surrounding the regulations don’t impede us unnecessarily,” he says.

The tracking systems, including the Delivery Information Acquisition Device (DIAD), that commercial shippers such as United Parcel Service employ appeal to Garing. The ability to track boxes 24 hours a day, seven days a week using a system that has 14-hour battery life could be explored as a beneficial capability to the military, but not only with boxes. "Wouldn't it be nice to have something like that in the hands of every soldier, Marine or whoever?" Garing ponders.

The push toward sharing information leads Garing to the idea of cloud computing. Being a cloud provider—and DISA appears to be the logical choice for that—involves a great deal of responsibility and accountability to ensure solutions feature information protection and controllable access, he says.

The move to computing as a service likely will take three to five years, Garing predicts, but it will occur. “As the people who have been around for a long time begin to move on, and the newer blood comes in, this culture of sharing and collaboration on demand is going to take over. Maybe it will be in 10 or 12 years, but I think it's closer to three or five,” he states.

DISA's Customer Partnership Conference is being held in Anaheim, California, April 20-24. The conference serves as a forum for information sharing among industry and government.

Read an expanded version of this article in the April 2009 issue of SIGNAL Magazine, in the mail to AFCEA members and subscribers April 1, 2009. For more information about purchasing this issue, joining AFCEA or subscribing to SIGNAL, contact AFCEA Member Services.