By Billy Cody and Tricia Shelley
The Computer Hardware, Enterprise Software and Solutions (CHESS) Consolidated Buy (CB) – 23 is open for ordering and offers devices that are compliant with Windows 10.
Computer Hardware, Enterprise Software and Solutions (CHESS) Consolidated Buy (CB)
CHESS offers two CB periods yearly. The CB-23 ordering period opened June 13 and runs through Sept. 30. CB-23 is open to all government agencies and employees eligible to buy through CHESS, and it is the mandated source for Army desktop and notebook computers. Organizations that use the CB can realize significant savings, regardless of the quantities obtained.
The migration to Windows 10 is part of DOD’s effort to ensure a more secure computing environment for end-users and includes the deployment of essential security features. As part of the effort, CB-23 devices come pre-loaded with Windows 7 Army Golden Master (AGM) for desktops and notebooks and Windows 8.1 AGM for tablets and slates, and can support Windows 10. When Windows 10 AGM is rolled out, CB-23 devices will be ready for the upgrade.
In conjunction with this migration, the NETCOM Technical Authority “Implementation Memorandum for Army End-User Computing Environment” has issued Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 as a new requirement for Army users. TPM 2.0 platforms are being offered under various categories within CB-23, and customers are encouraged to use the CHESS CB Compare Tool to classify which versions of TPM each device has. Some offerings may include TPM 1.2 with firmware that is upgradable in the future to TPM 2.0, and other offerings may only include a TPM 1.2 chip that is not upgradable.
Additional information about CB-23, Windows 10 migration and TPM 2.0 can be found on the CHESS website at https://CHESS.army.mil.
