Press Release

Forge.mil's SoftwareForge now available on SIPRNet

Forge.mil Leverages CollabNet TeamForge to Reduce the Time and Cost of Software Development on Classified DoD Network

July 20, 2009 —CollabNet, the leader in distributed application lifecycle management (ALM) solutions, today announced that the Defense Information System Agency (DISA), the information systems group for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), has granted the SoftwareForge component of the Forge.mil initiative Interim Authority To Operate (IATO) on SIPRNet, the DoD’s classified version of the civilian Internet.  Forge.mil enables collaborative software development and cross-program sharing of software, system components, and services in support of net-centric operations and warfare.  Forge.mil is powered by CollabNet TeamForge, the leading application lifecycle management platform for distributed software development teams, and CollabNet Subversion, the leading version control and software configuration management (SCM) solution for distributed teams.

SoftwareForge, already in Initial Operational Capability (IOC) for unclassified use, is a collaborative environment for shared development of open source and DoD community source software.  The IATO enables DISA to extend the benefits of SoftwareForge to projects that use classified information, including “SECRET” information.

CollabNet TeamForge provides SoftwareForge users with a wide range of application lifecycle management capabilities, including software version control, bug tracking, requirements management, and release packaging, along with collaboration tools, such as wikis, discussion forums, and document repositories.  The largest and most successful software communities in the world are based on CollabNet TeamForge.  Examples include open source communities, such as java.net, openoffice.org, and tigris.org, as well as commercial enterprises and government organizations seeking to drive software development efficiency and process improvement across their globally distributed teams.

“The Interim Authority To Operate on SIPRNet is a testament to the DoD’s confidence in the security and robustness of the TeamForge-based Forge.mil platform,” said Bill Portelli, chief executive officer, CollabNet.  “Government organizations and enterprises around the world are using TeamForge-powered solutions—even for the most sensitive and mission-critical projects—to save time and money by leveraging the collaborative dynamics of open source software communities.”

Carahsoft Technology Corp. delivers the CollabNet TeamForge software at the heart of Forge.mil to DISA under a recently awarded ESI Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) for Open Source Solutions.  Forge.mil is available to the U.S. military, DoD government civilians, and DoD contractors for new and existing projects, enabling the organizations to save money, to improve software development efficiency, and to drive collaborative dynamics that help deliver better software faster to the warfighter.  To register or host a project on Forge.mil, visit http://www.disa.mil/forge for more information.

DISA expects four more components of Forge.mil to be launched in 2009: CertificationForge, which will support agile certification; ProjectForge, which will provide private project portals; StandardsForge, which will drive collaborative standards development; and TestForge, which will provide on-demand software testing tools.

An archived webcast covering the goals and objectives of Forge.mil and the incorporation of open source dynamics into DoD software development is available at http://www.carahsoft.com/events/collabnet.php.

About CollabNet

CollabNet is the leader in application lifecycle management (ALM) platforms for distributed software development teams. CollabNet TeamForge is the industry’s most open ALM platform, supporting every environment, methodology, and technology.  With an integrated suite of easy-to-use tools that share a centralized repository, it is the only ALM platform that enables a culture of collaboration, improving productivity 10-50% and reducing the cost of software development by up to 80%.  As the corporate sponsor of the open source Subversion project, the best version control and software configuration management (SCM ) solution for distributed teams, collaborative development is in CollabNet’s DNA.  Millions of users at more than 800 organizations, including Applied Biosystems, Capgemini, Deutsche Bank, Oracle, Reuters, and the U.S. Department of Defense, have transformed the way they develop software with CollabNet.  For more information, visit www.collab.net.