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Case Study • 7 minute read

Helping the U.S. Army Turn Software into Strategic Advantage

By optimizing licenses, managing entitlements and aligning software consumption to mission needs, WWT unlocks the full value of Cisco investments for the Army.

In this case study

  1. Situation
  2. Solution 
  3. By the numbers
  4. Outcomes and benefits 
  5. Conclusion 

 Situation

Digital Modernization is key to the U.S. Army's success. It keeps warfighters connected in challenging environments, powers real-time communication across commands globally and reduces the risk of cyber attacks. 

At the heart of it all is modern software — solutions that decouple capabilities from hardware for a more agile, secure, intent-based network. This includes software that centralizes policy management, enhances visibility into wireless environments and enables identity-based access control. These and other software-defined capabilities play an important role in the Army achieving top IT priorities like unified network operations and zero trust. 

But managing software at Army scale is challenging. Fragmented contracts and enterprise license agreements (ELAs) across commands make it difficult to track entitlements, optimize software usage and align IT spending with mission priorities. It's all too common for a command to purchase a standalone software agreement only to discover that the same capabilities are available through an Army-wide contract.  

In 2021, the Department of Army took a major step toward solving this problem with the launch of its Global Enterprise Modernization Software and Services Enterprise Agreement (GEMSS EA). Designed to help the U.S. Army centralize, streamline and maximize the value of its enterprise software investments, Army GEMSS gives the Army a one-stop-shop for acquiring Cisco networking, collaboration and security software. 

When WWT was awarded Army GEMSS, the Army gained more than a new purchasing vehicle — it gained a partner that would spend the next five years transforming one of the largest software environments in the federal government. 

 Solution 

To help the Army turn its Cisco software investments into a strategic advantage, we applied our EA+ methodology, a comprehensive approach to enterprise agreements that promotes end user adoption, while driving strategic outcomes. Our Customer Experience Team supporting Army GEMSS provides further operationalization that includes licensing consolidation, software asset management, technical expertise, hands-on support, targeted training and more.

 Centralized asset management, greater cost efficiency

Prior to the implementation of the Army's GEMSS program — led by WWT as the prime contractor — Cisco asset management across the Army was decentralized. Each command operated its own environment with individual Smart Accounts, license entitlements, administrators and tracking mechanisms. This fragmented structure made it challenging for Army leadership to gain enterprise-wide visibility, manage entitlements effectively and identify opportunities for cost savings.  

The GEMSS program has centralized and streamlined these efforts, enabling better oversight, elimination of redundant licenses and optimization of underutilized assets —delivering substantial value to the Army. 

Achieving this level of efficiency required a coordinated, enterprise-wide approach. For example, WWT led the successful migration of tens of thousands of Cisco software and hardware assets from 180 global installations into a single, centralized Smart Account (army.mil). This standardization effort provided the Army with full visibility into its Cisco environment for the first time. 

Through this enhanced transparency, WWT identified significant opportunities for operational and financial efficiencies. Notably, several commands had independently procured Cisco Smart Net Total Care (hardware support), unaware that these services were already fully covered under the Army's NextGen contract or Army GEMSS

 Dedicated teams, continuous insights

WWT embedded dedicated, security-cleared engineers and advisors within Army teams to provide hands-on-keyboard support as new software is deployed across commands. 

Many of these resources come from military backgrounds and serve as an essential two-way bridge, closing the gap between Army requirements and the latest enterprise IT solutions. Engineers and advisors surface software adoption challenges at the base level to inform Army CIO strategy, while translating that strategy into action by tailoring adoption plans to the technical maturity of each command. 

For example, WWT resources embedded with the Army's Research Laboratory (ARL) discovered the lab faced a potential license shortfall under its standalone DNA Center agreement. WWT quickly mobilized to transition the lab to the Army-wide contract for uninterrupted access to advanced network capabilities that underpin high-performance computing and data analysis. 

Beyond daily communication, WWT formally reports to Army leadership each quarter, detailing software usage trends, adoption gaps and opportunities for improvement Army-wide. These reports deliver the visibility needed to ensure mission-critical tools reach the units that need them, when they need them. 

 Data-driven insights, efficient licensing 

Through ongoing analysis of Cisco license data, WWT continuously identifies opportunities to optimize entitlements and implement best practices for right-sizing across the Army. A key example involves the Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) Virtual Machines (VM) licenses, where analysis revealed a significant number of unused VM licenses distributed across various Army sites. 

To address this, WWT collaborated with Cisco to restructure the ISE VM licensing model — transitioning from large, inflexible license blocks to more scalable small, medium and large VM bundles. This enabled more accurate, mission-aligned deployments. As a result, WWT was able to redeploy existing licenses to where they were needed most, maximizing value without incurring additional cost to the Army and ultimately to the taxpayer.  

Additionally, when the Army's original plans for Cisco ISE deployments shifted, we uncovered unmet demand for related security capabilities such as device administration through Terminal Access Controller Access-Control System Plus (TACACS+). This product provided more targeted and deployable security enhancements aligned with each unit's existing infrastructure and immediate operational needs.  

In partnership with Cisco SME's to optimize licensing to support these products with Cisco ISE, we strengthened security across Army networks with solutions better matched to real usage patterns and technical maturity. 

 Digital community, real-world impact 

The Army GEMSS community page on wwt.com has become the digital heartbeat of the program. It gives Army personnel a single, self-service hub for training, documentation, entitlement guidance and support — dramatically reducing the effort needed to navigate one of the Army's largest software environments. 

With more than 1,300 members (and growing) across 180 global bases, the community continues to grow in both reach and impact. It provides centralized support at scale, helping teams across time zones and technical skill levels get the answers they need without delay or escalation. 

The community also is a hub for training on Cisco entitlements. WWT instructor lead virtual sessions that help community members understand how Cisco software like DNA Center, ISE and Webex supports mission outcomes. Since the creation of the community, attendance for sessions has quadrupled.  

To make knowledge even more accessible, WWT introduced an AI-powered virtual assistant that responds to natural-language queries. Whether users need to find entitlement details, request deployment guidance or troubleshoot issues, they can do so instantly — no tickets, no phone calls, no delays. 

By combining self-service access with live support and training, the community page scales human expertise across the Army, ensuring Cisco software is not only deployed but making a real-world impact.  

 By the numbers

 Outcomes and benefits 

  • Enterprise-wide asset visibility: WWT migrated hardware, software and Smart Net Total Care support entitlements into a single army.mil Smart Account, boosting visibility and collapsing siloed tracking processes.
  • Surging software adoption: From 2020-2024, Cisco software consumption surged without increasing licensing costs, thanks to expanded training, entitlement awareness and outreach via WWT's digital community:
    • 41% increase for GEMSS Unified Capabilities EA (voice and video)
    • 25% increase for GEMSS Security EA
    • 370% increase for GEMSS DNA EA
  • Empowered administrators: Monthly training participation quadrupled, helping administrators activate advanced features of DNA Center, ISE and Cisco Unified Call Manager (CUCM).
  • Sustained expert support: WWT's $6 million investment in customer success management and engineering resources provides the Army with consistent, high-touch support — reducing resolution times, improving coordination and strengthening mission readiness across Cisco environments.

 Conclusion 

Army GEMSS is a blueprint for how public sector agencies can transform complex software environments into a strategic advantage. 

By consolidating contracts, optimizing licenses and maximizing entitlements, the Army is getting more out of its Cisco software investments than ever before. At the enterprise level, this has meant millions in cost savings and the elimination of administrative inefficiencies. At a command level, personnel now have fast, easy access to the IT capabilities they need for mission success.   

Army GEMSS, combined with WWT and its EA+ methodology, is accelerating the Army's digital modernization journey, giving leaders the confidence to thrive in a software-defined world.  

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