Government Contract News

The latest federal, state and local government IT contract news.

Cuyahoga County, Ohio, to Upgrade Network Infrastructure - May 14

The converged networks will increase network speed and provide significant bandwidth to facilitate application sharing,

In a move to upgrade county networking services, Cuyahoga county announced today that it has awarded OneCommunity, a local nonprofit dedicated to fostering economic development by leveraging information technology, a five-year contract designed to enhance, expand and maintain the county's existing network services. According to estimates, Cuyahoga county taxpayers should realize a savings exceeding $10 million over a term of the next five years.

Cuyahoga County selected OneCommunity for its ability to bring together a diverse consortium of technology vendors to deliver best-in-class services, including Global Crossing (GLBC), Cisco (CSCO), ICI Networks, certified minority business enterprise Texcel, as well as the Communications Workers of America. Leveraging each organization's strengths, Cuyahoga county and OneCommunity will deliver a network infrastructure that will allow county government the freedom to leverage today's converged network technology solutions.

OneCommunity will ensure the county receives advanced services that include the development, management and optimization of a wide area network (WAN); Voice-over-IP (VoIP), and Internet and wireless services in various county buildings. OneCommunity and Cuyahoga county will also oversee the management of the county-owned private network, and the necessary security and hardware upgrades.

Network enhancements and upgrades will produce significant efficiencies and corresponding cost savings. Specifics include:

• Providing network connectivity to two proposed new county facilities expected to be built over the next few years. After the new Juvenile Justice Center and Detention Center is built and the Emergency Operations Center is completed, the converged networks will increase network speed, provide significant bandwidth to facilitate application sharing, and bring a higher level of security and redundancy.
• Creating and enabling secure video conferencing to geographical gaps, saving taxpayer dollars by enabling video arraignments and reducing transportation challenges in the justice system. Video conferencing will also enable employees in different locations to communicate face-to-face without the need for jJustice center and courthouse and county administration building, thereby increasing the efficiencies of the county's courts and allowing both attorneys and visitors to the justice center to access the Internet from their laptops or provided kiosks.
• Providing mobile county staff with wireless Internet access to their business applications.

"This is a significant, proactive effort to ensure our county facilities are up to date with the latest technology," said Daniel Weaver, director of information services for the county. "We're expanding our converged network, enabling more effective communications and connectivity throughout the county, which will translate into a significant cost savings for taxpayers."

Cuyahoga County has a population of 1,380,696 people across 459 square miles, and is the largest county in the State of Ohio, the 20th largest in the nation. It encompasses 59 municipalities, villages and townships, of which Cleveland is the largest. With an annual income of more than $1.5 billion dollars, and a workforce of 9,423 full-time employees, the county strives for exemplary service and efficiency.

American Traffic Solutions Selected by 11 Communities to Provide Photo Safety Enforcement Programs - May 8

In the first four months of this year, 11 communities in six states selected ATS to provide photo safety enforcement programs that include red-light and speed cameras.

While several segments of the economy are reporting bleak numbers for 2008, American Traffic Solutions (ATS), headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona is continuing to build on the strong growth the company posted in 2007, according to James Tuton, president and CEO.

In the first four months of this year, 11 communities in six states selected ATS to provide photo safety enforcement programs that include red-light and speed cameras. ATS' position as the leading provider of traffic safety systems to big cities was further enhanced with the addition of San Diego, CA and Spokane, WA to its client roster. Extending the company's reach to more than 100 communities in 16 states, plus contracts in Canada.

Communities that have selected ATS between January and April of this year include:

• San Diego, CA

• Aventura, FL

• Florida City, FL

• North Miami, FL

• Temple Terrace, FL

• Bedford Park, IL

• Bridgeton, MO

• Calverton Park, MO

• Jackson, MS

• Federal Way, WA

• Spokane, WA

ATS expects to make several new contract announcements in the coming weeks as several communities have recently selected ATS or are in various stages of contract negotiations.

James Butler Appointed California's Chief Procurement Officer - May 8

"Bringing online the new E-Procurement system, a Web-based purchasing and tracking system for state agencies due this summer, is an exciting challenge."

Yesterday California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed James Butler, 43 years old, of Roseburg, Ore., as chief procurement officer, a position in the state's Department of General Services (DGS).

"With the current budget issues facing California, it is critical that we streamline, and modernize our procurement and purchasing operations," said Will Bush, director of the Department of General Services, which oversees the state's $10 billion annual purchasing budget. "Our chief procurement officer has broad authority to manage our entire supply-chain to improve cost savings, increase efficiencies and develop better tools and systems to report and track the state's purchasing portfolio."

Butler also assumes the responsibilities of the deputy director for the Procurement Division at DGS. The division has an annual budget of $32.5 million, several hundred employees and responsibility for about 300 commodity contracts from more than 450 suppliers. Additionally, DGS' Procurement Division spearheads the state's small business and disabled veteran business enterprise outreach efforts, which last year resulted in more than 28 percent of the state's purchasing dollars going to certified firms in those sectors.

For the past five years Butler has been the director of procurement services for Levi Strauss and Co. In that position he managed all corporate purchasing for the firm, overseeing more than $450 million in annual strategic sourcing contracts, a staff of 17, teams in five cities and also led a group that built a standardized supplier performance management system. Before that he was a senior manager of Enterprise Resource Planning systems and procurement programs at Dell Computer Corp.

"I look forward to the opportunities and challenges of managing California's widespread procurement system," Butler said. "Bringing online the new E-Procurement system, a Web-based purchasing and tracking system for state agencies due this summer, is an exciting challenge. There is much to do, but together with the talented team already at DGS, we will accomplish great things."

The Department of General Services provides purchasing services for California, developing supplier relationships as well as contracts, and helping state agencies manage their purchasing efforts. These services include agency needs analysis, supplier and sourcing identification and verification, contract negotiations, bidding and contract management and contract auditing. In recent years the department has adopted performance procurement techniques, with suppliers as partners, compensating them with a portion of savings from efficient supply-chain management.

"Although we will continue to ensure that we get the best possible prices for the goods and services we buy, we have changed the way we look at procurement, focusing on building positive and productive relationships with our suppliers," explained Bush. "Jim Butler will build on that foundation and drive our supply-chain into the future, maximizing better use of technology and online data tools."

ICOP Wins Bid to Supply Digital In-Car Video to Illinois County - Apr 30

ICOP has received an initial order valued at approximately $52,000.

ICOP Digital today announced that pursuant to its response to a Request for Proposal issued by one of the largest counties in Illinois, the Company has been notified that it has won the bid to equip the County's sheriff office's fleets with ICOP Model 20/20(R)-W digital in-car video systems.

Pursuant to its winning bid, ICOP has received an initial order valued at approximately $52,000. Following the determination of logistical protocols for installation and user training, phased fleet deployment of the ICOP Model 20/20-W in this agency is expected to occur as funding is approved. The total number of squad cars comprising this agency's fleet is approximately 90.

Bohannan Huston Awarded Extensive Denver Region Aerial Photography Project - Apr 30

Approximately 7,000 square miles to be photographed in detail.

Professional engineering and mapping services firm Bohannan Huston. (BHI) has been selected by the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) to produce high-quality digital aerial photography for the Denver Regional Aerial Photography Project (DRAPP). BHI will conduct multifaceted aerial photography of approximately 7,000 square miles of the Denver metropolitan area, including Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Clear Creek, Denver, Douglas, Gilpin and Jefferson counties, and parts of Weld, Grand and Park counties. The resulting aerial imagery will be used for regional planning, evaluating and mitigating natural hazards, transportation and land use planning, natural resource management, and water resource planning.

BHI will partner with aerial mapping provider Surdex Corporation to acquire the aerial photography and processing of the aerial imagery will occur in BHI's Albuquerque office. The combined resources of Surdex and BHI will shorten production time, ensuring delivery within the complex project's aggressive 12-month timeframe. In addition, the DRCOG specification requires a 60-day "interim" imagery deliverable that will be provided to DRAPP consortium members via an online Web Mapping Service (WMS) to get imagery into the consortium members' software applications early in the project.

Matthew Krusemark, DRCOG's geospatial team manager, stated, "Bohannan Huston's Spatial Data group offers the experience and expertise needed to provide high-quality aerial imagery required by our consortium members."

According to Dennis Sandin, senior vice president and managing principal of BHI, the project "represents an opportunity to use our combined expertise in surveying, photogrammetric mapping, aerial acquisition, and GIS services to deliver the advanced mapping services sought by DRCOG." Sandin continued, "Our strategic approach includes four-band image delivery, which is a newer delivery format that is taking hold in the geospatial community. The results are highly detailed images that enable extremely accurate aerial maps."

Through DRAPP, municipal, county, state and federal agencies, private utilities, and special districts save money by pooling their financial resources to acquire the extensive aerial photography, rather than purchasing the imagery separately.

Multi-Million Dollar Contract by Wyoming Dept. of Revenue - Apr 28

New system will provide the state with greater flexibility and enhanced capabilities in collecting excise revenues and expanding taxing jurisdictions.

Managed Business Solutions, a global information technology outsourcing and consulting firm and a certified diversity supplier, has been awarded a multi-million dollar contract by the State of Wyoming Department of Revenue.

The State of Wyoming Department of Revenue's Excise Tax Division (ETD) collects excise taxes nationwide and distributes them to state and local governmental entities. The Division currently uses a custom Excise Tax System (ETS) to track several different excise taxes imposed under Wyoming law.

MBS will develop an improved and more efficient Excise Tax System for the State of Wyoming Department of Revenue. Leveraging the latest in Microsoft software development platforms and technology, the new system will provide the state with greater flexibility and enhanced capabilities in collecting excise revenues and expanding taxing jurisdictions, while streamlining operation of the system so it is easier to use via a composite user interface.

The new system also will expand the Department of Revenue's web presence and align it more with the needs of taxpayers and external parties by installing an expanded ‘self-service' environment for its constituency. Lastly, because the State of Wyoming is a member of the nationwide Streamlined Sales Tax Project (SSTP) the new system developed by MBS will fully integrate the electronic data submitted under the auspices of the SSTP program.

"The State of Wyoming Department of Revenue is looking forward to working with MBS to improve our overall delivery of services utilizing the new Excise Tax System," said Bruce Knutson, Information Technology Manager for the Department of Revenue. "MBS's approach and methodology demonstrate the company's willingness and ability to implement a true solution to our business and address the current and future needs of the Excise Tax Division."

"The Department of Revenue's Excise Tax Division has an enormous responsibility to its citizens," said Dan Sutton, MBS Vice President for Consulting & Integration. "We are honored and excited to have been entrusted by the Department of Revenue to implement such a critical system for the State of Wyoming."

California to Measure Cost of Strict Contracting Rules - Apr 22

Procurement officials try to gauge whether state's contracting terms and conditions inflate prices and cut competition.

California procurement officials recently launched an effort to measure the impact of tough contracting rules on the price of state IT projects.

Companies contend that increasingly strict terms and conditions built into state IT contracts -- which are designed to limit the state's risk in high-stakes projects -- limit the number of firms willing to do business with the state and raises the prices charged by those that are left.

In February, the California Department of General Services (DGS) decided to test that claim by asking bidders on large state IT contracts to submit two prices -- one for doing the job under the state's current contracting terms and another for working under the terms they would use for a standard commercial deal.

The DGS will use the data to determine if California's contracting rules inflate prices for state IT projects, and, if so, by how much. "We're doing this for all the integrated projects that we do, which probably average $5 million and above," said Adrian Farley, deputy director for the California DGS. "We probably have 20 to 30 of these projects per year."

The plan was welcomed by the Information Technology Association of America, an industry group representing high-tech companies.

"DGS has already announced various plans and process changes, which are both innovative and long overdue," said Carol Henton, the ITAA's vice president of state and local government. "The leadership DGS is taking is to be commended. As for their plans to accept two price bids from vendors, we are intrigued by this idea and think it has merit."

But attorney Robert Metzger, a Los Angeles-based government contracts specialist, said the DGS plan may do more harm than good by injecting uncertainty into the public procurement process.

"The problem with the state's initiative lies not in objective or premise. Rather, the flaw is that the state has acted without due regard for the limits of its power and without necessary clarity to communicate to vendors what to expect," Metzger said. "The state, undoubtedly, hopes that leading commercial IT firms now will be encouraged to offer innovative alternatives free of traditional, required elements. What they may experience, however, is that leading firms decide not to participate at all when they are unsure of requirements and cannot know the rules that govern the competitive process and selection decisions."

Since the plan was announced, the DGS has been updating active procurements, but vendors haven't submitted pricing under the new approach. Farley expects to start receiving dual-pricing bids within the next several months.

Farley said California procurement contracts contain 10 to 15 provisions that aren't commonly found in private-sector contracts. Most of the additional rules center on the amount of liability companies must accept when a government project runs into trouble.

"The questions are: What price premium are we paying for risk mitigation, and are there more cost-efficient measures to mitigate risk?" Farley said. "The information we collect will help us to put together a risk model so that from a cost-efficiency perspective, we can balance risk and cost."

Michigan Joins Green Computing Initiative - Apr 22

Committing to the purchase of energy-efficient computers that will optimize the state's computing environment.

Michigan Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm yesterday announced that Michigan will be joining the Climate Savers Computing Initiative to spur the utilization of more energy-efficient computers and servers in state offices and agencies. The Climate Savers Computing Initiative is a national effort led by Dell, EDS, Google, HP, Intel, Lenovo, Microsoft, Pacific Gas and Electric, and the World Wildlife Fund to increase energy efficiency and the use of more efficient computer equipment.

"We are committed to making a greener Michigan by doing our part to eliminate the wasted power and electricity that increases the emission of greenhouse gases," Granholm said. "This partnership means greener computing, and it will help our environment and slow global warming while protecting our pocketbooks."

By joining the Climate Savers Computing Initiative, the state of Michigan is committing to the purchase of energy-efficient computers that will optimize the state's computing environment. With nearly 55,000 desktop computers and laptops and nearly 3,700 servers in state government, the annual estimated energy cost savings will be approximately $955,000 according to estimates from the Climate Savers Computing Initiative. The annual carbon dioxide aversion is estimated at 9,000 tons.

Under the terms of the agreement, the state has strengthened its commitment to reduce the energy consumption of its computing equipment by:

• Pledging to purchase high-efficiency computer equipment that meets or exceeds federal Energy Star ratings
• Optimizing existing computer systems by educating employees about more efficient and effective computer power management strategies, such as better use of hibernation and sleep modes
• Ensuring that, in subsequent year, the state purchases computing equipment with increasing levels of efficiency.The Climate Savers Computing Initiative, started by Google and Intel in 2007, is a nonprofit group of eco-conscious consumers, businesses, and conservation organizations. Its goal is to promote the development, deployment and adoption of smart technologies that can improve the efficiency of a computer's power delivery and reduce the energy consumed when the computer is in an inactive state. The goal of the program is a 50-percent reduction in power consumption by computers by 2010, netting $5.5 billion in global energy savings and an annual reduction of 54 million tons of CO2 emissions per year.

"The average desktop computer wastes over half of the power delivered to it, while servers spend about one-third of their power" said Ken Theis, director of the Michigan Department of Information Technology (MDIT) and the state's chief information officer. "By moving to energy-efficient desktops and servers, we can reduce the waste to the benefit of the environment as well as our pocketbooks."

Since its launch in June 2007, nearly 200 companies, organizations, and states have joined the initiative, and thousands of individuals have pledged their support. Sponsors include AMD, Delta Electronics, eBay, Fujitsu, Hitachi, Lite-On, Marvell Semiconductor, NEC, Sun and Supermicro.

E-Vote: $800,000 in Grants Awarded to Montana County Election Offices - Apr 22

Will pay for election judges, election security procedures, and maintenance of AutoMARK accessible voting machines.

Montana Secretary of State Brad Johnson yesterday announced more than $800,000 in grants to county election offices to help with the 2008 election season. The grants will pay for election judges, election security procedures, and maintenance of AutoMARK accessible voting machines.

"I've visited with county election officials across Montana, and this is what they asked for," Johnson said. "Montana's elections are among the cleanest, fairest in the country, and local election officials know best what it takes to keep them that way. We listened, and now we're providing what was asked for."

Johnson is in the process of a listening tour to hear from all 56 county clerks and recorders and election administrators. He said these funding concerns were expressed almost universally by the local officials.

Under the AutoMARK maintenance grant, counties submit an invoice for their expenses related to supporting these machines in order to receive the grants. The statewide total for those grants is $207,300. For the election judge grants, each county receives $500 for the June primary and $500 for the November general election to pay election judges, who receive a stipend set by the county government. The statewide total for those grants is $112,000. For election security grants, counties need to submit a narrative of the steps they will take to improve security, for grants that can total up to $5,000. The election security grants could total up to $280,000 for all 56 counties.

"My position as Secretary of State has always been that the county election officials know the system best," said Johnson. "They're the ones who do the hardest work, and who see the concerns of voters up close. I'm grateful to all the clerks and recorders and election administrators who've taken time so far to meet with me, and I thank them doubly for being so open about their needs."

FBI Purchases Wireless Devices - Apr 10

"These devices allow FBI employees access ... to applications critical to our mission such as the no-fly list, missing and kidnapped persons, crime alerts, etc."

Verizon Wireless yesterday announced the deployment of 19,500 internationally enabled BlackBerry 8830 World Edition Smartphones to more than 56 Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) offices worldwide. The devices are part of the agency's Sensitive But Unclassified (SBU) Mobility Program and provide FBI agents with mobile access to federal law enforcement information that was previously inaccessible from handheld wireless devices.

"The FBI works hard to provide our agents and professional staff with the technology needed to perform their job anywhere in the world," said FBI Chief Information Officer Zalmai Azmi. "These devices allow FBI employees access not only to the Internet, e-mail calendar and taskings, but also to applications critical to our mission such as the no-fly list, missing and kidnapped persons, crime alerts, etc."

Verizon Wireless also conducted in-person training with agents, transferred phone book contacts directly to the new devices, and provided complete equipment set up that included fully-charged batteries, SIM card activation, and unit assembly to ensure a smooth transition from the FBI's previous wireless devices to the new smartphones. All deployed devices feature asset tagging and tracking capability, ensuring that lost or stolen devices are easily recovered and the information on those devices remains secure. In addition, each field office can access account information online to manage and maintain the devices quickly and easily.