Army Knowledge Online (AKO) is an information system that supports the United States Army and Department of Defense. The soldiers, contractors, and all other relevant positions within the greater Armed Forces can access the system via the web. Users can create pages, upload files, join discussion, view files, and many other functions via a web portal. However, the primary purpose of the information system is for email. However, there are also custom modules that can host other functions such as online training courses. The AKO is a custom program that has integrated many off the shelf products to perform various functions. It was officially launched in 2001 and since that time it has gone through many updates and revisions. The hardware consists of several servers that operate the modules that users use. These servers run a combination of off the shelf software...

Users can then log onto these modules from most devices that have internet access through a browser. Many users can even connect through mobile devices.
The current version has a lot of criticism from its users. The most common complaints (Army Times, 2010):

• AKO is frustratingly slow.

• It has a cluttered interface.

• Its security features are too cumbersome.

• Its search engine is useless.

The Army has decided to move away from the AKO system in favor of something more secure and more effective. The features that are on the servers are not accessible in a timely manner and commercial versions work much faster than the AKO.

The AKO has a search feature comparable to a Google search. However, the search…