HQ AMC staff exceed DCO record

by T.G. Kistler
Air Mobility Command Public Affairs

2/5/2014 - SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Headquarters Air Mobility Command staff broke the AMC record for number of participants on Defense Connect Online during a recent commander's all-call.

The all-call had two goals, to inform the headquarters staff and to test the limits of DCO.

Gen. Paul Selva, AMC commander, remarked the only other place he could meet with so many people at one time would be a hangar on base.

The record number of participants was 1,242 and according to Adobe officials, the meeting was the third largest ever in DCO history and the second largest meeting hosted simultaneously on both server enclaves in San Antonio, Texas and Columbus, Ohio.

According to Ashley Keating, Adobe and DCO User Engagement Manager, the two server enclaves have been active, capable of handling heavy traffic and working together for about a year.

DCO is a collaborative tool developed by the Defense Information Systems Agency that builds upon the Adobe Connect web conferencing platform. It is similar to an Internet video teleconference with the added ability to simultaneously chat and view presentations. One advantage over other collaboration tools is the numerous avenues to communicate with the group and with individuals at the same time.

For example, while seeing and hearing the main briefing, participants can offer comments or ask the briefer questions by typing them in the chat screen. In an in-person meeting, asking a question while the briefer talks would be rude, but on DCO, it is not. In fact, it is encouraged because it saves time and provides immediate feedback. In addition, participants may chat privately with one another while the briefing is going on, and are encouraged to do so.

DCO features allow participants to virtually raise their hands, vote on proposals, laugh or applaud during the presentation. Not only does this allow the briefer to monitor his performance, it also allows him to receive immediate feedback from the group, approve proposals or make firm decisions.

The staff at AMC headquarters have been using DCO for their daily meetings with the vice commander for some time. Rather than meet in a conference room, they meet from their own desks. This allows the staff to multitask during non-applicable topics and adds convenience to those whose offices are not in the headquarters building.

Because their physical presence is not required, they can be productive until the meeting starts instead of leaving 30 minutes early, walking through inclement weather or trying to find a free parking spot. They can also resume working as soon as the meeting is over.

While DCO is designed for military use on both the unclassified and secure networks, it is possible to invite civilian participants to connect using their home or office computer, tablet device or smart phone. Selva recently hosted a DCO with his civic leaders who logged in from across the country on a variety of devices.

Tyler Grimes, AMC Public Affairs, contributed to this report.