DOD urged to go commercial

Industry and market experts told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Dec. 1 that the Defense Department must be less rigid in its acquisition processes and move toward more nimble commercial practices.

Ben FitzGerald, a senior fellow and director of the Technology and National Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, said the military increasingly relies on commercial technology, such as Apple and Samsung Galaxy smartphones and enterprise email, for certain IT needs. He told the senators that this approach should be extended to other technology areas in which industry is innovating more quickly, more efficiently and less expensively.

 "The government should...think creatively about how to quickly adapt a broader range of technologies to various military environments," FitzGerald said. "While the market will not yield a stealthy, armed drone, commercially available drones may be utilized for tactical applications at a fraction of the cost of military models."

Read the full article at FCW.