1. Agile Information Sharing: Characterizing the Problem
DoD Net-Centric Data Strategy (DS) and
Community of Interest (COI) Training
Agile Information Sharing: Characterizing the Problem
2-Day Training
Version 08.3
For further information OSD at:

2. Purpose
Motivate why achieving effective military and government operations requires agile information sharing (i.e., in accordance with the DoD Net-Centric Data and Services Strategies)
This briefing stresses why agile information sharing is crucial;
Training explains how to achieve it.

3. "Responsibility to Share" "Expectation of Sharing"
The Information Age
time
Analog
Digital Immigrants
Digital Native
"Need to Know"
"Responsibility to Share"
"Expectation of Sharing"
RSS News Feed
Need to provide capabilities suitable for today’s information age.
Huge cultural change for those of us raised in a “need to know” world. Digital Natives have an expectation of sharing; a culture that rewards information contributions.
Change in Needs (To maintain Information Dominance)
Change in Expectations (Desire to Share)
Change in Scale and Tempo (Global & Immediate)
Fax

4. Why Agile Information Sharing?
It Enhances Current Military Operations
Critical for effective mission operations
E.g., Army Blue Force Tracks Vignette

5. Improved operations due to digital info sharing!
The Need for Information Sharing Vignette Sharing Blue Force Tracks using FBCB2
Force 21 Battle Command Brigade and Below (FBCB2)
First Army System to provide Blue Force locations or Blue Situation Awareness (BSA) at Information Age Speeds
Previously BSA was reported by voice & posted by hand on overlays
Age of information went from hours/days to minutes
Accuracy improved through use of a single map scale
Allowed each unit to display exact location of some of its vehicles to everyone with FBCB2
Operational Effect - Allowed
Units to move faster – increased operational tempo
Units to self synchronize on the battlefield
Units to “see” each other – reduced fratricide
Supply to “meet” up with unit
Improved operations due to digital info sharing!
Vignette courtesy of Fred Stein (COL , USA. ret), Net-Centric Warfare Senior Principal Engineer, MITRE

6. An FBCB2 Information Sharing Testimonial
Testimonial from Brigadier General E. J. Sinclair, Commanding General, USAAVNC
Video on the use of Blue Force Tracker (BFT) information in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) – Movement to Bagdad – 28 March 2003
Describes the advantages of FBCB2 BFT in a Joint/combined combat mission
Good news
Commanders know where Blue Forces were therefore knew where it was safe to concentrate heavy fire
Near real time knowledge of positions had positive effect on fire support and maneuver
USAAVNC = <<Is this United States Army Aviation Center?>>
From Fred: In your voice track I would emphasis the issues with data and information flow in the early stages of OIF, that it improved later to include the AF in
Western Iraq as well as in the joint arena. However none of these fixes supported an enterprise solution set, all were relatively point solutions. This is proven out in the fact that today we struggle with how to pass intelligence data and information within the Army and between the Army and Marines not even counting the SF and Air Platforms. This is even in an environment of good to excellent bandwidth.
Bad News
Blue Force information, via BFT FBCB2, was only available within other BFT FBCB2 equipped platforms
No way to pass BFT data to other FBCB2 systems, Army/Joint Information Systems or combat platforms (e.g., F-16)
Note: This has improved but gaps still exist

7. A Theater Information Sharing Progression Army Battle Command System (ABCS)
ABCS Interfaces Today
ABCS Interfaces in Vignette Timeframe
Using Data Distribution System (DDS)
Consumers
C2PC
WEB
FBCB2
AMPS
CPOF/MCS
Service
Adapter(*)
Service
Adapter(*)
Service
Adapter
Service
Adapter
Service
Adapter
ABCS to ABCS Interfaces S D
Federated DDS Nodes D S
Services Info Grid
Advertise
Publish
Subscribe
Deliver Ad P S D
DDS
COMM Ad Ad D D
DDS
DDS
DDS Ad P P Ad
Guard
Service
Adapter
Service
Adapter
Service
Adapter
Service
Adapter
Service
Adapter
USMC
USN
USA
USAF
Multi-National
FBCB2 is part of ABCS and publishes to DDS
DDS to be fully deployed in FY09; PASS (Publish and Subscribe) used now
ABCS to non-ABCS Interfaces
Authoritative Sources
Point-to-Point Interfaces
Publish/Subscribe messaging
Many data formats
Standard info exchange vocabulary
Net-centric information sharing approach allows tactical data to be visible, accessible, and understandable.

8. Why Agile Information Sharing?
It Enhances Current Military Operations
Critical for effective mission operations
E.g., Army Blue Force Tracks Vignette
It Transforms the Way We Operate
Transforms business processes in our daily lives
E.g., Arranging travel

9. Analog Digital Immigrants Digital Native
Agile Information Sharing Transforms Business Processes (e.g., Arranging Travel)
time
Analog
Digital Immigrants
Digital Native
Travel
Agency
e.g., Travelocity.com
Fast
Data available on the web
Price comparisons for best value
Book online
Book online
eTicket
Online check in
Mobile alerts
User
Many phone calls
Many iterations
Time consuming
Innovations driven by competition not because of apriori requirements
Message for the DoD
Web accessible data allows increased capability & agility
Requires TRUST in services, data, & security

10. Why Agile Information Sharing?
It Enhances Current Military Operations
Critical for effective mission operations
E.g., Army Blue Force Tracks Vignette
It Transforms the Way We Operate
Transforms business processes in our daily lives
E.g., Arranging travel
It Spawns Innovations
E.g., Amazon.com

11. Agile Information Sharing Spawns Innovations (e.g., Amazon.com)
Source: “wikinomics” by Don Tapscott & Anthony D. Williams, 2006.
Agile Information Sharing Spawns Innovations (e.g., Amazon.com)
time
Analog
Digital Immigrants
Digital Native
Largest
Online
Retailer
Innovative
Services
Reviews
Profile
Wish List
Etc.
Online Sale
of Books
Online Sale of
Consumer Goods
“Affiliate
Programs”
$9 Billion
In sales
Bookstore
Affiliate Program Example
Amazon.com
Product info
Product reviews
Order shipping
Credit card processing
Product returns
Hiking Outpost
Specialized customer experience
Hiking books
Camping sites
Hiking trails
140,000+
developers
Increases revenue & growth
Fundamental
Cultural
Shift
Earn %
of Amazon
sales
Make data available and people will innovate
Digital data available allows new innovative services to emerge
Leverages a massive community of developers
External developers build ingenious applications
APIs are free or inexpensive
Release what would have been intellectual capital
In past data, data formats and services would have been company proprietary
Access to software services like shopping cart and every fragment of data could wish for including text for product descriptions and reviews, product images, and pricing information
Ex. Hiking Outpost – Amazon handles all the credit-card processing, order shipping, and returns for products sold on the site; associates referral fees range from percent
New services for profile, wish list, recommendations
Developers make commissions on traffic and sales driven through their applications
ScanZoom
For those who still like shopping in the physical world but don’t want to miss out on better online deals
Service enables users to snap a picture of a product bar code with their camera phone while they shop and receive instant price comparisons and product information on comparable items on Amazon
Soon be able to purchase that item with your phone too
Wikinomics, pg. 196
Amazon Approach (Mass & Global Collaboration)
Opened platform to co-developers (data & e-commerce web services)
Message for the DoD
Shift to data sharing spawned partnering, innovation & viral growth

12. Why Agile Information Sharing?
It Enhances Current Military Operations
Critical for effective mission operations
E.g., Army Blue Force Tracks Vignette
It Transforms the Way We Operate
Transforms business processes in our daily lives
E.g., Arranging travel
It Spawns Innovations
E.g., Amazon.com
It is Needed to Maintain Information Dominance
Expected and used by today’s “Digital Natives”
Need to provide capabilities suitable for today’s information age
Will be used by our adversaries against us

13. Tools for Digital Natives
Culture of Sharing!

14. Agile Information Sharing …
Commercial examples are a good model for the DoD but the DoD has unique needs, e.g.,
How does the DoD share with other government agencies, coalition partners, industry, etc. when data sharing needs and data sharing rules are dynamically changing?
How do we provide seamless interoperability across all communities?
How do we build capabilities agile enough to respond to dynamically changing enemy tactics?
COIs are helping to identify and resolve Enterprise (DoD and beyond) issues.

15. Conclusions
We must use the flexibility and agility of the Digital Information Age to:
Enhance current military operations
Achieve operational flexibility to respond to a very agile enemy
Maintain information dominance
CHANGE OUR BUSINESS PROCESSES to produce improved combat capability suitable for today’s Information Age
The DoD has selected an approach to implementing agile information sharing
This training explains the core components of the approach
DoD Net-Centric Data and Services Strategies
Community of Interest Approach