Department of Defense contracts for a military app store

By Debbie Gregory.

The United States Department of Defense (DOD) has awarded a contract to Digital Management, Inc. (DMI) to build a mobile device management system and mobile application store for employees.

In addition to serving government agencies, DMI also serves the defense community and commercial businesses in the areas of strategic consulting, managed services, mobile strategy and management, cyber security, application development, and health care IT.

DMI’s commitment to leading-edge services and solutions has resulted in dramatic growth and an expanding client base of hundreds of Fortune 1000 companies globally, including all fifteen U.S. Federal Departments. Headquartered in Bethesda MD and with offices across the globe, DMI has been named one of the 50 Best Places to Work.

Announced by the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), the development of these systems takes the department’s plans to build a multi-vendor mobile communication network forward. In the last few months, DOD has approved the use of commercial devices, including Apple iOS-based smartphones, and Samsung phones running the Knox security software, which includes the popular Samsung Galaxy series.

The department has also released a Commercial Mobile Device Implementation Plan with goals and strategies for allowing the secure use of mobile devices.

The DOD currently has more than 600,000 commercial mobile devices in operation, including 470,000 BlackBerry phones, 41,000 iOS devices and 8,700 Android devices.

“Mobility gives us the ability to move information wherever we need it and put the information in the hands of the war fighter, wherever he or she might be”, said Air Force Lt. Gen. Ronnie Hawkins Jr., DISA director. “With the mobile device management system and mobile application store, we will be able to manage devices and the applications that our war fighters use while ensuring our networks and information are secure and protected”.

The management system and app store will be developed at an initial cost of $2.9 million dollars, with additional payments amounting to a total lifecycle cost of nearly $16 million.

According to officials, the mobile device management system and mobile app store form the keystone for the Department of Defense Mobility Implementation Plan, as it sets the stage for the digital ecosystem that will operate and assure the mobile devices that connect with DOD networks.