Atos and IBM have been selected as vendors for the Dutch Ministry of Defense to build new IT infrastructure.

The two companies will help the Dutch MoD to construct new data centers, safeguard its IT systems, and build a proprietary broadband mobile network for its classified government information.

"By collaborating with IBM, a world-class partner with deep experience in helping government organizations across the globe modernize with advanced technology, we will help enable the Ministry to build an agile organization based on a reliable, secured, future-ready and flexible digital infrastructure,” said Peter `t Jong, head of Atos in The Netherlands.

The Groundbreaking IT (GrIT) program is a 10-year program designed to provide a reliable, secure, future-proof, and flexible IT infrastructure and services for the MoD.

“GrIT is much more than a renewal of an information system,” said program director Ron Kolkman. “There will be a completely new, very advanced IT infrastructure, which should turn the armed forces into a high-quality, information-driven organization.”

The MoD said construction of new data centers will take around 20 months, plus 12-24 months to renew the Ministry’s network for sending highly classified information, and 11 months to create the MoD’s own mobile network.

“Collaborating on GrIT with Atos reinforces our mission to build secure infrastructures using open hybrid cloud to help customers make their organizations future-ready,” added Evaristus Mainsah, GM, IBM hybrid cloud and Edge ecosystem.

“Together, we’re helping customers, like the Dutch Ministry of Defense, accelerate their digital transformations by streamlining operations and increasing productivity in a most secured environment.”