Defense procurement

Pentagon procurement in the digital age

In modern warfare, information is king. The United States military has long relied on its superior ability to obtain, process, access and share data within the U.S. Joint Forces and with allies as an “offset” to the capabilities of other states. The next step? Moving to the “cloud” — remotely accessible systems for storing data, computing with it, and using it in military operations.

Last month, the Department of Defense announced it was seeking to move quickly ahead with a single-award contract — that is, one provider for all cloud services — for at least two years. While moving DoD data to a cloud-based system is urgently needed, a sole-source award in the presence of a vibrant marketplace for cloud-based IT services runs counter to private sector practice, where companies typically turn to at least a handful of different providers based on particular requirements.

So far, the Pentagon is short on answers to some very basic questions. By rapidly seeking a sole cloud provider — as opposed to a multi-cloud provider solution — will DoD be missing out on the future innovation opportunities offered by a vibrant cloud industry? Is a single provider the best approach to security? Will a single provider best serve the process of integrating thousands of existing DoD and allied systems?