Army Chief Launches Secure WhatsApp-like Messaging App For In-House Communication

Some important features of the app include multi-level security, message prioritisation and tracking and dynamic global address book.

Army chief General MM Naravane (ANI)

New Delhi: Indian Army Chief General MM Naravane launched a WhatsApp-like messaging application called ASIGMA for in-house communication on Thursday. ASIGMA stands for Army Secure IndiGeneous Messaging Application.

A statement said the app was developed in-house by a team of officers of the Corps of Signals.

Army chief General MM Naravane launched a new messaging application called ASIGMA for in-house communication

ASIGMA, which stands for Army Secure IndiGeneous Messaging Application was developed entirely in-house by a team of officers, an official statement said. pic.twitter.com/BpjFNmRkBS

— ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2021

"The new application is being deployed on the Army's internal network as a replacement of Army Wide Area Network (AWAN) messaging application which has been in service for the past 15 years," the Army said in a statement.

Some important features of the app include multi-level security, message prioritisation and tracking and dynamic global address book.

"ASIGMA has been fielded on Army-owned hardware and lends itself to lifetime support with future upgrades. The messaging application meets all futuristic user requirements and boasts of an enhanced user experience," the statement said.

The Army said the application had real-time data transfer and would meet the messaging requirements of the Army "especially in the backdrop of current geo political security environment and is in line with the government of India's Make in India initiative", the statement said.

The Army has braced automation in a major way, especially after the Covid-19 outbreak, and is taking substantial steps towards paperless functioning, the statement said.

"ASIGMA will further boost these efforts and will add to the host of other applications already being employed by the Army over its captive pan Army network," it further said.