NEED FOR PD NETWORK

UNCLAS AMMAN 005463 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/PDD (CBOURGEOIS); IIP/IT (SHEPPARD) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP AADP ASEC ACOA AMGT SUBJECT: NEED FOR PD NETWORK REF: STATE 134398 POST HAS NOTED SOME DISCUSSION THAT SEEMS TO INDICATE THAT OPENNET PLUS WOULD AND SHOULD REPLACE PDNET OVERSEAS. WE WOULD LIKE TO CLARIFY THAT DESPITE THE PROJECTED ARRIVAL OF OPENNET PLUS AT SOME TIME IN THE FUTURE, WE WILL CONTINUE TO NEED A SEPARATE PDNET IN ORDER TO MEET ALL OUR INTERACTIVE REQUIREMENTS. ALTHOUGH OPENNET PLUS WILL PROVIDE WIDER ACCESS TO THE INTERNET THROUGHOUT THE EMBASSY, AS AN SBU SYSTEM IT IS UNLIKELY TO PROVIDE THE OPEN INTERACTIVE ENVIRONMENT NEEDED FOR PUBLIC INTERACTION. AS WE CONTINUE OUR EFFORTS TO STAY ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF TECHNOLOGY IN BOTH OUTREACH AND IN INFORMATION GATHERING, WE WILL CONTINUE TO NEED THE ABILITY TO EXPERIMENT WITH NEW APPLICATIONS AND NEW DOWNLOADS FROM NON-GOVERNMEENT SITES, TO ACCESS INFORMATION INCLUDING PHOTO, VIDEO, SOUND, AND EXECUTABLE FILES FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES, AND TO ENCOURAGE INTERACTION WITH A WIDE PUBLIC AUDIENCE. THESE NEEDS ARE PARTICULAR TO PD WORK AND NONE ARE LIKELY TO BE MET THROUGH AN OPENNET THAT WOULD STILL PROVIDE APPROPRIATE SECURITY FOR THE EMBASSY AS A WHOLE. IN OUR VIEW, OPENNET PLUS AND PDNET ARE NOT INTERCHANGEABLE. DISCONTINUING PDNET WOULD HAVE A DEMONSTRABLY NEGATIVE IMPACT ON OUR ABILITY TO HARDNESS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY PURPOSES. GNEHM