Apps4Army Contest Only the Beginning
Apps for the Army contest winners and the Army chief information officer talk about the winning apps and what these developments mean for the future of the Army.
Lt. Gen. Jeffrey A. Sorenson, USA, chief information officer/G-6 of the Army, addressed media members at LandWarNet today during a roundtable focused on the recent Apps for the Army competition. Various competition winners also attended to share their experiences. Gen. Sorenson reiterated comments he made yesterday saying that this quick-development contest could serve as a precursor for rapid deployment in the future. He sees the process applying even to larger systems. The general also mentioned that in the future there could be a contest involving industry participation in which they are given guidelines but not many specific requirements. In 30 days, apps would be delivered and voted on, then winners would be funded and asked to deliver the product in 60 days. Other future trends for applications include having soldiers control unmanned systems and other robotics from their smartphones. Within a year, Gen. Sorenson expects soldiers down to the platoon level to become part of the network through smartphones. The contest-winning apps are available now at https://storefront.mil/army/. For those attending LandWarNet, a presentation by Apps for the Army Program Manager Marvin Wages will happen at 1500 in Rooms 5/6 of the Tampa Convention Center. A demonstration of the winning apps should be available outside those rooms during the day.
