After a two-month delay, the General Services Administration earlier this week released a draft request for proposals for a governmentwide online travel management system.
<font SIZE="2">Even though Congress has failed to agree as of this writing on any of the 13 spendingbills for fiscal 2003, lawmakers are expected to approve the president's $52 billionspending request for information technology products and services.</font>
<font SIZE="2">Cybersecurity strategy</font><font SIZE="2">The White House Sept. 18 released a draftwith a 60-day comment period. The plan sets out security recommendations for home computerusers, businesses, industries and government agencies. The plan pushes the philosophy thatthe federal government cannot act alone in protecting against cyberattacks. </font>
<!--HEADING--><font SIZE="2">Address:</font><!--/HEADING--> <!--STORY--> <font SIZE="2">General Accounting Office</font> <!--/STORY--> <!--STORY--> <fontSIZE="2">441 G St. NW</font> <!--/STORY--> <!--STORY--> <font SIZE="2">Washington, D.C. 20548</font> <!--/STORY--> <!--STORY--> <fontSIZE="2">(202) 512-5500</font> <!--/STORY--> <!--STORY--> <font SIZE="2">www.gao.gov</font> <!--/STORY--> <!--STORY--> <font SIZE="2">Founded:1921</font> <!--/STORY--> <!--STORY--> <font SIZE="2">Comptroller general: David Walker</font> <!--/STORY--> <!--STORY--> <font SIZE="2">Employees:3,275</font> <!--/STORY--> <!--STORY--> <font SIZE="2">What it does: GAO is an independent, nonpartisan agency,often referred to as the watch dog for Congress. It studies how the federal governmentspends money and advises Congress and federal agencies on what it finds, with recommendedactions if necessary. GAO evaluates programs, audits expenditures and issues legalopinions.
Computer Sciences Corp. will provide information technology services to support missile defense and other space-related missions of the Air Force Space Command. The task order, awarded by the General Services Administration's Federal Technology Service through its Information Technology Solutions contract, calls for CSC to perform operations and maintenance, help desk and engineering support for enterprise networks supported by the command's directorate of command, control, communications and computers.
Science Applications International Corp. won a contract worth up to $40 million from Sandia National Laboratories to provide desktop computer support to more than a third of the lab's users.
The Defense Threat Reduction Agency chose three companies as prime contractors to develop and test solutions to counter the threat posed by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and to enhance the agency's counterterrorism and homeland defense capabilities. The prime contractors on the indefinite quantity, indefinite delivery contract are the IIT Research Institute, Science Applications International Corp. and Applied Research Associates Inc.
<FONT SIZE=2>When U.S. forces operating in Afghanistan capture suspected al Qaeda terrorists, they are required to take the detainees' fingerprints, photos, names and other personal information. </FONT>
Federal spending on computer systems will increase at a compound annual growth rate of 9 percent, from $12 billion in fiscal 2002 to more than $18 billion in 2007, according to a report by Input Inc., a Chantilly, Va., market research company.
Over the next four months, Mark Forman and his colleagues at the Office of Management and Budget expect to launch up to 21 first or second iterations of the 24 Quicksilver e-government initiatives.
<FONT SIZE=2>Although e-government remains one of the most prominent technology initiatives within the state and local government marketplace, the nature of its projects continues to evolve. Government-to-citizen applications are still politically popular, but government-to-business and government-to-government projects are also emerging as key e-government areas.</FONT>
<FONT SIZE=2>Rodney Hunt, president and chief executive officer of RS Information Systems Inc., expects only 10 percent of his company's $200 million in 2002 revenue will come from contracts set aside for 8(a) firms. </FONT>
DynCorp has been awarded a seven-year task order to provide enterprisewide information technology and telecommunications support services to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Lockheed Martin Corp. won a $56 million contract to help the FBI design and develop a new information technology refreshment project for the bureau's Criminal Justice Information Services division in Clarksburg, W.Va.
Five integrators have been selected for the first phase of the Defense Integrated Military Human Resource System, the Navy's Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command announced.
Stanley Associates Inc. won a five-year contract to provide a wide range of information technology services to the State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs.
Anteon International Corp. has been awarded a one-year task order to provide system support services to the Navy's Aegis destroyer shipbuilding program.
TRW Inc. has won a 7-year contract from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to develop and support information systems that aid CDC public health research, surveillance and intervention efforts.
To better address shortcomings in its mission of delivering supplies, the Defense Logistics Agency should strengthen avenues of customer feedback, according to a General Accounting Office Report.
