AKO 2.0: The Army's Digital Overhaul Aims for Modernization and

The **U.S. Army** announced the impending launch of **AKO 2.0**, a significant upgrade to its **Army Knowledge Online (AKO)** portal, aiming to dispel rumors of its demise and instead highlight modernization efforts. Launched on **January 25, 2019**, AKO 2.0 boasts a mobile-friendly interface, improved search capabilities, and a new Army Directory. The platform is designed to offer a tailored experience for military personnel, DOD civilians, and contractors, consolidating personal and organizational Army business, including access to vital records like medical and training histories. A key focus is fostering online collaboration through **community pages**, encouraging all Army units to establish a presence. This transition marks the sunsetting of the legacy **AKO Classic** portal, urging users to migrate their data before its full functionality ceases in early 2019.

• AKO 2.0 is a significant modernization of the Army's primary online portal, replacing AKO Classic.
• New features include a mobile-friendly design, improved search, and personalized content delivery.
• Community pages are being introduced to enhance collaboration among Army units and organizations.
• Users must migrate data from AKO Classic to AKO 2.0 before its early 2019 sunset.
• Individual file storage is limited to 500MB in the new portal.

The announcement details the planned features and rollout of AKO 2.0, emphasizing its role as an enterprise portal for Army business. Key technical upgrades include a responsive design, enhanced search, and a new Army Directory. The platform aims to deliver customized content based on user roles (military, civilian, contractor) and facilitate collaboration through unit-specific community pages. The transition necessitates the migration of data from the legacy AKO Classic portal, which is scheduled to sunset in early 2019. Information regarding community page creation and training is being disseminated through official channels and virtual town halls.

AKO 2.0 represents a crucial step forward in the Army's digital transformation, finally bringing its primary online portal into the 21st century. The emphasis on a mobile-first, responsive design and improved search functionality will significantly enhance accessibility and efficiency for soldiers and personnel on the go. The introduction of dedicated **community pages** is a game-changer for fostering unit cohesion and knowledge sharing across disparate commands, potentially boosting operational effectiveness and morale. This modernization signals a commitment to providing cutting-edge web services, ensuring the Army remains connected and informed.

While AKO 2.0 promises modernization, the transition from AKO Classic, especially with a tight early 2019 sunsetting deadline, raises concerns about data migration challenges and potential disruption for users. The 500MB individual file storage limit, though not applied to organizational files, could still pose an issue for personnel managing extensive personal records. Furthermore, the success of fostering online collaboration hinges on widespread adoption and effective management of the new **community pages**, which requires dedicated points of contact and training that may not be uniformly implemented across all units. The reliance on a single, albeit upgraded, portal for all Army business remains a potential single point of failure.

Originally reported by Army.mil