NETCOM Consolidating Network To Enhance Convenience and Security

U.S. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command (NETCOM) officials are changing the way that soldiers connect from around the globe. Warfighters are utilizing several new technologies and capabilities to communicate more easily and conveniently with their commanders and teammates. Furthermore, the tools help improve convenience for soldiers by allowing them to use their own devices instead of government-issued ones, which can lead to higher retention rates. During an interview with SIGNAL Media, NETCOM personnel, like Lucas Brown, chief of Enterprise Management Decision at NETCOM, highlighted and applauded two innovations: the Army Unified Directory Service (AUDS) and mobile application management (MAM).

These technologies and new developments related to the technologies are helping NETCOM unify the Army network globally and increase user experience for warfighters while also improving security, which is the “biggest benefit,” according to Brown. Furthermore, developments that offer the best of both worlds—a better user experience and security—are unique and not to be taken for granted.

“It’s actually, in a weird way, and this doesn’t normally happen, both a security improvement and a user experience improvement, which is a win-win you don’t normally run into,” Brown stressed. “Typically, when you start talking about cybersecurity, it makes the user lose functionality or have a harder time doing work, but that’s not the case here. AUDS, Azure Virtual Desktop and MAM make the user experience much better, and they improve security.”

Officials stress the importance of improving the “user experience” for a plethora of reasons. Firstly, if soldiers can spend more time focusing on their operations and missions instead of logistical aspects, such as learning how to use a different device, then they can better prepare for the fight and become more lethal. A better user experience will also lead to a higher retention rate within the Army, according to Brown. As the soldiers’ jobs become more convenient and a little easier, the more likely they are to stick around, Brown added. 

AUDS is a new concept, and Army leaders are still months away from fully implementing it. At this time, Army officials are switching all unclassified end-user computers to AUDS, a process they expect to complete by the end of September. 

AUDS’ goal is to provide warfighters with the ability to connect to the network, regardless of their location. The service allows soldiers to easily and smoothly move anywhere in the world while remaining in the loop and prepared for their operations and battles, Brown stressed during the interview. Additionally, with the creation of a single service, soldiers can move from location to location without worrying about altering the system to adapt to the new combat area.

“Before, when moving our systems around, a lot of the times, they required [to] have them reconfigured when you go into a different theater of operation, but with one flat directory and one unified service, we no longer have to do that,” Brown said. “So, it allows soldiers to deploy and redeploy without having to change anything about the systems that they’re using.”

“We call it seamless movement,” Brown added. “We’re trying to enable the seamless movement. Now, that might seem like a no-brainer, but because of the legacy technology we’ve used, it’s been extremely hard to get to this point, and the thing that’s really, truly enabled it is cloud technology.”

Cloud technology is providing Army leaders with the capability to host a unified directory in the cloud that soldiers can access securely, Brown explained. 

Additionally, combining networks should give warfighters access to identical information, which will ideally lead to soldiers being more in sync with one another.

“[AUDS] simplifies management of accounts [and] management of these systems,” Brown said. “So, because we can see everything through a single pane of glass now, and it’s one account, it simplifies user provisioning, and it ensures all of our users and identities are synchronized to a single source of authoritative truth.”

Furthermore, AUDS accounts are very similar to and integrated with Army 365 accounts, according to Brown, and they feature a user-friendly interface. Soldiers no longer need to provide their VPN to access Army 365 applications, and AUDS provides warfighters with a single sign-on option, making it easier for them to log in.

Secondly, NETCOM officials spotlighted a new development regarding MAM. Crews are scaling up the service to allow soldiers to use their personal devices as long as the devices are approved and compatible with the latest operating systems, such as iOS and Android, according to Brown. This monumental move is expected to enhance convenience significantly and make the job a little less stressful for warfighters.

“So [instead of] giving them a government phone that might be old, outdated or difficult to use, we can say, ‘Use your own phone,’” Brown said. “Use the phone you prefer, and then you can interface with work and do work from the personal device you choose. Of course, that’s a voluntary thing. We can’t force anyone to use a personal device, but we can definitely make it available to those who want to do it. So, enabling the entire workforce to use their personal mobile device, whether it’s iOS or Android, and offering that flexibility improves the user experience.”

Additionally, MAM features a strict set of security policies. Through encryption tactics, crews have been able to ensure that the user’s personal and government information remains separate from one another.

MAM is available to the entire Army, according to Brown.

These developments come months after the Army released its Army Unified Network Plan 2.0, which focuses on operationalizing the Unified Network from 2024 to 2026, and it aims to get troops ready for a data-centric environment by integrating zero-trust principles, according to Army officials. The plan as a whole works to create “a strategy to unify Army networks with common standards, systems and processes to reduce complexity and increase integration,” according to the authors of the Army Unified Network Plan 2.0.