Booz Allen’s Strategy for Defense Technology Innovation
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is leveraging commercial technology to enhance its capabilities, with Booz Allen playing a crucial role in this effort. The company’s Defense Technology Group works closely with innovative companies to bring cutting-edge technologies to the defense sector.
Booz Allen’s approach, known as product co-creation, involves collaborating with commercial entities to develop technologies that address specific DoD needs. This strategy has been successful in areas such as AI, quantum computing, and 5G. By partnering with companies that have advanced technologies but limited federal experience, Booz Allen helps bridge the gap between commercial innovation and defense requirements.
The Advana Program: A Success Story
One notable example of Booz Allen’s impact is the Advana program, developed for the Chief Digital and AI Office’s (CDAO). Advana is a data analytics platform that has become one of the largest federal implementations of Databricks technology. By combining Databricks’ data platform with Booz Allen’s mission expertise and understanding of DoD’s inner workings, the company created a powerful tool that provides a single source of truth for enterprise data across the department.
According to Shands Pickett, senior vice president in Booz Allen’s Defense Technology Group, co-creation allows the company to bring the latest technology to the warfighter at the best available price. This approach flips the traditional model of yesterday’s technology at tomorrow’s price on its head.
Accelerating Outcomes for Warfighters
The co-creation model accelerates outcomes for warfighters by leveraging commercial innovation and investing in continuous R&D. Booz Allen works with companies like Shield AI, enhancing their existing technologies to meet specific DoD requirements. For instance, Booz Allen partnered with Shield AI to develop an autonomy solution using their Hivemind enterprise product.
Graham Evans, another senior vice president in Booz Allen’s Defense Technology Group, highlights that Advana has been instrumental in scaling commercial technologies for DoD use. The platform integrates data from approximately 3,500 different business systems, providing a comprehensive view of the department’s assets and operations.
Tailoring Commercial Technology for Defense Needs
While commercial companies like Databricks and Palantir provide world-class capabilities, defense missions come with unique requirements. Booz Allen’s role is to tailor these technologies to meet DoD needs, ensuring they operate in secure environments, connect with legacy systems, and meet mission-specific workflows.
The Advana program exemplifies this approach, combining commercial innovation with defense-grade engineering to empower decision-makers across the DoD. By bridging the gap between commercial technology and defense requirements, Booz Allen is playing a critical role in advancing the U.S. military’s digital capabilities.
