Suri Durvasula, vice president of federal for Dell Technologies, describes Navy technology modernization in practical, human terms: technology succeeds when it helps people do their jobs better and live better, especially in demanding shipboard environments. In his conversation, he emphasizes what he calls “people first,” a way of thinking that brings technology and people together to produce outcomes the Navy cares about most—readiness, faster decision-making, and a force that stays prepared at a moment’s notice.
He starts with what he sees as the obvious payoff when people and technology work together: enabling the warfighter to make decisions more quickly. For Durvasula, that outcome is not abstract. He points to the reality that a lot of decision-making is happening all the time and that “everything is technology enabled.” The Navy’s ability to act rapidly—whether maintaining equipment, moving supplies, or executing missions—depends on the quality and speed of the information available to the people responsible for those actions. From his perspective, technology can aid the warfighter in making those decisions across a wide range of tasks, from repairing parts quickly to making sure the right ammunition gets loaded where it needs to be.
Durvasula also highlights another dimension of “people first” that he considers just as important: the emotional side of readiness. He talks about how people stay connected to the outside world and why that matters for morale. In a line that stands out because of how straightforward it is, he notes that connecting ships and shipboard systems back to the internet can still sound strange today, in an era where “everything’s connected to the internet,” but he says that is “the reality” of many operational contexts. For him, improved connectivity is not only a modern convenience; it strengthens morale for ship members and supports readiness by helping sailors stay steady, focused, and prepared to perform when it matters.
He describes the relationship between morale and mission in a direct way: if sailors are better connected and morale is stronger, warfighters are better able to do what they need to do and be ready at a moment’s notice. His view is that readiness is not just a function of platforms and weapons systems. It is also a function of the people operating them, and the modern digital environment becomes part of how the Navy sustains that human element.
Durvasula then points to concrete examples of how the Navy is moving in this direction, including Dell’s involvement in the Flank Speed program. He describes Flank Speed as something the Navy has deployed shipboard that enables the kinds of technologies people use every day—such as Office 365—to be used on shipboard systems. He underscores the significance of bringing familiar, widely used tools into an operational
He shares an example that captures that change: the Navy hosts its first Teams call for an all-hands, and the idea that you can do that shipboard represents a “different aspect” of capability. For Durvasula, this is not just about introducing new software; it is about enabling modern ways of working in a setting where they can meaningfully support leadership communication and day-to-day coordination across a distributed force.
From there, he expands the discussion from collaboration tools to logistics readiness, emphasizing that connectivity and data sharing can create operational advantages. He talks about “disconnected logistics” and the ability to source parts across the fleet at a moment’s notice, using the example of making sure an F-18 can get back up in the air. His focus is the connection between information and action: the more the Navy can connect systems and bring data together, the more it can keep team members ready and keep critical platforms operating.
Durvasula repeatedly returns to the idea that readiness benefits when data moves quickly to the point of need. He describes a future in which many sensors are connected and the data coming off those sensors can be rapidly analyzed. That rapid analysis matters because it helps decision-makers deploy the right assets, deliver the right information to service members, and ultimately support operational outcomes in real time. In his telling, this is where technology becomes a force multiplier: not because it replaces people, but because it helps them decide faster and execute better.
When asked what service members should be thinking about that is “right around the corner,” Durvasula highlights a concept he calls “G wallet.” He frames it as something people already see on their phones, and he says it will be an enabler for helping innovate the supply chain. He makes a point that anchors his broader argument: military operations are, in many ways, a supply chain. From that perspective, improvements in logistics and supply-chain visibility are not back-office upgrades—they are mission enablers.
To illustrate what he means, Durvasula compares military logistics modernization to what happens in the commercial world every day. He describes how retail environments use technology in everything from enhanced experiences at the shelf—like evaluating different paint colors—to purchases that automatically notify the supply chain and pull inventory forward. He emphasizes that these capabilities are readily available commercially and argues they need to be enabled throughout the military.
He also sees a significant opportunity in how the government shares and reuses tools across organizations. Durvasula notes that technology used effectively in one area should be leveraged elsewhere, suggesting that broader adoption and reuse could accelerate outcomes. He points to a government capability called “CHEETAS” through the Test Resource Management Center, describing how it can allow rapid analytics to come right off platforms like fighter jets and provide essential information to warfighters. In his view, the real question is why such capabilities are not leveraged more widely, especially as the number of sensors and data sources continues to grow.
Across the conversation, Durvasula’s message stays consistent: modern readiness is driven by people, data, and connectivity working together. He portrays “people first” as both a performance strategy and a morale strategy—one that helps the Navy make faster decisions, maintain platforms more effectively, and keep sailors connected and ready. The technologies he references—shipboard collaboration through Flank Speed, fleet-wide parts sourcing, sensor-driven analytics, and supply chain enablers like G wallet—are, in his telling, all different expressions of the same goal: using technology to support the people who have to deliver results under pressure.