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(U//FOUO) Almost Like Being There: Collaborating Via
InfoWorkSpace
FROM:
Presentation Services (S21211)
Run Date: 03/21/2005
Virtual conferencing a hit with users (U)
(U//FOUO) Collaboration! Collaboration! Collaboration! The call is coming in from everywhere as
the need to form better partnerships, closer working relationships, and more effective
information sharing has become critical to the success of the Intelligence Community's (IC)
many missions. One of the many tools currently available to our workforce that can greatly
enhance the ability to collaborate with team members, partners, and customers is
InfoWorkSpace or IWS.
(U//FOUO) In a nutshell, IWS is a software suite that allows a user to enter into collaborative
sessions with other analysts from the desktop. The tool consists of a virtual structure of
Buildings/Floors/Rooms for conducting these sessions. It encompasses both chat and voice
and in the future may include video. Text tools, whiteboards, file cabinets, threaded
discussions, shared view capabilities, and a voting tool are available.
(C) Currently IWS is the IC collaborative tool of choice and is widely used on JWICS and
SIPRNET. The IWS suite at NSA consists of three servers supporting a wide range of
Communities of Interest (COI):
The DRAWMIND server supports COI's at the TS//SI//TK Five-Eyes level ,
the VOTEDOOR Server supports COI's at the TS//SI Five-Eyes level and
the recently added SKYFORGE sever currently supports COI's at the TS//SI Five Eyes
level with the additional capability of hosting access from JWICS.
(C) Access to the JIWCS suite of IWS servers and the IC IWS server from NSANet is available.
There are over 3500 persons within the NSA community with IWS accounts across the various
servers with over 1000 participating in active collaborative sessions.
(S//SI) Here are a few comments from IWS users attesting to its usefulness in fostering good
collaboration.
From the group that supported the Summer Olympics: "IWS is proving a seamless tool
for coordinating security activities."
From a new user: "I'm sold! IWS is the greatest thing since sliced bread. With a basic
knowledge of the capabilities, it's pretty intuitive (and that's coming from an IT dinosaur
like me), so don't think it will present too much of a learning curve. Features like on-line
chat (speaking as well as typing), document viewing and modification, and conference
room (to view PowerPoint, etc.) will make our communication much easier."
From a session conducted on JWICS: (Session included participants from NSA, DIA,
Southcom, Stratcom, and Northcom. "Several of the participants made a point to say this
was far and away the best JCE/IWS session the group has ever had. We were at no point
stymied by technical problems and as far as I could tell all the features we used -- text
messaging, audio, bulletin board, shared view -- worked normally. I think this experience
went a long way toward changing some folks' minds about JCE/IWS virtual
conferencing.... a good thing!"
And this comment from an "outsider" trying to get in: "(We) miss out on a tremendous
amount of information by not being up on NSA-net, specifically, an IWS community room
called "the woodshed (multi-int tipping)" where representatives of the 5-eyes community
(USA, AUS, CAN, GBR and NZL) agencies share information. It has progressed beyond
just "copy and paste" of reporting to a collaborative environment where members discuss
collection strategies and analytical judgments (and) where new ideas and information
exchange are encouraged. This is a dramatic shift from the zircon and mIrc chat that
(we) currently use on JWICS, where the old information ownership model dominates..."
(U//FOUO) IWS is on the NES baseline and information on how to get access to this tool,
establish an account and apply for training can be found at "go iws". Additional information can
be found at "go sidcollaboration".
(U//FOUO) Many people -- including the 5-EYES SIGINT Directors -- use IWS to collaborate. See
related story .
"(U//FOUO) SIDtoday articles may not be republished or reposted outside NSANet
without the consent of S0121 (DL sid_comms)."
DYNAMIC PAGE -- HIGHEST POSSIBLE CLASSIFICATION IS
TOP SECRET // SI / TK // REL TO USA AUS CAN GBR NZL
DERIVED FROM: NSA/CSSM 1-52, DATED 08 JAN 2007 DECLASSIFY ON: 20320108