Web Conferencing

• Provides the ability to share conferencing events with users in any number of locations.
• Slide Show Presentations – Presents documents to the meeting participants; presenters can utilize markup tools and a remote mouse to allow participants to follow along with slide content.
• Integrated Voice – Provides real time audio through the user’s laptop or desktop via use of headphones and speakers.
• Web Conference Recordings – Gives users the ability to record their web conferences; recordings will remain available for users’ access for up to 180 days.
• Desktop Sharing – Allows users to view the presenter’s desktop and applications.
• Whiteboard – Allows users to highlight or mark items within presentation material or make notes on a blank whiteboard.
• Text Chat – Allows the users to conduct real time question and answer sessions. Text chat is available in the public forum to be viewed by all meeting participants or in the private forum to be viewed by selected meeting participants.
• Polling and Voting – Allows the meeting presenter to ask questions of meeting participants and provides real time results.
• Synchronous Meetings – Grants users the ability to establish conferencing events to collaborate with many users.
• Asynchronous Meetings – Allows users to establish a multicast event with presenter(s) to many receivers; e.g., all-hand meetings or training events.
• DCS provides a portal to allow users to maintain their accounts as well as create and manage both one-time and recurring meetings.

Instant Messaging

• Text Chat – Provides real time, text-based chat communication.  Users are provided access through an Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP) chat client on their local desktop or laptop.
• Group Chat – Allows users to establish chat rooms that will allow many users to participate in real time, text-based communication. Chat rooms will remain persistent, allowing users to see all communication including messages posted previously and other users that become active in group chat sessions. Users will have the ability to configure group chat to determine who can gain access. 
• Contact Lists – DCS utilizes the Enterprise Directory which contains all DOD users with a CAC/Public Key Infrastructure (PKI).  Users can customize their contact lists to include contacts across organizations to allow collaborations across the DOD community.
• Presence – Users within the DCS chat client can view the status of users within their contact lists.  Users have the ability to customize their status options and request updates for users in their contact list.

Access

• DCS is available to the DOD enterprise as a no-cost service to end users.
• DCS is provided on NIPRNet and SIPRNet.
• Users authenticate with CAC/PKI.
• DCS provides guest access to web conferencing as determined by meeting moderator.  The guest feature allows users without accounts or CAC/PKI tokens to join a meeting at the preference of the moderator. 
• Dual Personas – Many users within the DOD have dual personas associated with their different roles, such as Civilian (CIV) and Reservist (MIL).  DCS is able to maintain accounts for each persona as required.

Enterprise Directory

• DISA receives authoritative data from one centralized source maintained by the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC). DMDC maintains personnel information associated with a user’s CAC. This allows DCS to provide the DOD Enterprise Directory, which gives all DOD CAC/PKI holders the ability to establish an account.  In addition it allows users to communicate and collaborate with all DOD users in the Enterprise Directory.

DCS is an appropriated service, available to all DOD CAC holders at no charge.

CAC holders can access DCS through the following links:

Unclassified: https://www.dcs.apps.mil    
Classified: https://www.dcs.apps.smil.mil  

Technical Support

If you are experiencing technical difficulties, please contact the applicable service desk for support.

For a description of service desk support and service desk levels and tiers, please visit the Service Desk Support page.

New Service Requests

Mission partners interested in learning more about this service should contact their Mission Partner Engagement team.

Fact Sheet: Defense Collaboration Services (DCS) - Secure Web Conferencing and Instant Messaging on the NIPRNet and SIPRNet

Live training sessions intended to help end users become familiar with the features and functions of DCS are offered every Tuesday and Thursday at both 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time). Session URL: https://www.dcs.apps.mil

Terms and Conditions

Please review the Terms and Conditions for information governing the overarching agreement with our mission partners.