IDF Sees Move South As Way To Rebrand As Tech Giant

This article was first published by The Times of Israel and is re-posted with permission.

Forget about army bases, rifles and tanks. The talk in the IDF these days is all about campuses, ecosystems and tablets.

Indeed, as the army prepares for the massive move of many of its units to the southern city of Beersheba — as part of a multi-year plan to streamline and digitalize the giant institution — it is using the logistical campaign to spruce up its game as well. Banished is the image of a large, autocratic war machine. Enter a fast-moving, tech-led organization with super-smart digs.

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All of this is meant to make sure, among other things, that the best and the brightest of its minds stay within the army ranks, rather than get lured away by the fat salaries tech giants are offering in the civilian market.

The soldiers to be transferred to Israel’s south “are the startup nation people. Our tech people — our tech front,” Lt. Col. Itai Sagi told The Times of Israel. Sagi is responsible for setting up what the army calls its “tech campus in Beersheba,” which will be the new home of the computer services directorate, also known as C4i, and the Cyber Defense Directorate in the south. The tech units are the most significant part of the IDF’s relocation to Beersheba.

The move, Sagi said, is an opportunity to revamp the IDF itself, to examine “our organizational structure, what needs to be changed.”

SEE ALSO: From Barren Desert To Top Cyber Center, Beersheba Is Turning Into A High Tech Oasis

“We look at our changing work environment — how do we focus, become more efficient? What are the jobs I should license out, because I don’t have a competitive advantage there? How do I create a smart tech environment around me that makes me more efficient?” he asked. “We want to move to a new concept and new environment.”

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