Last week, Digital Management, Inc. (DMI) was awarded a firm fixed price contract for the Mobile Device Management (MDM) system and Mobile Application Store (MAS) by DISA’s Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization. The award is valued at $2.9 million, with four six-month option periods for a total lifecycle amount of nearly $16 million.
The establishment of the MDM and MAS is a keystone for the Department of Defense (DOD) Mobility Implementation Plan. It sets the stage for the digital ecosystem that will operate and assure the mobile devices that connect with DOD networks.
“DISA is proud to lead the DOD mobility effort because we see mobility is one of the disruptive technologies that we are bringing to bear. It gives us the ability to move information wherever we need it and put the information in the hands of the warfighter wherever he or she might be,” said Lt. Gen. Ronnie D. Hawkins, director for DISA. “With the mobile device management system and mobile application store, we will be able to manage devices and the applications that our warfighters use while ensuring our networks and information are secure and protected.”
The MDM provides the ability to enforce policy for end user devices at application and user levels by instituting end user permissions for approved functions on the mobile device. MDM also supports malware detection, over-the-air (OTA) electronic software distribution of applications, remote data-wipe capabilities, remote device configuration management, and asset/property management capabilities that protect against key and data compromise.
“A strong MDM capability lets us provision and manage devices with best-practice protections, trusted platform configuration and continuous monitoring,” said Douglas Gardner, technical director for Program Executive Office for Mission Assurance at DISA.
Hand-in-hand with the MDM, the mobile application store ensures that the applications distributed and managed on the MDM are vetted and approved for use on mobile devices connected to the DOD Networks. The establishment of the MDM and MAS is the next major step forward in DOD’s process for building a multi-vendor environment, supporting a diverse selection of devices and operating systems.
“Mobile security is not about the device, it’s about making the information available to the warfighter,” said John Hickey, Mobility program manager for DISA, at the AFCEA International Cyber Symposium in Baltimore.
The base period of performance for this contract is July 9, 2013 to July 8, 2014.
