No doubt Steve Jobs expected a lot of things when he launched the first iPod back in 2001, but the Army setting up its own App Store was probably not one of them.
Yes, the Army. An App Store. Because soldiers need apps too.
It’s called Army Marketplace, and the idea is that it serves two purposes: distributing software around a huge organization, and serving providing a discussion forum where soldiers can describe the kind of software they need, and coders can quickly respond.
So far it’s just a prototype, an idea that could be rolled out if it gets the OK from the powers that be. One hurdle they’ve yet to overcome is settling on a device and an operating system considered secure enough for use with sensitive military information.
Lt. Col. Gregory Motes told Wired’s Danger Room blog:
“The current process of software creation [in the Army] is a very long and arduous process. That’s how we do things. But app development needs to be done quickly.”
If App Stores are good for the Army, where might we see them popping up next? Tax apps for the IRS? Apps for White House interns? Apps for internal use inside huge companies, like, for example, Apple Inc? No, wait a minute.
(Via Danger Room)