Defense Contract Management Agency CIO Jacob Haynes said his agency is looking to make big pushes in both the mobile spaces and incorporating zero and thin client desktops over the next few months and years.
Speaking this morning at Deltek INPUT’s Marketview 2011 conference at the Tysons Corner Ritz-Carleton, Haynes said DCMA is launching a thin client pilot this summer, would like to deploy a solution for training in 2012, install in the agency’s Boston and Carson locations in 2013 and add additional users in early 2014.
“I absolutely love the ability to use a virtualized desktop where I can start a session in one location, drive 100 miles to another computer and pick up right where I left off,” Haynes said.
All of this, Haynes said, is the agency’s goal to decrease computer windshield time to get agents out in the field. To do so, he says DCMA is making a major push in the mobile space and is likely to incorporate other mobile devices than the Blackberry RIM devices it currently focuses on.
He says the agency is testing a number of smartphones, looking primarily at security for email, calendar and contacts, along with needing the ability to remotely wipe data from a device.
As for tablets, Haynes said they are great for personal productivity and video, but not for data input. He also worries about the cost of integrating them into existing systems.
“Our goal is to enable an efficient workforce that needs to become more mobile to keep up,” Hanes said. “We need the right devices that match our security concerns and something that we can move out immediately on a strong network.”
Also to note, Haynes said DCMA is doing a server application refresh (the agency is currently on Oracle) and a new opportunity should be on the street soon.
