SmartBuy deals for e-records management in works

The General Services Administration has asked 1,368 vendors to submit bids for a place on its latest enterprisewide software license contract for electronic data and records management. Under the initiative, known as SmartBuy, GSA hopes to negotiate standards terms, conditions and discounted prices with vendors providing electronic data and records management software, managed services and hosted applications under an alternative services provider setup. GSA issued the request for quotes Aug. 2 through e-Buy. Bids are due Aug. 24. Vendors must provide a “system for records management including archiving, which can routinely incorporate new or changing requirements for information life cycle management for various types of data systems including e-mail systems,” the RFQ states. The system must be able to: • Add, change or suspend business rules applicable across the enterprise. • Generate queries and reports for access control list classifications and applicable rules at the enterprise and business levels.• Provide controls to ensure authenticity and integrity of records.• Provide secure storage, archiving, sanctioned access and trustworthiness of records.• Provide for indexing of all content to facilitate adequate and timely response to inquires and investigations.• Allow flexibility for alternative physical storage media.• Provide for controls for timely and complete destruction of archived data.• Provide a mechanism for e-mail messages to ensure that messages in the archives are as they were originally created and transmitted or received. The system must comply with the Defense Department’s records management policy, DOD 5015.2, and the National Archives and Records Administration’s policies and laws. In the RFQ, GSA states that agencies with existing blanket purchase agreements can migrate to SmartBuy. GSA put a notice on the Federal Business Opportunities Web site in February that told agencies that a records management deal was imminent. But it has taken more than six months to complete. GSA and DOD have awarded nine SmartBuy contracts, the most recent one for encryption products and services. The initiative also has enterprise deals with Oracle, McAfee and ESRI.