{"id":33320,"date":"2019-05-06T11:00:46","date_gmt":"2019-05-06T11:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2019\/05\/06\/as-cloud-computing-lifts-off-fog-computing-remains\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T22:45:26","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T22:45:26","slug":"as-cloud-computing-lifts-off-fog-computing-remains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/digital-show-dailies\/navy-league\/2019\/05\/06\/as-cloud-computing-lifts-off-fog-computing-remains\/","title":{"rendered":"As cloud computing lifts off, fog computing remains"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 A new technology platform introduced by ManTech on May 6 will allow war fighters in austere environments to access real-time intelligence, according to company executives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The announcement comes as the Pentagon equips soldiers and sailors with additional sensors and devices that generate more data, which in turn can be uploaded to the cloud to provide leaders with a clearer picture of what\u2019s happening on the battlefield.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To handle that flood of information, the Department of Defense has invested in its IT infrastructure and plans to heavily rely on cloud computing in future conflicts. But the department is also exploring the possibilities of a new IT architecture, sometimes dubbed \u201cfog computing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Click here for more stories, videos and interviews from Sea-Air-Space!<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fog saves and caches data from sensors and devices on battlefields where bandwidth is limited or constrained, but only sends essential information to the cloud to minimize resources and increase security. Then, when a connection is more stable, it passes the full complement of data to the cloud. This approach allows commanders to prioritize how available bandwidth is used, and it lets them choose when to send larger batches of information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Such technology could be central to the Navy as it seeks to master net-centric warfare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have a lot of sensitive data at the edge. We collect a lot of data \u2026 our war fighters have very limited capability to process that data,\u201d Srini Iyer, chief technology officer of Mission Solutions & Services Group at ManTech, told C4ISRNET, a sister publication of Defense News and Navy Times. \u201cThey\u2019re not able to respond in a very timely manner.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fog computing and its technological siblings \u2014 often referred to edge computing, the tactical cloud or the battlefield cloud \u2014 offer new layers of computing power that act as a kind of exclamation point on the Pentagon\u2019s digital transformation. The office of the Pentagon\u2019s chief information office is expected to award a multibillion cloud computing contract, known as JEDI, later this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ManTech leaders describe its Secure Tactical Edge Platform, or STEP, as a \u201ccloud in a box\u201d that will allow forces to collect, store, compute and analyze intelligence in real time for faster decision-making. Moreover, the system is small and portable, fitting into a carry-on sized case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iyer said for forces deployed at the tactical edge to have real time data, they must have a capability available that can process it in real time. \u201cMy rough rule of thumb is if you can get to act on 95 percent of the data you receive, that\u2019s a huge win,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\t