DISA continues to deliver tech modernization with DOD365 Integrated Phone System

In response to the Department of Defense’s growing need for a mobile, agile, global workforce that can operate from any location, the Defense Information Systems Agency will offer the DOD365 Integrated Phone System for enhanced workforce productivity and continuity of operations, by the end of November.

The DOD365 Integrated Phone System, or DIPS, is a cloud-based telephony infrastructure that seamlessly integrates with DOD365’s cloud environments. It will deliver softphone access – essentially a virtual phone – for users to make and receive calls through the Microsoft Teams application.

This is another example of how DISA is approaching and implementing its updated, unified capability strategy and portfolio.

“DISA remains committed in our efforts to increase communication and collaboration capabilities for the warfighter, across the services and the entire DOD,”

said Christopher Barnhurst, DISA deputy director. “As we continue to evaluate what capabilities work and do not, we are taking strategic and decisive action to offer the department the best services and tools available to meet its mission.” 

DIPS will help the department modernize and leverage industry advances to deliver cloud-based telephony solutions that enhance cross-tenant collaboration and communications. The new system allows for complete audio-conferencing capabilities that include dialing into meetings, dialing out directly from a meeting, and making/receiving commercial calls, all through Teams.  Adoption of the Microsoft Smart Routing Strategy on the DIPS contract allows for cross-cloud calling to be streamlined through Teams-to-Teams connections.

“Agencies will be able to capture millions of dollars in potential savings by using this technology while significantly improving the user experience,"

said Caroline Bean, director for the Joint Enterprise Services Directorate.

The DIPS contract will be available to the DISA-managed DOD365-Joint tenant and all the military services. The tenant supports more than 77 agencies and combatant commands including the White House and Pentagon.

“Though this is a massive undertaking, it is our intent to enable the military services and other DOD agencies to leverage DISA’s contract for this new integrated phone service,” Bean added. "This capability will allow for any DOD user to make a virtual call anywhere. This is a gamechanger and a substantial leap forward in technological advancement for the department.”

DISA awarded a $221 million contract to Lumen Technologies, in August, for the execution and operations of DIPS. Agencies and mission partners who wish to leverage DISA’s contract will need to order their phone numbers from DISA’s Storefront before they can start using the feature.