Army proposes server consolidation

LAS VEGAS — The Army plans to implement an enterprise consolidation initiative next year that moves key computer servers to regional centers from installations.

The Army wants to create six area processing centers to improve network security management and obtain operational efficiencies servicewide. The Army will start with servers at four installations, said Joe Capps, director of the Enterprise Systems Technology Activity at the Army Network Enterprise Technology Command. He spoke today at the Army Information Technology Conference sponsored by the Army Small Computer Program.

Capps said the Army chose the four installations for the initiative but he would not announce them yet. He said the service wants the first site migrated to an area processing center in nine months, while the other three would get to that point in 12 to 18 months.

Capps said the servers that would come to the centers include e-mail, Web services and most of the storage. He said he would name them when he gets the funding for the initiative.

The Army could use centers operated by the Defense Information Systems Agency, existing service centers or build new ones. The idea is to create six entry and exit points to the Internet for the Army in the United States to create network management and security efficiencies, said an industry official familiar with the initiative.

Army IT workers may view this as a move to first take away their work and then their jobs. But the move could free them up to provide more IT services at their installations, the industry official said.