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Providing IT to the Nation’s Highest Military Leaders

DISA’s Joint Service Provider leads the charge to arm senior officials with innovative, yet steadfast communications and computing solutions.

The Defense Information Systems Agency's Joint Service Provider, which supplies crucial information technology to the nation's top military leaders, such as Gen. Mark Milley, USA, chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, is looking for industry innovation in network and communications capabilities. Credit: U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Marisol Walker

The Defense Information Systems Agency’s (DISA's) Joint Service Provider, or JSP, is looking for industry help. The JSP is the information technology (IT) service provider supporting the highest authorities at the Department of Defense, including the Office of Secretary of Defense, all of the U.S. military department heads, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Joint Staff, and most of the other senior DOD leaders within the Pentagon and throughout the national capital region, explained Sajeel Ahmed, the JSP’s vice director at DISA. Over the next year, the JSP will be issuing industry solicitations for network hardware, cybersecurity solutions and communications technologies.

The vice director presented the JSP’s Forecast to Industry during the AFCEA TechNet Cyber conference on December 3, held virtually.

“Keep in mind that the JSP’s mission is immense, with support of more than 35,000 users and over 75,000 assets, and that is growing but it is more than just our customers and their assets,” Ahmed noted. “We want to make sure that we support the customers’ mission by providing applications with massive amounts of data storage, 24/7/365 vigilance and actively countering our adversaries any place and anytime, and taking care of any sophisticated threats to our network. In order to support this, we need to actively engage our industry to drive our technological advancements.”

Over the last year, JSP leaders have met with industry partners “to brainstorm and identify the operations for value creation within the JSP’s infrastructure,” he said. The process helped illuminate the need for leaders within the organization to drive cultural change when it comes to recognizing industry capabilities.

“JSP is driving an internal culture shift to ensure decision makers understand that industry is already paving a path forward as far as technological improvements,” Ahmed acknowledged. “And that we need to leverage that path as much as possible.”

For cybersecurity, @USDISA’s Joint Service Provider is looking for improved scanning and tracking capabilities, as well as technologies that review vulnerabilities and its patch management process for the JSP Cyber Security Center, says JS director, Sajeel Ahmed #AFCECyber pic.twitter.com/tMDG7AsCu9
— Kimberly Underwood (@Kunderwood_SGNL) December 3, 2020

Specifically, the JSP is looking for enterprise solutions to upgrade its servers and software, and map its networks. For cybersecurity, the organization is looking for improved scanning and tracking capabilities, as well as technologies that review its vulnerabilities and assess the patch management process. Regarding architecture, configuration and engineering solutions, the JSP would like to apply zero-trust capabilities, among other measures. In addition, the JSP will be investing in evaluation technologies for endpoint, network and end-user assets, tools and behaviors, and will fill in gaps with appropriate technology based on security assessments, Ahmed said.

“We are making investments…in order to feed a healthier JSP ecosystem for our customers,” the vice director noted. “These investments will form the strong foundation of our organization striving forward in fiscal year 2021.”

As part of its acquisition activity, the JSP will be issuing at least 13 requests for proposal and projected IT infrastructure awards in FY21, which include areas such as: classified network program support; a procurement vehicle for end user devices; a blanket purchase agreement for audio visual and virtual teleconference hardware and installation; software-defined networking; identity protection management; and zero trust solutions.

In addition, the JSP is supporting network modernization efforts at the Pentagon and Mark Center in Alexandria, Virginia, investing in network architecture, as well as pursuing a similar initiative in Hampton Roads, Virginia. For Hampton Roads, the JSP will be making a single contract award for upgrading network devices for an unclassified and classified enterprise platform, the vice director explained.

“I also want to stress that JSP has taken considerable time to distribute work to both large and small businesses,” Ahmed shared. “We embrace the innovation and agile solutions that comes with smaller companies while also understanding the critical role the large companies can play.”

"Some of you may already know that I have an open-door policy with contractor partners and that myself and the rest of DISA’s JSP leadership team are invested in keeping the channels between government and industry always open," he continued.