Market watch

IBM Corp. this week announced the first four members of its new Government

Specialty for e-business, a distinction given to members of IBM's PartnerWorld

program that have extensive experience in delivering solutions to federal,

state and local government customers.

The four charter members are:

* Ezgov.com, an electronic services provider for governments.

* Environmental Systems Research Institute Inc., a leader in the development

and implementation of geographic information systems.

* HTE Inc., a provider of integrated software solutions for public-

sector organizations, specializing in financial management, community services,

public safety and justice, utility management and school administration.

* JPH International Inc., a provider of customer relationship management

solutions for governments, focusing on information and services.

Government Specialty members agree to comply with IBM's Application

Framework for e-business, which entails providing government customers with

solutions defined by open standards, easy-to-use interfaces and scalability

to handle rapid growth.

"We expect this to be the first in a large number of our business partners

who agree to make all of their applications comply with this scalable, highly-secure

platform," said Todd Ramsey, general manager of IBM's global government

industry. "This means government customers are not restricted to IBM [services]

but can take advantage of the platform right away...and over time the goal

is to have the different [vendor] applications interact even better with

each other."

GlobalNet Beefs up for Fed Biz

GlobalNet Federal recently announced that it had acquired Applitech

Inc., a professional services company that specializes in high-tech training

and logistical support services.

GlobalNet Federal, which launched in April, aims to provide strategic,

lower-cost information technology services to the federal government. Its

acquisition of Applitech enables it to move into the realm of computer-

and World Wide Web-based training, said George Filippides, GlobalNet's chairman

and chief executive officer. Both firms are based in Herndon, Va.

Filippides said Applitech's expertise in technology training and educational

content development will immediately help GlobalNet Federal on its way to

becoming one of the key players in government contracting.

Applitech provides multimedia training services for missile, air flight

and other systems to government contractors including Northrop Grumman Corp.,

Raytheon Co. and Boeing Co.

"Applitech's strength is in our ability to apply new technologies to

very specific needs, like using computer software tools to develop multimedia

training and documentation for defense contractors, and then delivering

that anytime, anywhere over the Internet," said Tom Shea, chief executive

officer of Applitech and the new president of GlobalNet Federal.

Filippides described Applitech as the first in a series of acquisitions

designed to increase GlobalNet's competitiveness in the systems integration

market. In the past, the company has acted as a subcontractor to larger

firms, but it recently began dealing directly with federal agencies, including

the Environmental Protection Agency, the Interior Department and the Small

Business Administration, Filippides said.

"We picked up an operating group with good contracts and good relationships

with the big boys," Filippides said. "And the more you play, the more they

consider you one of the big boys."