Department of Defense and Office of the Director of

National Intelligence Adopt New Software Licensing Approach To Enhance Information Sharing

Officials in the U.S. Department of Defense and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence announced today a combined approach to managing certain computer software licenses – a move that will give authorized information technology users immediate, unobstructed access to information.
The initiative is outlined in a memorandum of agreement, recently signed by Dave Wennergren, DoD’s deputy chief information officer, and John Brantley, deputy associate director of national intelligence for Intelligence Community Technology Management in the ODNI/CIO. The approach supports the department’s Net-centric Data and Services Strategies, as well as the intelligence community’s Information Sharing Strategy.
Specifically, DoD and the ODNI will jointly negotiate with software vendors for licensing agreements that will allow the organizations’ components to access information and share it with any potential authorized user, regardless of the user’s organization.
These licenses are called “Net-centric.” Their primary purpose is to eliminate information-sharing roadblocks, such as institutional boundaries or license limitations. The licenses are designed to encourage sharing among people and organizations that defend the interests of the United States, its international allies, and the federal government’s state and local partners.
“This effort leverages the collective bargaining power of DoD and the IC to ensure that our nation realizes the significant operational benefits of information sharing at a reasonable cost,” Wennergren said.
Brantley agreed. “It encourages vendors to economically deliver superior products and services to support our evolving business model,” he said. “This will help us maximize information access across an increasingly agile enterprise.”
DoD and the IC are now setting up a Joint Net-centric Licensing Team to develop terms and conditions for future licensing agreements in this area. The team will also work with technology vendors to create an initial set of agreements and to modify any applicable existing agreements. DoD’s Enterprise Software Initiative Working Group will coordinate the work.
The federal government at large could benefit from Net-centric licensing, officials added. To explore that potential, relevant licensing agreements developed through the DoD-IC team will be shared with the U.S. General Services Administration’s SmartBUY Program Management Office.
The Director of National Intelligence oversees 16 federal organizations that make up the U.S. intelligence community. The DNI also manages the implementation of the National Intelligence Program. Additionally, the DNI serves as the principal adviser to the president, the National Security Council and the Homeland Security Council on intelligence issues related to national security.