Mobile apps keep intelligence within arm's reach
Mobile technology has changed the way people work, read books, take photographs, communicate, receive information and ultimately stay connected to the world. It has also revolutionized the battlespace by giving analysts and warfighters access to tactical information required for successful missions.
Smartphone generation
Trends indicate by 2013, there will be more smartphones in the world than people—that's more than 6.8 billion mobile devices¹. Smartphones are used everywhere, from the boardroom to the battlefield; intelligence is always just an arm's reach away, 24/7.
Nearly three quarters of U.S. young adults, who have grown up with mobile technology, own a smartphone, with the number increasing rapidly. The 18-29 year olds thrive on an active digital lifestyle, privy to virtual gaming and the conveniences of online shopping and mobile banking. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that this generation demands similar connectivity at work.
In contrast to just a generation ago, it is rare to see young adults without a mobile device or on-the-go connection to the internet. Warfighters are no different; which is why the U.S. Department of Defense is embracing the latest technology and seeking ways to remain competitive in the 21st century-- and beyond-- by operating in a mobile environment.
Coming soon to an app store
More than 29 billion apps were downloaded in 2011; twice as many as the previous year and the number is expected to increase to 77 billion by 2014². To meet the growing demands for mobile capabilities, Raytheon developed an app marketplace—Appsmart™— as a one-stop shop for secure mobile, desktop and enterprise apps, delivering capabilities and intelligence to users when and where they need it.
"The Appsmart marketplace enables customers to more efficiently manage mobile app downloads, resulting in significant cost savings by eliminating software licenses for hundreds of users," says Janne Ackerman, Appsmart program director for Raytheon's Information and Intelligence Systems business. "Users can leverage the efficiencies of smartphones by giving analysts access to secure tools and information for training or daily business operations."
While most commercial app stores do not have security features required by the defense and intelligence communities, the Appsmart marketplace boasts the capability to perform security evaluations of all apps and digital assets before they are released to users for download. Additionally, the platform allows customers to leverage mobile app technology and manage app usage, as well as dissemination to any number of individuals.
Taking Information to the Edge
In addition, Raytheon is developing a range of mobile technology capabilities to deliver environmental and situational awareness intelligence, as well as space data to users' via cell phones and other mobile technology platforms.
One of those capabilities, Raytheon Advanced Tactical System (RATS™ ), delivers multimedia directly to users in the field. RATS breaks down barriers to information sharing and enables users to quickly access intelligence data anywhere, at any time through a wireless platform. Users can adapt to available networks, receive interactive tactical communication and easily collaborate with others through chat, voice, full-motion video, imagery, map overlays and a variety of other communication tools—empowering users to make decisions in seconds, rather than hours.
Raytheon understands the value of having information readily available at your fingertips, which is why we are bringing information and intelligence to the tactical edge through mobile technology solutions.
¹ http://www.slideshare.net/HubSpot/50-mobilefactsdeck62812
² http://mobithinking.com/mobile-marketing-tools/latest-mobile-stats/e#lotsofapps
