Pentagon reconsidering large JEDI cloud-computing contract – KIRO 7 Information Seattle

WASHINGTON – (AP) – The Pentagon is considering how to make a massive move to cloud computing, officials said Monday, suggesting that it might get what is known as the $ 10 billion JEDI contract that will be awarded to Microsoft Corp. . was awarded but legally entangled is challenges.

“We need to assess where we are in relation to the ongoing litigation and see how the division is best doing,” Pentagon deputy press secretary Jamal Brown said, quoting Assistant Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks’ remarks at a public forum At the end of last month.

Hicks said at the time that she could not comment on the litigation or how the Pentagon would proceed. However, moving to cloud computing is imperative for a number of reasons, including cybersecurity.

“For all of these reasons, moving to a cloud architecture will be critical to innovation in this department. We need to assess where we are in the ongoing JEDI litigation and determine which are the best. The way forward is for the department, ”Hicks said on April 30th.

The Wall Street Journal first reported Monday that given the ongoing legal challenges to the Pentagon’s decision in 2019 to award the contract to Microsoft, the Pentagon is considering pulling the plug on the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure project called JEDI on Amazon Web services.

Amazon Web Services, a leader in the provision of cloud computing services, has long been seen as the leading candidate for running the JEDI project, which involves storing and processing large amounts of classified data for the U.S. military to communicate with Soldiers can improve on the battlefield using artificial intelligence to speed up war planning and combat skills.

In its legal challenge, Amazon alleged that the offer was improperly influenced by President Donald Trump’s dislike of Amazon and its managing director Jeff Bezos. Bezos owns the Washington Post, a news agency often criticized by Trump.

In April 2020, a state watchdog came to the conclusion that the contract process complied with legal and state purchasing standards. The Department of Defense Inspector General found no evidence of White House interference in the procurement process. However, according to the report, investigators could not fully investigate this aspect of the matter as the White House would not provide full access to witnesses.

The Pentagon had told Congress months ago that it may have to move in a different direction if the legal challenges drag on too long. Last month, a federal judge rejected a Pentagon move to dismiss key parts of Amazon’s complaint.