How can a Defense Department analyst hold a last-minute meeting with three other analysts in three different locations around the world? Well, if they’re one of the over 380,000 Defense employees using Defense Connect Online, it’s as simple as turning on a video camera and starting a session. Defense Connect Online (DCO) is the Defense Information Systems Agency’s second video teleconferencing system by which users web conference using video cameras at their desk or laptop. DCO is available DoD-wide. The technology is being applied by senior-level leaders, agency employees, and service members alike, according to Colonel Brian Hermann, chief of the Net-Centric Enterprise Services branch. Managed in conjunction by Carahsoft Technology Corp. and Adobe Systems Incorp., DCO consists of a multiuser text chat and instant messaging, as well as web conferencing using Adobe Connect. DISA first awarded the contract in 1997. Aside from allowing program leaders and employees in different locations to hold discussions from their desks, DCO has also been incorporated into DISA’s telework strategy. “DCO has enabled our telework program to thrive, allowing DISA employees to fully participate in meetings, no matter where they are located,” Hermann said. It allows off-site employees to “participate fully in small-group meetings, including the use of whiteboarding and sharing presentations.” Last year, DISA extended the service to non-DoD agencies and federal partners who work with the DoD. “The greatest challenge online is balancing security with sharing,” Hermann said. “We solve that by allowing other federal government members to have accounts on our DCO services.” With the expansion, federal employees with .gov email addresses can also create DCO accounts to further collaborate with DoD mission partners. The system has been widely incorporated across the DoD, and is adding approximately 4,500 new users each week, Hermann said. “DCO is also currently being used by DoD service members to hold impromptu meetings for situational awareness,” Hermann said. “We have moved from simply cost benefits to command and control and operational capabilities.”

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