Commercial Innovation and Integration (CII)

FAQ Sheet
What is CII?
The Commercial Innovation and Integration (CII) Pilot is designed to provide a single interface within the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (OASD) Networks and Information Integration (NII) to facilitate initial interactions and conduct due diligence on commercial information assurance (IA) vendors. By creating a visible focal point for vendor research, communication, and coordination, NII is creating an institutional history of vendor contacts and interactions. This will give NII and the DoD community valuable insights into IA market trends and a history of interactions between the community and specific IA companies.

How do program managers, labs, and other commercial interface functions interact with CII?
The OSD community should refer unsolicited commercial IA vendor contacts to CII for initial handling, background research and due diligence, and tracking. If you are interested in a potential vendor, CII will provide such relevant information as: Company and product background

Previous contacts with other DoD entities Competitors Other useful market information

from OSD staff to a single interface that can provide consistent vendor handling and messaging. By creating a single entry point, NII can begin to establish an institutional history of vendor contacts and interactions. The research functionality of CII will supply NII with market insights and a view of commercial IA vendors, improve matchmaking, and increase capture of valuable IA commercial technologies, while minimizing wasted time and effort by OSD senior leadership and company representatives. Over time, CII will provide data and insight to improve OSD processes for interacting with commercial IA vendors.

Who can use CII?

Any member of the DoD Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) community interested in learning more about a particular IA vendor or market can use CII. CII is sponsored by the ASD(NII)/DoD CIO/Information Assurance Directorate.

Similarly, you should inform CII of interactions with commercial IA product vendors, e.g., presentations, evaluations, contracting activities, so a record may be added to help build our shared database.

How quickly can CII provide background information and due diligence on a vendor?
For referrals from senior OSD and government officials (Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense level and above, members of Congress, and other VIP positions), an initial vendor background check will be completed in 24 hours. Additional market research, trends, and expert opinion will follow in 72 hours. Routine requests for vendor background information and due diligence from the OSD community will be processed within 72 hours. For unsolicited vendor inquiries, vendor background and market research will be completed within 5 business days.

How does CII conduct background research and due diligence on a vendor?
CII draws on several resources for vendor and product profiles: Vendors are asked to fill out a standard CII questionnaire that provides basic company background and product information, including certifications.

How do I refer vendors to CII or learn more about vendors that have contacted NII?
Vendor referrals and inquiries should be directed to the CII Pilot Coordinator, at iaconnect@osd.mil or (703) 377-6414.

What types of vendors should I refer to CII?

During the pilot phase, CII is receiving vendors with IA and IA-enabled products, defined by the NSA Business Affairs Organization as follows: IA ProductAn IT product or technology whose primary purpose is to provide security services (availability, integrity, authentication, confidentiality, and nonrepudiation), correct known vulnerabilities, or provide layered defense against various categories of unauthorized and malicious penetrations of information systems or networks

CII uses open sources, such as company regulatory findings, equity analyst reports, technology influencer publications, and other business news and technology trade publications. Research is augmented with information from a network of IA subject matter experts throughout the Defense establishment. This includes information about the IA marketplace and information relating offerings to the specific technology needs of the DoD IA community.

CII Vendor Profile How do I stay connected to CII?

Contact the CII Project Coordinator, at iaconnect@osd.mil, and provide your contact information and your IA areas of interest. You will receive CII updates, vendor profiles, and meeting notifications relevant to your interest areas.

IA-Enabled ProductA product or technology whose primary role is not security, but that provides security services as an associated feature of its intended operating capabilities

Vendor profiles are provided to interested, potential DoD customers in a user-friendly format and logged into the CII database.

What is CIIs value to DoD?

CII is designed to shift responsibility for fielding unsolicited vendor inquiries