Information Enabled Capability

Providing timely, relevant information to large numbers of people is an extremely complex challenge, but it’s one which fundamentally underpins military activities. Defence faces major challenges with how it’s done today. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) and industry must work together to create a new approach to information provision. We believe the new approach is what we call Information Enabled Capability (IEC).

IEC is focused on the information content required to support capability, not the systems or infrastructure used to provide it. It builds on the investment that’s already happened, exploiting existing infrastructure programmes such as DII and Skynet. But with IEC, the emphasis has shifted. Being connected is not the issue, the issue will be the content delivered. Apps will reduce the training burden because they are intuitive; modern tablet devices come without user guides and yet even children can use them successfully. The MOD will be ‘contracting for information’ with outputs governed through ‘Information Level Agreements’ which define quality standards, ensuring end users can trust the information they are receiving.

We already implement the principles of IEC as part of the solutions we provide to the MOD, for example in the delivery of medical records for defence personnel. IEC is delivered by agile information services that provide users with timely, accurate and trusted information and intelligence. We offer solutions that can be tailored for specific users, based as far as possible on common services, which are available where needed and responsive to changing demands.

The whole IT industry is moving from being systems focussed to the ‘as-a-service’ model. Our clients no longer have time to specify complex systems, they just want the information they need. Why should Defence not benefit from the same approach? Neil Timms, Defence Director, CGI

To know more about IEC, read our whitepaper and brochure.

We are striving to create a new paradigm for Defence information – to learn the lessons from the developments in the commercial world that the current generation of servicemen and women are so familiar with. If you have any comments, you can email us at enquiry.uk@cgi.com