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.

Acquisition

Lockheed wins DOD integration contract

Lockheed Martin Federal Systems nabbed a $46 million blanket purchase agreement to provide systems integration services for the Defense Finance and Accounting Service Corporate Information Infrastructure, the company announced Thursday.

Acquisition

Federal union questions price tag of Army logistics pact

Official documents delivered to Congress just days before the Army awarded a $681 million contract to Computer Sciences Corp. for the Wholesale Logistics Modernization Program (WLMP) place the total cost of the program at $533 million $148 million less than CSC's winning bid.

Acquisition

GSA releases smart card solicitation

The General Services Administration released the longawaited solicitation for the governmentwide Smart Access Common ID Card program that will provide a single vehicle for agencies to buy smart card products and services.

Acquisition

NASA headquarters selects SAIC to provide desktop services

NASA has awarded Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) Information Services, Vienna, Va., a threeyear $20.1 million contract to provide information technology services to NASA headquarters under the Outsourcing Desktop Initiative for NASA (ODIN).

Acquisition

Revolution or evolution?

I recently ran across an article in The Financial Times with the headline 'Revolution? What Revolution?'

Acquisition

Hamre announces departure from Pentagon

John Hamre, who put the clout of his office behind information technology policies, issues and causes during his term as deputy secretary of Defense, will leave the Pentagon March 31 to become president and chief executive officer of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington, D.C., think tank.

Acquisition

11 vendors win call center contracts

The General Services Administration has signed agreements with 11 vendors to offer call center management services to federal agencies.

Acquisition

AMS, Ariba team for e-procurement

In what may be the first of many deals like it, integrator American Management Systems Inc. and Internet commerce vendor Ariba Inc. have teamed up to provide a complete electronic procurement solution to federal government users.

Acquisition

Desktop outsourcer brings help desk in-house

Bucking a trend that is key to its own business livelihood, an outsourcing contractor on NASA's seat management contract is bringing its helpdesk operation back inhouse to improve service for its federal customers.

Acquisition

Financial Software: Adding up the Cost of Public Services

Providing a true picture of the cost of government services has long been the holy grail of state and local government finance departments.

Acquisition

Future Shop

If desktop information technology is becoming a commodity, then there's one golden rule: The more you buy, the less expensive it gets. Individual states are finding that out by combining agency procurements.