A New Era for Defense Acquisitions
Key Takeaways
- The April 9, 2025 Executive Order shifts DoD acquisition to results driven solutions
- Commercial technology solutions are now prioritized over custom development
- Programs that are 15% behind schedule or over budget face termination
- SecDef Hegseth’s April 10 memo reinforces the EO with concrete wasteful spending elimination targets
- Zero trust security implementation is critical for meeting the EO’s speed and security requirements
- Greymatter.io’s platform provides the ready now solutions needed to meet these urgent demands
The White House’s Executive Order on April 9, 2025, titled “Modernizing Defense Acquisitions and Spurring Innovation in the Defense Industrial Base”, isn’t just a policy update—it’s a rallying cry to break free from bureaucratic gridlock. The order demands speed, measurable outcomes, and commercial solutions over the slow, costly custom programs that have held back DoD and National Security. With global competitors like China moving fast, this EO empowers America to reclaim its technological edge through agility and innovation—exactly what we deliver at Greymatter.io.
This directive shifts the DoD from pursuing compliance to delivering results. The message is clear: national security depends on adopting secure, scalable commercial tech now. Greymatter.io’s solutions—autonomous zero-trust enforcement, multicloud and hybrid connectivity, instant observability, and secure service communications—address this urgency directly, delivering mission ready infrastructure at the pace of today’s evolving threats.
Commercial-First, By Design
The EO establishes a high bar: commercial solutions, per Section 8(c), must be “funded by private investment.” We can no longer stitch together open source tools with government labor and call it innovation—only proven, privately developed tech makes the cut. Greymatter.io leads with our Zero Trust Networking (ZTN) platform and service connectivity in this space.
Our ZTN platform isn’t a theoretical project—it operates successfully across DoD and Intelligence Community networks today. Autonomous zero-trust enforcement secures every workload with mTLS encryption and granular policies, while the platform’s multicloud and hybrid connectivity seamlessly integrates AWS, Azure, GCP, Oracle Cloud, and disconnected Kubernetes clusters to maintain operational continuity. Through comprehensive real-time observability, the system provides instant visibility and audit trails across IL2 to Top Secret workloads, enabling operators to act at mission speed. We deliver the ready-now technology the EO demands to outpace rivals.
From Zombie Programs to Outcome-Driven Delivery
Section 6 subjects every Major Defense Acquisition Program (MDAP) to a 90-day scrutiny. Programs running 15% behind schedule, over budget, or failing performance goals risk termination. This approach eliminates “zombie programs” that consume resources without delivering value.
Greymatter.io thrives in this results first environment. Our self governing service connectivity layer automates proxies, gateways, and control planes, reducing setup time and complexity by up to 80%. We’ve proven our effectiveness in Impact Level 2 to 6+ (IL2–IL6+) environments, meeting DoD and NIST zero trust controls without manual configuration burdens. For defense missions, this translates to secure, scalable systems that deploy rapidly—critical for gaining advantage over adversaries.
Breaking the Culture of Bureaucracy
The EO fundamentally rewires culture, not just processes. Section 5 calls for reshaping the DoD’s 183,000-strong acquisition workforce, rewarding bold choices and commercial tech adoption. Section 4 eliminates redundant regulations.As defense acquisition expert Christopher Booth points out in his recent analysis for the Defense Acquisition University, this empowers acquisition professionals to prioritize innovation over paperwork, matching the urgency of global competition.
This cultural shift gained immediate reinforcement with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s April 10 memo “Update on Continuing Elimination of Wasteful Spending at the DoD”. The memo establishes concrete targets for wasteful spending reduction, with specific focus on legacy IT systems that duplicate commercial capabilities. Secretary Hegseth emphasizes that “every dollar spent maintaining outdated systems is a dollar not spent on warfighter readiness” and directs department wide adoption of commercial solutions that meet security requirements. This endorsement creates unprecedented momentum for platforms that deliver immediate capabilities without extensive customization.
Procurement professionals previously faced penalties for innovative thinking. Now, they receive authorization to select platforms like Greymatter. Our automation first approach maintains security integrity and configuration consistency without requiring custom rebuilds. With built-in compliance—NIST 800-207, FIPS 140, DoD ZTA 2.0—we simplify adoption.
Why This Matters Now
Today’s threats—AI-powered adversaries, sophisticated cyberattacks, disruptions—won’t wait for legacy systems to evolve. Greymatter.io delivers ready solutions:
- Autonomous Zero Trust: Verifies every connection with mTLS and ephemeral certificates, eliminating unauthorized access vectors.
- Multicloud and Hybrid Connectivity: Connects cloud and on-premises systems with intelligent routing, ensuring mission resilience.
- Real-Time Observability: Maps services instantly for rapid threat detection across complex environments.
- Self-Governing Automation: Maintains operations with policy-as-code, scaling security effortlessly.
- Secure 5G Core: Enables secure service connectivity and low-latency orchestration for DDIL environments, maintaining communications in contested domains.
Fragmented custom solutions fall short for national security missions. Greymatter.io’s agentic intelligence layer—with self provisioning, self governing, zero trust enforcement—delivers the speed and reliability needed today. Trusted across DoD, Intelligence Community, and federal networks, our ZTN platform effectively counters competitors like China, whose industrial pace demands accelerated innovation cycles.
Real-World Impact: Our Solutions in Action
Zero Trust Security for a U.S. Defense Agency
“Greymatter plays a critical role in our Zero Trust Architecture and enterprise-wide security strategy. While deploying into Kubernetes is valuable, it’s Greymatter that delivers the control, visibility, and enforcement we need across our applications, APIs, and services. We’ve seen an estimated 85% improvement in operational efficiency, significantly accelerating our Authorization to Operate (ATO) process.” — Security Assessor and Engineer, U.S. Government Program
Accelerating Secure Application Deployment
“Our team spent over two months struggling to securely configure and bring critical applications online. Within a single day of integrating Greymatter, we were able to fully enable Zero Trust security policies and deploy the application. The platform removed months of complexity, providing immediate visibility, control, and compliance with our security requirements.” — Lead DevSecOps Engineer, U.S. Government Program
Partnering with Greymatter.io for Mission Success
The EO’s call for a revitalized defense industrial base extends beyond technology to collaboration. At Greymatter.io, we actively seek partnerships with organizations committed to securing missions and accelerating innovation. Whether you operate as a Value-Added Reseller (VAR) or a System Integrator (SI), we offer growth opportunities to bring Zero Trust Networking to the DoD and broader public sector.
Our partners access Greymatter.io’s platform through streamlined contract vehicles, including the Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace and SOSSEC Other Transaction Agreement (OTA), alongside others like ITES-SW2, OMNIA Partners, and State/Local vehicles. These pathways simplify delivery of our solutions—secure, scalable, and compliant—to public sector clients. Join us in building the future of security at greymatter.io/partner-with-us/.
The Bottom Line
This Executive Order creates a rare opportunity to reset defense acquisition. For the DoD, it establishes a clear imperative: modernize or fall behind. For Greymatter.io, it validates our approach: the future belongs to organizations delivering secure, scalable solutions without complex integration challenges.
Trusted across DoD, Intelligence Community, and federal networks, our platform—featuring autonomous zero trust, multicloud agility, comprehensive observability, and intelligent automation—transforms security from obstacle to enabler. The Pentagon has issued the challenge, and Greymatter.io stands ready to meet it.
Take Action Now
Don’t wait for your competitors to get ahead in this new era of defense acquisitions. The Executive Order is already reshaping how the DoD selects and implements technology solutions. Greymatter.io offers the commercially developed, compliance ready platform you need to capitalize on this historic shift.
Our security experts will evaluate your current environment against the DoD’s Zero Trust Architecture requirements and provide a practical roadmap for implementation that aligns with the EO’s accelerated timelines. We’ll demonstrate how Greymatter.io’s platform can be operational in your environment within weeks, not years.
How the EO Will Reshape DoD Budgeting
The EO’s emphasis on speed and commercial technology will transform the DoD’s $850 billion budget allocation. Prioritizing proven solutions over custom R&D fundamentally changes acquisition dynamics. Here’s how Greymatter.io aligns with this shift:
- Faster Deployment Cycles: Section 3(a)‘s emphasis on Other Transactions Authority enables our platform to deploy in months rather than years, addressing threats immediately.
- Cost Savings: Recent GAO audits and public disclosures from agencies like CISA and the NSA highlight the gaps in zero trust readiness—and how legacy systems fail under modern threats. Our automation and service connectivity reduce operational costs by up to 70%, redirecting funds to mission readiness.
- Increased Competition: Section 2‘s industrial base revival drives innovation. Our zero trust-ready solutions compete on results, not regulatory navigation skills.
- Outcome-Focused Spending: The MDAP review directs budgets toward effective solutions. Our observability and zero-trust security deliver measurable mission improvements.
By eliminating bureaucratic inefficiencies the EO could save billions, directing resources to platforms like Greymatter that provide agility and security at scale. This approach enables America to outpace global competitors—a more intelligent, efficient allocation of national security resources.
Executive Summary: What This Means For You
DoD Program Managers and Acquisition Personnel
- The 90-day MDAP review means immediate action is required to demonstrate progress
- Commercial solutions like Greymatter.io provide quick wins under the new evaluation criteria
- The EO protects you when choosing innovative commercial technology
Federal Agencies
- Legacy systems with high maintenance costs are now clear targets for replacement
- Zero trust implementation just became a top priority with executive level visibility
- Agencies demonstrating early success with commercial tech adoption will gain funding advantages
Technology Partners
- The defense industrial base revitalization opens new opportunities for collaboration
- Contract vehicles are becoming more streamlined for commercial solutions
- Partnership with proven platforms like Greymatter.io provides fast access to this market transformation
The Executive Order isn’t just changing procurement rules—it’s reshaping the entire defense technology ecosystem. Organizations that embrace this shift toward speed, measurable outcomes, and commercial innovation will lead the next generation of defense capabilities.