USAF Partnering with Unisys on Second IT Experiment


Capt. Bryan Allebone (right), an instructor navigator and full-time Air National Guard member assigned to the 238th Combat Training Squadron, does mission planning with other Offutt aircrew members on Dec. 12, 2016, at Offutt AFB, Neb. A select group of bases, including Offutt, will be participating in the end user services experiment to transform part of their information technology services, like cell phones and iPads, to an as-a-service approach. Air Force photo by Delanie Stafford.

The Air Force will hand off its computer networks’ end-user services to Unisys Corp. as part of a second experiment exploring whether commercial industry should oversee the military’s information-technology enterprise.

“This agreement will deliver standardized, innovative and agile IT services to airmen through modernization of their infrastructure with resilient IT solutions and cloud services,” Maj. Jonathan Demers, a program manager in the command, control, communications, intelligence, and networks portfolio, said in a March 7 release.

“We’ll also stabilize services by instituting industry best practices and advances in technology that you are used to at home.”

Under the $76 million contract issued Feb. 27, Unisys will offer “information-technology service management, enterprise service desk, and end-user device management” at eight bases: Buckley AFB, Colo.; Cannon AFB, N.M.; Maxwell AFB, Ala.; Offutt AFB, Neb.; Hurlburt Field, Fla.; Pope Field, N.C.; JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska; and Spangdahlem AB, Germany.

A first “Enterprise IT as a Service” experiment with AT&T and Microsoft also launched last fall, aiming to offload IT management so cyber airmen can focus on defense missions.