DISA makes software collaboration agreement

The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) has established a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with the Open Source Software Institute in an effort to bolster collaboration between the federal government and other entities, the agency said.

The agreement was reached March 17, DISA officials said. It is designed to foster collaboration and partnerships between the federal government, non-profit organizations, academia, and industry. The groups will research and develop software for users in the Defense Department, governments at all levels, and the public, according to the agency.

The agreement focuses on release of an open-source version of DISA's internally developed Corporate Management Information System (CMIS). CMIS is a Web-based federal workforce management and administrative software suite with nearly 50 applications and tools to manage human resource, training, security, acquisition and related functions for more than 16,000 DISA users worldwide

"We have a lot invested in CMIS and many other government agencies want to adopt it,” said Jack Penkoske, DISA’s director of Manpower, Personnel and Security. “Why not let them, using the CRADA and an open source model? And why not also open it to industry, academia, and the Open Source community? This approach not only lets them use CMIS, but also lets us leverage their good ideas and modifications to improve DISA's system, and we believe this will be a win-win for all involved.”

The Open Source Software Institute is a non-profit, membership-based organization whose mission is to promote the adoption and implementation and implementation of open-source software solutions in federal, state and municipal government agencies.