Service Oriented Architecture Field Guide for Executives

6.1. DEFENSE SECTOR

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) began an effort in the late 1990s to modernize information management and cross-entity collaboration.^[] This Network Centric Warfare (network-centric or simply net-centric for short) concept has evolved and matured over the years, encompassing more and more of the DOD's vision for next-generation warfare. The DOD's Global Information Grid (GIG), aimed at providing a common infrastructure for system and data integration, has also adopted this net-centric model.^[] The objective is to promote net-centric operations across service branches and intelligence agencies through a consistent architectural model and promote a culture of information sharing and capability reuse. In recent years, the net-centric initiative has evolved into a full-fledged and federated SOA for the entire DOD, with individual branches establishing independent but standards-based and interoperable SOA infrastructures.

Intelligence

The intelligence community has been going through a tremendous transformation since September 11, 2001. There is a keen realization that interoperability and collaboration are essential keys to succeeding in an information war. The problem is that this bucks against standard operating procedure for the intelligence community. The traditional model is to protect data at all costs, build tall walls (literally and metaphorically) to create information silos, and dispense information only once a "need to know" has been established. ...