Acquisition

NASA's outsourcing gamble a winner

NASA's intention to get out of the operations business and invest in cuttingedge technology is evident throughout the agency's 2001 budget proposal.

Acquisition

Taking seat to task

After creating a contract that is changing the way the federal government performs desktop outsourcing, the General Services Administration cautions other agencies that contracting out may not be troublefree.

Acquisition

Funding essential for EPS enhancements

The General Services Administration plans to use money from the fiscal 2001 budget proposal for future development of the Electronic Posting System, potentially creating a single point of entry for industry to access governmentwide business opportunities

Acquisition

GSA Advantage to deliver faster, timely product updates

A partnership with Micronpc.com and Netfish Technologies Inc. will mean faster and easier product updates and more accurate information in the General Services Administration's online catalog

Acquisition

N.Y. Takes New Tack on PC Procurement

As part of a new statewide PC procurement, New York has decided to get out of the business of trying to maintain listings for constantly changing PC prices and technologies.

Acquisition

NIH gearing up for second wave of IT services contract

The National Institutes of Health is seeking comments on a contract award before asking for a formal request for proposals

Acquisition

Kentucky Derby

The rapidly evolving world of information technology has wrought changes in virtually every area of state and local government, but its most immediate impact may be on the procurement process.

Acquisition

Contracts keep training on the air

The General Services Administration last week finalized contracts that will give agencies access to as much as $1.18 billion in satellite communication services over the next six years a relief for agencies that want to use telecommunications to train employees scattered across the nation.

Acquisition

CSC wins contract for automated communication system

FAA hopes system will reduce errors from misunderstood voice communications

Acquisition

Bell Atlantic grabs $1.4 billion federal telecom deal

The eightyear contract will provide a host of telecommunications services to federal agencies in and around the nation's capitol

Acquisition

AT&T to continue providing South Pole link

AT&T has won a $10 million contract to connect federal workers at the South Pole with the rest of the world.

Acquisition

Sprint lands Federal Reserve network upgrade deal

The Federal Reserve has selected telecommunications provider Sprint to modernize the network that connects major banks to the agency, linking trillions of dollars in monetary transactions each year.

Acquisition

Privacy advocates challenge FBI cell phone tracking

Decrying the ease with which law enforcement agencies may soon be able to track cellular phones and retrieve the contents of cellular and landline phone calls, three Internet privacy organizations are asking a federal appeals court to suspend rules that would make it unnecessary to obtain search warrants to intercept phone calls.

Acquisition

Dell's domination grows

Dell Computer Corp.'s dominance of the General Services Administration information technology schedule in fiscal 1999 reflects how procurement reform has brought about good and bad changes to the way government buys IT products and services. While the government is paying lower prices than ever for some technology, some experts question whether new buying practices carry hidden costs for agencies.

Acquisition

The scope of a contract

The following question was raised by a contractor: In deciding whether an existing contract may be modified to include a new item, government contracting officers like to talk about the contract's 'scope.' What makes up the scope of a contract?

Acquisition

Serving up higher IT sales

First listed on the schedule just two years ago, information technology services have become a powerful engine driving the growth of the General Services Administration IT schedule.

Acquisition

NASA issues ultimatum to software vendor

Tivoli Systems Inc., a subsidiary of IBM Corp., this week at the RSA Data Security Conference announced the creation of a new division that will control and develop all of IBM's information security products and services.

Acquisition

Survivor benefits: Do you have enough coverage?

Broaching the subject of personal finances can be a delicate task, but there is no time like the present to make sure your family is appropriately covered after your death.

Acquisition

NIH awards ACES task order for digital grant system

The National Institutes of Health this week awarded the first task order under the General Services Administration's Access Certificates for Electronic Services digital signature contract for an online grant application system.

Acquisition

FAA project hits snag, but on target overall, officials say

Despite a onemonth delay in the early part of the procurement process for a major aircraft tracking system, Federal Aviation Administration officials claim the project will remain on schedule.