DMUC was created in 2013 by the Defense Information Systems Agency, when doD needed a way to securely connect users` commercial mobile devices to the Agency`s email platform. Since then, DMUC has evolved to develop, implement and manage the mobility infrastructures that connect devices and applications within the DOD, Smith says. A secure mobile environment offers operational and strategic benefits to any large company in a world where mobility is becoming the norm. Purdy advises on how to build one: “We directly support our clients in their missions that can be improved by mobility,” says AL Smith, Director of Unclassified Functions at DOD Mobility Unclassified Capability. Business mobility has gone from convenience for a few employees or departments to a strategic necessity that is part of the fabric and mission of most organizations, says Purdy. “We focus on improving the user experience,” says Smith. “As everyone in their work becomes more mobile and has more flexibility, we try to strengthen that capacity. We`ve been really good at activating DOD Enterprise emails, but we want to keep going. As many DOD companies develop applications for unique mission needs, we want to be the platform that helps them use these applications for them. DMUC, which manages secure mobility services for units within the DOD, has accelerated its verification process and approved the carefully defended DOD environmental application, says Al Smith, DMUC Program Manager. “We`re helping the Air Force with the app that needs to move maintenance to a more mobile environment,” Says Smith. “We help our customers directly in their missions, which can be improved by mobility – mainly because mobile devices are used throughout the DOD.” Since its inception, DMUC`s user base has grown to 130,000 military and civilian users. In addition to agency emails, the program allows mobile devices access to the DOD information network and more than 1,000 Apple and Android apps.
The service also offers chat and email encryption features. DMUC has significantly accelerated the testing process for mobile applications, condensing a process that sometimes lasted months after a customer request into a process that, in some cases, can be completed in a matter of hours. “We are accused of taking a commercial mobile device and putting it in a state where it was allowed in government networks,” says Smith. “There are many challenges, especially the security requirements that need to be met to ensure that not only hardware devices, but also applications and management of our mobile devices are available for this environment.” Improvements to the DMUC, which are being introduced or are planned for the near future, include a digital signature application for PDF documents, improved mobile device security, mobile content management features, and support for the legal digitization of DMUC-approved devices. Tommy Peterson is a freelance journalist specializing in economics and technology, who regularly writes technology magazines in the CDW family. “All types of businesses want to take advantage of the benefits to bring old skills to the mobile world,” says Purdy. “This increases the need to automate the availability of the application and optimize the evaluation process, which ensures the application works and security in the mobile environment.” “We also need to move where suppliers are moving – it`s not just new applications we`re processing,” he says.
