The Automated Message Handling System (AMHS) is an automated message handling system that can be used to process, store, and disseminate legacy
AUTODIN
The Automatic Digital Network System, known as AUTODIN, is a legacy data communications service in the United States Department of Defense. AUTODIN originally consisted of numerous AUTODIN Switching Centers (ASCs) located in the United States and ...
messages as well as
Defense Message System
The Defense Message System or Defense Messaging System (DMS) is a deployment of secure electronic mail and directory services in the United States Department of Defense. DMS was intended to replace the AUTODIN network, and is based on implementati ...
(DMS) messages. The term "Automated Message Handling System" or "AMHS" has not been trademarked by a vendor, but is instead a product category that includes several systems and products created by government agencies, integrators and software companies. Examples include:
*
Telos Corporation has an AMHS product named Automated Message Handling System (AMHS) that was developed for the
Defense Information Systems Agency
The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), known as the Defense Communications Agency (DCA) until 1991, is a United States Department of Defense (DoD) combat support agency composed of military, federal civilians, and contractors. DISA prov ...
.
* The
National Security Agency
The National Security Agency (NSA) is a national-level intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense, under the authority of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). The NSA is responsible for global monitoring, collecti ...
terms its own in-house developed message handling system AMHS.
* The
Defense Intelligence Agency
The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) is an intelligence agency and combat support agency of the United States Department of Defense, specializing in defense and military intelligence.
A component of the Department of Defense (DoD) and the I ...
and
National Geospatial Intelligence Agency
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) is a combat support agency within the United States Department of Defense whose primary mission is collecting, analyzing, and distributing geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) in support of national ...
both called their internal message traffic systems AMHS and it is referred to as AMHS by ''
Jane's Military Communications
''Jane's Military Communications'' is an annual reference book (also published online) covering military communications and advances in the equipment used by various armed forces. Published by Jane's Information Group, a subsidiary of IHS Inc., i ...
''.
Janes
/ref> DIA and NGA both use a blend of the Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American multinational aerospace and defense technology company. With 90,000 employees and an annual revenue in excess of $30 billion, it is one of the world's largest weapons manufacturers and military techn ...
MISTIC and the Boeing
The Boeing Company () is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product ...
Multimedia Message Manager.
Boldon James
classifies its SAFEMail product both a Military Message Handling System
Military Message Handling System (MMHS) is a profile and set of extensions to X.400 for messaging in military environments. It is NATO standard STANAG 4406 and CCEB standard ACP 123. It adds to standard X.400 email support for military requireme ...
and an AMHS - it is built to work alongside Microsoft Exchange Server
Microsoft Exchange Server is a mail server and calendaring server developed by Microsoft. It runs exclusively on Windows Server operating systems.
The first version was called Exchange Server 4.0, to position it as the successor to the related ...
.
* Isode has a set of X.400 products that it classifies as both a Military Message Handling System (MMHS) and an Aviation Message Handling System (AMHS).
Telos Corporation's AMHS product was selected by all services as the message handling system to be used for organizational messaging throughout the United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national secu ...
. The Air Force completed transition to AMHS in November 2006. The Army has transitioned most of the CONUS organizations, the Coast Guard has completed the transition in 2008, the Navy has begun transitioning in May 2007, and the USMC selected the AMHS and began transitioning in November 2007. In addition to the DoD organizations, other federal agencies (including the DEA and FAA) also use the AMHS. The benefits of using AMHS over older versions of DMS is that it consolidates and reduces the number of Fortezza
Fortezza is an information security system that uses the Fortezza Crypto Card, a PC Card-based security token. It was developed for the U.S. government's Clipper chip project and has been used by the U.S. Government in various applications.
Ea ...
cards that contain X.509
In cryptography, X.509 is an International Telecommunication Union (ITU) standard defining the format of public key certificates. X.509 certificates are used in many Internet protocols, including TLS/SSL, which is the basis for HTTPS, the secu ...
certificates for each recipient. AMHS can also use the Virtual Fortezza Cards, or VFC's, stored on a Type 2 Cryptographic Support Server board, o
T2CSS
The T2CSS is located within the actual AMHS server, reducing the inconvenience placed upon the user to keep track of a Fortezza card.
References
External links
Telos
Boldon James
Military communications
2000s establishments in the United States
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