Indian Army Launches Secure WhatsApp-like Chat App

The Indian Army has announced the launch of an in-house messaging app dubbed ASIGMA (Army Secure IndiGeneous Messaging Application), which is deemed as the “new generation, state of the art, web-based application.” The app is developed entirely by a team of officers of the Corps of Signals of the Army. In a post on PIB (Press Information Bureau), it is said the application is being deployed on the Army’s internal network as a replacement of the Army Wide Area Network (AWAN) messaging application, which has been in service for the past 15 years. That being said, the app will not make its way to mainstream app stores.

ASIGMA app has been fielded on Army owned hardware and lends itself to lifetime support with future upgrades, the note reads. The app will hope to offer a more secure messaging network for internal usage, rather than relying on external servers such as WhatsApp and Signal that are subject to privacy matters.

The ASIGMA application will meet all “futuristic user requirements” with a simplified user interface. We can expect the app to offer basics such as group chats, video and image sharing, voice notes, and more. The press note further read, “It [ASIGMA] has a variety of contemporary features including multi-level security, message prioritisation and tracking, dynamic global address book and various options to meet the Army’s requirements.

The messaging application will meet real-time data transfer and messaging requirements of the Army, especially in the backdrop of the current geopolitical-security environment and is in line with the Government of India’s, Make in India initiative.

The Indian Army is also planning to digital and go paperless wherever possible and further takes that commitment forward. “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,” the note highlights.

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