Defense IT Shifting Acquisition Priorities
Industry must change the way it provides key information technologies and systems to the military, especially with a major budget storm looming on the horizon.
Tighter budgets and changing technologies are altering the landscape for military information systems. Companies must take a different approach to providing the services with their communications and networking systems, according to a panel comprising service chief information officers (CIOs) at TechNet Asia-Pacific 2011. Panel moderator Lt. Gen. William T. Lord, USAF, U.S. Air Force CIO, told industry that he has enough tools right now-he doesn't need any more, and he doesn't know how to use all of the ones that he has. Industry should sell him a solution to integrate his existing tools into a common operating picture. Michael Krieger, Department of the Army CIO, was even more blunt. "Don't talk to me about tools; talk about capabilities," he said. "We have to get out of buying tools. You all have good tools." And, when it comes to building applications, Gen. Lord called for a change in direction. "We need to stop building applications at the top and then trying to get them down to the individual warfighter," he said. "We need to build for the tip of the spear and then work our way up."
