The consortium of Proximus and Thales has been selected by the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA) to manage and operate the organization’s core network.
The NATO agency NCIA has chosen a consortium of Proximus and Thales to renew the organization’s IT infrastructure. “In collaboration with Proximus, Thales confirms its commitment to strengthen NATO’s digital resilience by implementing a secure, high-performance, and scalable IT infrastructure that responds to the evolving needs of the alliance”, according to Alex Bottero, Vice President Network Systems and Infrastructure at Thales. The contract runs until the end of 2029 and provides for a fully managed IT service.
Contractor-owned, contractor-operated model
The assignment entails Proximus and Thales being responsible for the management and operation of NATO’s core network. The collaboration follows a “Contractor-owned, Contractor-operated” model. In this model, the consortium is responsible for the complete operational service delivery, while NCIA can focus on its core tasks.
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The solution includes, among others, Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Device as a Service (DaaS), robust cybersecurity, and advanced network capabilities. More than 5,000 laptops will be supplied and managed within the DaaS solution. These devices are equipped with technology that allows multiple security levels to be combined on a single device.
Security and scalability
The new infrastructure is supported by cloud technology. This provides NCIA users with access to essential IT services through a secure and scalable environment. This approach supports real-time collaboration and data management across multiple locations.
According to Proximus and Thales, the new IT environment is tailored to the specific security and mobility needs of the NATO alliance. The multi-cloud environment is set up to withstand changing technological and geopolitical conditions in the long term.