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Marines to use Adobe Acrobat for global communications

Technology is Joint Interoperability and Test Command-certified

  • By Kathleen Hickey
  • Aug 27, 2009

The Marine Corps has chosen Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro to enable Marines to communicate across locations worldwide.

The contract, awarded through Carahsoft Technology Corp., is valued at $9.5 million. Marines will use the technology for Web conferencing through version 1.5 of its Tactical Collaboration Work Suite, a deployable information management center with collaboration and hosting capabilities.

The Corps selected the technology for its security and because it is Joint Interoperability and Test Command-certified, enabling troops and military leaders to connect across the Defense Department's network. Because the only requirement for using the technology is Adobe’s Flash Player, already installed on DOD's computers and 98 percent of Internet-enabled desktop PCs, it can be used in the field in low-bandwidth environments and with intermittent connectivity.

Adobe and Carahsoft also provide Web conferencing capabilities to DOD worldwide through Defense Connect Online.

About the Author

Kathleen Hickey is a freelance writer for the 1105 Government Information Group.

Reader Comments

Tue, Sep 8, 2009 Warfighter USA

Acrobat Connect will not work over low-bandwidth networks nor from ship to shore. This is a typical MCEITS activity - buying something already provided by DCO (but not integrated with DCO). While TCWS is intended to be used in the tactical environment, it is too large to take aboard ship and isn't deployed below Div/MLG/MAW HQ. COCOMs make the final decision on what rich collaboration clients to use in any particular theater (and will often deploy the tools on their own). MCEITS is all about throwing away money! Good example is when they bought about 200,000+ Jabber licenses (which are again not being used).

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