GENM-A and GENM-O leaders brief industry on unified network and contracting strategy

On Nov. 8, PEO EIS’ Global Enterprise Network Modernization – Americas (GENM-A) Product Manager Lt. Col. Xkoshan Arnold and Global Enterprise Network Modernization – OCONUS (GENM-O) Product Manager Tom Dunaway discussed the Army’s network modernization initiatives during a breakout session at AFCEA Belvoir Industry Days.

During the session, both leaders shared their respective organizations’ leadership structure, capabilities, vision and mission. The organizations’ shared network modernization efforts ensure that Army networks are scalable, accessible, flexible and defensible in alignment with the Army’s Network Modernization Strategy and Army Unified Network Plan.

The leaders also highlighted a renewed focus on exploring all options to provide the capabilities the Army needs to achieve the unified network by fiscal year 2028. The delivery of innovative and effective solutions is more important than the specific vendors behind them, they said.

“We do not do brand-name justifications,” said Arnold. “What we do is focus on the capabilities.”

The capabilities that the two product offices are primarily focused on are secure internet protocol router modernization, network modernization and voice modernization. To better deliver these capabilities, GENM-A is changing its contract design from a horizontal modernization strategy to a vertical modernization strategy across posts, camps and stations.

“The goal of the new contract alignment is to consolidate product lines and support technology innovation,” said Arnold. “GENM-O is already doing, this and it’s time for us to get on board.”

The AFCEA session concluded with Dunaway sharing the role that industry can play to help achieve GENM-A’s and GENM-O’s goals, as well as highlighting the specific capabilities that the product offices need, including Commercial Solutions for Classified, voice, Wi-Fi, software-defined networking and zero-trust architectures.

“We need you to give us your feedback on how we can leverage emerging technologies,” said Dunaway. “We can only see so much, so we rely on you to help us understand what products are available and how they can enable us to achieve our goals and support our warfighters.”

Businesses seeking to compete for future contracts can monitor SAM for newly released solicitations, or the PEO EIS Business Opportunities page for the latest procurement forecast.