The Defense Department on Friday took a big step toward its goal of a joint information environment, awarding Digital Management Inc. a contract to securely manage departmentwide mobile devices.
The Defense Information Systems Agency put out a request for proposals last October for a mobile device management software. The software should act as “traffic cop” for mobile devices, be able to remotely wipe software from any mobile device and allow users to personally download and update applications from an app store.
Friday, the awarding of the 3-year, $16 million contract brought those capabilities closer to reality.
“As part of this new Joint Information Environment, we are building a secure 4G wireless network that will get iPads, iPhones and Android devices online by mid-2014,” said Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Martin Dempsey during a speech at the Brookings Institute on Thursday. In fact, I have a secure mobile phone with me here today. This phone would make both Batman and James Bond jealous.”
Dempsey sees the secure mobile environment as the next generation of the military.
“The smartphone generation joining our military will help us pioneer a new era of mobile command and control,” he said. “This revolution will empower our greatest resource — the ingenuity of our people — and the philosophy of mission command we embrace.”
