Sean M. Gallagher

With John Garings elevation from Defense Information Systems Agency chief information officer to director of strategic planning, Bobbie Stempfley has stepped into the CIO role. While Garing focuses on long-term strategy and developing program objectives within DISAs budget, Stempfley has taken on what she calls the more finely defined role of managing the agencys ongoing information technology operations. Defense Systems contributing editor Sean Gallagher spoke with Stempfley about her role at DISA and the top challenges she faces.

via DISA aims for smooth operations across business lines — Defense Systems.

The Defense Information Systems Agency has cleared the last hurdle for full deployment of Global Command and Control System–Joint GCCS-J Block V, the last planned version of the suite of software that gives the national leadership and joint commanders tools to analyze situations and direct military units in the field.

Cheryl Roby, acting assistant secretary of Defense for networks and information integration, signed off on Status of Resources and Training System SORTS Version 4.2 Aug. 28, completing the development and testing program for GCCS-J. The other two elements of Block V — the Joint Operation Planning and Execution System JOPES 4.2 and Global 4.2 — had already been approved for deployment, and DISAs GCCS team has begun deployment to the 53 sites worldwide where GCCS-J is used.

Block V is a departure from previous versions of the GCCS platform in that it relies heavily on commercial software for much of its architecture. It replaces the Defense Information Infrastructure DII Common Operating Environment COE used by previous versions of GCCS-J. The system relies on software from Oracle, including the BEA application server, and Java, and it also supports integration with other commercial software, including Google Maps support.“The move to Block V has marked the movement away from the DII COE,” said Kim Rice, deputy program manager for GCCS-J. “Were no longer doing segmented-software releases, which means…were able to get [enhancements] out to the field much faster than we were able to before.”

via DISA to deploy new command-control software suite — Government Computer News.

Like client-server, Web applications and services-oriented architecture before it, cloud computing is capturing the imagination of health IT system developers. But just like a cloud, the term “cloud computing” is nebulous – people see different things when they look at it, depending on their perspective.  So defining its value to healthcare organizations can be a challenge.

Healthcare enters the cloud .

When the Aegis combat system was deployed on USS Ticonderoga in 1982, its display technology was state of the art and almost entirely based on hardware and software created specifically for that job. But today, the latest generations of Navy data display systems are being built mostly from commercial hardware and increasingly with free and open-source software.

Tech refresh brings HD video to Aegis — Defense Systems.

Lt. Gen. Carroll Pollett, director of the Defense Information Systems Agency, reiterated the importance of the contract workforce to DISA at an industry presentation Aug. 7, especially, he said, as the agency faces moving its staff to Fort Meade, Md., next year.

DISA director emphasizes contractor workforce importance — Defense Systems.

“U.S. defense officials are insisting that by reorganizing their cybersecurity strategy to give new powers to the director of the National Security Agency, they are not attempting a power grab. The military will continue to focus on protecting its own networks, they said, rather than expanding the military’s role to protecting civilian-run electrical and transportation networks.”

Cyber-overhaul – C4ISRJournal.com – Military Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance.

iRobot pushes robots into new territory — Defense Systems.

ThinkPad W700 Review — FedTech Magazine .

“Earlier this decade, a movement called “downshifting” sprung up among older professionals who sought to simplify their lives and have more time for family, pet projects and personal fulfillment off the clock. Now, the recession has brought a whole new spin to downshifting. Senior-level professionals accustomed to high salaries have lowered the expectations they have for their next positions in hopes to just make ends meet.”

See the article at TheLadders.

C4ISR Journal:

“An empire challenged” – preview of the Empire Challenge coalition information-sharing exercise.

Defense Systems:

• DISA ‘private cloud’ serves as personnel system — Defense Systems
• Forge.mil, SIPRNet collaboration begins — Defense Systems
• Open-source invasion requires defense contractors to form strategic plans — Defense Systems (A vendor profile of Sun Federal Systems)
• Radars perform double duty as high-speed data links — Defense SystemsDISA keeps pace with net-centric milestones — Defense Systems–Col. Deidre Briggs, military deputy, program executive office for GIG Enterprise Services
• The push for a seamless command and control network — Defense Systems