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Chief Information Officer

SOE simplification strategy

The Information Technology (IT) industry is fast moving and constantly changing. Technology advancements and additions of new capability are a challenge for any organisation to keep pace with, which is aggregated when an organisation is as large and diverse as Defence. Peter Breckenridge explains.

Historically, Defence IT has been a complex mix of diverse systems. This complexity and diversity has made support and maintenance difficult and costly. Applications had to be developed to cater for numerous operating systems and users required additional training as they moved around Defence.

Over recent years the Chief Information Officer Group (CIOG) has been engaged in enabling Defence to better position itself to integrate new capability faster. It has been achieving this by simplifying the Defence Information Environment (DIE). CIOG has undertaken initiatives relating to the standardisation of hardware and the rationalisation of applications, with the most significant improvement being the introduction of a Standard Operating Environment (SOE). The SOE is designed to remove unnecessary complexity from the DIE, making systems predictable, providing an enhanced user experience and minimising ongoing support and management costs.

Over the last year CIOG has upgraded the DIE to SOE 125 across the Defence Restricted Network (DRN). The Defence Secret Network (DSN) SOE 125 upgrade has begun and will be completed this year. In conjunction with this, the Defence Single Email Project (DSEP) is standardising all Defence users’ email clients to Microsoft Outlook across both the DRN and DSN. This has been a great step forward for Defence in establishing a solid platform for the future while simplifying technical management and support.

SOE 125 is based on Microsoft Windows 2003 server, Microsoft Windows XP and Microsoft Office 2003. These technologies allow CIOG to deploy new capabilities for our customers more quickly, such as the latest version of the Microsoft Office Suite or Windows Media Player. Back-end technical deployments such as Microsoft Active Directory and an improved patching regime also provide increased capability for the Defence client base.

Microsoft Active Directory Services enables users to log on to any workstation at any site with the same username and password as they use at their home site on the relevant network (DRN or DSN). This is especially important for mobile users. In addition, there is little need for intervention from systems support personnel in achieving this, which will significantly improve the ‘march in, march out’ process for users.

Recent improvements to system patching processes ensure the DIE is better protected against threats to the DIE. This includes destructive ‘worms’ and computer viruses.

A major element of SOE 125 is the inclusion of Microsoft Office 2003. This provides significant improvements over the previously deployed Microsoft Office 97. Features from which users will benefit include:

  • easy integration between all the Microsoft Office applications and third party applications;
  • improved functionality of calendars, email, tasks and usability;
  • side-by-side calendar views that allow users to see multiple calendars next to their own;
  • email desktop alerts announcing new email messages received;
  • task panes that allow the user to perform important tasks from a single location in their document; and
  • enhanced application and document recovery.

The evolution to SOE 125 is only one step in the continuing enhancement of the DIE. Strategic planning for the future generations of the SOE is well underway. This will include mechanisms and processes by which new capability can be implemented more expediently.

The Strategic Plan will be published early in 2007. Development work will be well defined and a pilot will be established to ensure that the next SOE will:

  • meet Defence user requirements;
  • integrate with critical applications;
  • provide the required functionality that users need; and
  • be scheduled to roll out in logical packages across the DRN and DSN.

Thorough planning will ensure that the new SOE is simpler, more user-friendly, more cost effective, requires a lower support effort and is implemented on schedule.

The next iterations of the SOE will be designed to make the DIE cheaper and easier to run and maintain. It will leverage off the improvements made in SOE 125. The next major iteration for the SOE will use the next generation Microsoft technologies:

  • Microsoft Office 2007;
  • Microsoft Windows Vista; and
  • Microsoft Longhorn Server.

For more information please visit http://intranet.defence.gov.au/ciogweb/sites/DAD/default.asp?Page=924

Peter Breckenridge is Manager SOE Architecture Strategy and Design, Information Architecture Branch.

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