Famille des Armées (FDA): a sovereign social network serving military personnel and their families
In a rapidly changing world where secure, fast communication is essential, the French Army has modernised its communications by adopting Famille des Armées (FDA), the first ministerial social network exclusively for service personnel and their families. Built on the Whaller DONJON platform, FDA offers a fully sovereign, secure and modular solution, perfectly meeting the specific needs of the military community.
In this case study, Captain Amandine, responsible for FDA’s rollout, shares the strategic reasoning behind the choice, the key deployment stages, and the many benefits the platform brings for the cohesion and organisation of the French Army.
Discover how FDA is transforming the way service personnel and their families communicate, stay informed and remain connected—while ensuring exemplary security and confidentiality.
Could you introduce yourself and explain why Whaller was chosen to deploy Famille des Armées (FDA)?
Hello, I’m Captain Amandine, in charge of deploying all Army units on the Famille des Armées portal (FDA), the first ministerial social network for service personnel and their families. The French Army chose Whaller for several key reasons: it’s a French company, data is hosted securely and with sovereignty, and the platform fully meets our community’s expectations. It was an obvious choice to select a solution that upholds these values.
How does FDA structure communication within the Army?
FDA is organised as a tree‑structure network. At the top is a national portal, accessible to all users, which centralises vital information on Ministry initiatives, support schemes, entitlements and administrative procedures. Next is an intermediate level—the Community portal—for Army‑specific content such as honours and military‑community consultations. At the base, each unit—schools, regiments, headquarters—has dedicated pages and thematic “spheres” tailored to their needs. This ensures a flexible, targeted architecture for everyone.
What were the key stages of FDA’s deployment and customisation?
FDA’s rollout was gradual and supported. The Whaller team played a pivotal role, with training sessions, sandbox testing and step‑by‑step guidance. This support enabled us to tailor the platform to the Army’s unique requirements. Today, most of the occupational training formations are already onboard, and we expect all units to be connected by summer 2025.
What main uses have emerged thanks to the platform?
FDA has become central to diverse needs: creating spheres for events like the Olympic Games or to support deployed personnel in New Caledonia. Units also use it to organise family days, ceremonies or to manage storage spaces where users can access photos, documents or forms. This tool fosters cohesion and strengthens the bond between service personnel and families.
What are the current and future challenges in FDA adoption?
In the short term, a key challenge is to guide the remaining units to fully adopt the tool and use FDA to its full potential. In the longer term, we aim to maintain effective support and ensure the platform continues to evolve in line with the community’s needs.
Why would you recommend Whaller?
Whaller is ergonomic, intuitive and scalable, perfectly suiting our community’s needs. Its sovereign, secure hosting makes it a trusted platform. With its collaborative approach and extensive features, Whaller is more than a tool—it’s a true partner.
Join us: to learn how Whaller can transform digital collaboration in your organisation, visit our website or contact us directly. Let’s build the future of digital workplaces—together!
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