Defense Collaboration Services to Replace Defense Connect Online
Published, February 24, 2015
The Defense Connect Online (DCO) service will be discontinued on June 24. It will be replaced by Defense Collaboration Services (DCS). In preparation for the deactivation of DCO, users are required to save local copies of mission critical data hosted on DCO no later than May 30.
During its existence, DCO served as the designated enterprise tool for world-wide collaboration. It was available to all DoD partners, allowing users to communicate and share information in a secure forum through the use of instant messaging, low-bandwidth text chat, and audio/video web conferencing.
DCS is much like DCO as far as services offered. Any individual with a CAC or PKI hard token can register for an account. DCS will provide a stand-alone chat service with an in-browser web conferencing service that also includes audio, webcam, white boarding, presentation sharing, desktop sharing, polling, and a multi-user chat room within the web conference, among other features.
By leveraging the milCloud virtual data center environment, DCS will increase operational efficiencies by consolidating administrative, hardware, and software resources for a scalable and secure, globally accessible solution. It will be available as an appropriated service, with no direct fee to end user organizations.
DCS reached full operational capability Jan. 30, 2015. The U.S. Transportation Command and the Joint Staff will transition to DCS between January 30 and February 28, and the remainder of DoD will transition between March 1 and May 30.
Additional details on DCS are available at the DCS SharePoint support site.