Isode - Military Messaging and Directory Server Software

Isode's server software products are central to military messaging and military directory solutions. Isode partners with systems integrators to deliver successful, competitive, secure and scalable messaging and directory solutions to militaries, intelligence services, aviation authorities and governments worldwide.

Formal military messaging using STANAG 4406 and STANAG 4406 Annex E

STANAG 4406 is the Nato standard for military messaging based on X-400. Isode are a market leading provider of STANAG 4406 messaging infrastructure. Our military messaging server products are all fully compliant to the STANAG 4406 standards and architecture, they also feature support for STANAG 4406 Annex E for messaging over constrained links such as satellite and HF radio.

Instant messaging and multi-user chat using XMPP

XMPP is the Internet standard for instant messaging, real time messaging, and multi-user chat. It provides high functionality, good security capabilities and is gaining military usage.

Isode's M-Link XMPP server is available for both standard XMPP communications and for XMPP over low bandwidth links including HF radio.

Formal military messaging over SMTP

Formal messaging is used by the military to handle commands, and is primarily communication between roles and organisations rather than individuals.

Isode provides two products that can be used for MMHS over SMTP:

• M-Switch SMTP: a SMTP MTA, with a range of security and management capabilities that make it ideal for military messaging
• M-Switch MIXER: provides flexible gateway capabilities between STANAG 4406 and SMTP

Gateways with STANAG 4406

Isode provides two gateways between SMTP and STANAG 4406:

• ACP 145 Gateway: Provides STANAG 4406 edition 2 with digital signatures and security labels. It is designed to interconnect national military networks operating according to different profiles. Isode provides all of the components necessary to build an ACP 145 Gateway
• M-Switch MIXER: Provides a gateway between SMTP and standard STANAG 4406

Constrained bandwidth

Operation over constrained networks is vital for many military deployments. Isode offers a SMTP messaging solution based on the ACP 142 military specification providing optimised communication for both point to point and multicast networks, and operation in EMCON (emission control or radio silence). This can be operated over IP networks such as Satcom and fast radio links.

M-Link, Isode's XMPP Server, includes a range of capabilities to optimise operation as a tactical chat server over low-bandwidth links including:

• M-Link supports both XML stream compression (XEP 0138) and Roster Versioning (XEP 0237)
• Remove presence updates to reduce traffic over very slow links
• Acting as a gateway between XMPP and STANAG 5066 HF Operator Chat, to support HF radio systems without XMPP capability

Isode's approach to constrained bandwidth networks is to use server / server communication over the constrained link, rather than client / server, meaning a server will always be used regardless of user numbers. This enables maximum efficiency to be obtained from the underlying networks, and isolates clients from those underlying networks. This allows any standard familiar client to be used. Optimised server / server can also be operated over STANAG 5066 to support HF Radio communication.

Applications for military radio and satellite

Many Isode applications are optimised for use over radio, satellite and other multicast and potentially low quality / performance links. A number of protocols specified for military use are key to Isode's product set. These standards allow operation on mobile units and also define gateway procedures to 'high speed' environments.

Digital signatures and security labels

Isode supports digital signatures of messages using S/MIME for SMTP messages and STANAG 4406 ed2 signatures. M-Switch can verify message signatures, strip message signatures and add signatures to messages. This provides high flexibility for digital signature use in environments with mixed capabilities and protocols.

Isode's email, instant messaging and multi-user chat provide full control of messages using security labels associated with the messages the security clearances of the users, including cross-domain mapping of security policies for coalition operations.