The volume of information available to support military operations has grown dramatically, and this information needs to be shared across a wider network of coalition partners, suppliers and external agencies. Meanwhile, the nature of warfare is changing, as sophisticated new technologies are becoming readily available to a wider range of enemies.
The opportunities presented by the concept of network-centric operations (NCO)—and the challenges that must be overcome—are now widely understood by defense forces. IBM’s experience and the lessons learned by our clients have revealed six critical success factors that must be addressed if the full operational concept of NCO is to be achieved. The importance of these factors is supported by an international survey conducted by IBM in September 2007 that explores defense forces’ progress in implementing NCO.
