Defense Dept. ties funding to net-centric attributes

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The Defense Department will evaluate its IT programs against "key net-centric attributes" and may cut funding for those programs that don't meet the criteria.

"We are reviewing programs against this list. If you do these things, you probably fit the net-centric mission," said Guthrie, deputy chief information office in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Networks and Information Integration. Department officials will decide if programs are already net-centric or if they are legacy programs being made net-centric, Guthrie said. Guthrie said that if programs are not being made net-centric, then she didn't know why the department would need to give them money for research and development and procurement. She also said she felt such programs should have less funds budgeted for operations and maintenance in the fiscal 2006 budget. Guthrie spoke to telecommunications contractors and federal telecommunications buyers at the Federal Networks 2004 conference in Vienna, Va.

The Defense Department will evaluate its IT programs against "key net-centric attributes" and may cut funding for those programs that don't meet the criteria, agency official Priscilla Guthrie said last week.

Guthrie said the key net-centric attributes are:

  • Use of Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6). The Defense Department is leading industry in moving to the new IP version. Future Defense systems must be IPv6 compatible.


  • Secure and available communications


  • Trusted sharing of network resources


  • One-time handling of information, posted by authoritative sources


  • Data posted as it is created


  • Applications encourage discovery of data when and where it is needed


  • Data is separate from applications


  • Applications are posted for use


  • Data is timely, accurate, complete and easy to use










  • Government Computer News Staff Writer Dawn Onley contributed to this story.