Army seeks to formalize mobile apps development

The Army has spent much of this year developing mobile applications for smart phones on an ad hoc basis and now wants to formalize the development process. The service's main systems developer asked for help in creating an official process from industry and researchers in a proposal released Oct 4.

The Army has pursued mobile apps development through a contest launched this March by Army Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Sorenson, the service's chief information officer. In June, the Army kicked off tests of smart phones and applications in the field with infantry units at White Sands Missile Range, N.M.

Ed Velez, portfolio information officer-chief information officer at the Army's Program Executive Office Enterprise Information Systems at Fort Belvoir, Va., said it's time to combine the speed and agility that drives development of commercial mobile apps -- which can be done in one day -- with more formal Army processes to ensure that Army systems' applications are secure and able to share information with one another.

Sorenson, in a speech in August said the Army would like to field the mobile application in 30 days, but to do so, the service needs to develop an infrastructure and standards to support such development.

In its request for information for mobile application development services, the Army Contracting Command National Capital Region Contracting Center said it needs a better understanding of best industry practices to help PEO EIS develop mobile apps.

PEO EIS said it needs industry's assistance to help it become a one-stop shop for mobile applications within the Army. Velez said PEO EIS wants to develop the unique capability to deliver training content, logistics transactions, personnel status and help users tailor apps securely to their business processes.

Velez's office wants to help soldiers leverage emerging mobile technologies, extend enterprise services to the mobile end user and provide an integration platform for third-party applications.

Security and privacy are hallmarks of this effort, Velez said, adding his office would like to find a way to field mobile apps that will take the security burden off the developer.