ICT operations in the Defence Department are so fragmented that the CIO has visibility over less than half the department's $1.2 billion tech spend.

In a strategic reform program outline issued today, Defence says it will attempt to clean up ICT delivery inefficiencies by spending $700 million on fresh systems.

The grand plan is to build what Defence calls an improved Defence Information Environment (DIE) by 2012 that will support both war fighting and business reform.

After the exercise, Defence believes it can save $1.9 billion over the decade and $250 million a year thereafter.

Savings will come from measures such as slashing 200 data centres down to less than 10 and building efficiencies into the new DIE through having one network connecting fixed and mobile locations on a single set of products and standards.

Stemming from this effort, Defence sees a typical wirelessly networked desktop set up available at all defence sites that would be able to give access to secure voice and video as well as handling all the Department’s system security clearances, from grunts to generals.

The department believes it can use ICT to automate and simplify access to business systems such as procurement, payroll, recruitment and estate management.

From : http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,25586929-15306,00.html