Small businesses no longer need to register in both the Small Business Administration's Pro-Net database and Central Contractor Registration, the government's database of all contractors. The change went into effect Jan. 1.
	Inaccuracies and omissions limit the reliability of the Defense Department's fiscal 2004 IT budget, according to a recent General Accounting Office report. GAO found a $1.6 billion discrepancy between two key budget reports spanning 73 IT initiatives.
	The Small Business Administration created a new industry category and size standard of 150 employees for value-added resellers that qualify as small businesses, according to a final rule published Dec. 29 in the <I>Federal Register</I>. The new rule is effective Jan. 28.
	The government has announced it has begun acquisition planning for phase 2 of the Strategic War Planning System Modernization. The U.S. Strategic Command operates the system, which builds and maintains classified war plans.
	The Air Force Materiel Command has issued a request for information on how best to manage and support the A-10 aircraft fleet from 2007 through 2028. Among the issues are sustaining the worldwide fleet; structure and component upgrades; systems engineering, safety and integration; avionics upgrades; and other weapon system modifications. Responses are due Feb. 3. More information is at fedbizopps.gov, solicitation no. FA8202-04-R-AAAA.
	The Coast Guard is looking for a commercial high-resolution coastal surveillance radar. The radar will become part of the Coast Guard's Vessel Traffic Service and similar surveillance and safety systems. The radar is expected to last between five and 10 years, and the contractor will not be required to install it. The radar may be operated at unmanned sites, so high reliability is essential, and it must be able to operate continuously in a marine environment. More information is at fedbizopps.gov, solicitation no. Reference-Number-DTCG4404SOURSERADAR. Responses are due by Jan. 20.
For three top-tier government contractors ? the Boeing Co., Computer Sciences Corp. and Electronic Data Systems Corp. ? the new year provides a chance for correction following an unpleasant end to 2003.
Strong trends among the federal IT service companies, more signs of a turnaround in the commercial sector and net inflows of money from investors have resulted in good stock performance for both groups.
Leading corporations have adopted strategic sourcing and enterprise spend-management initiatives to improve efficiency and enhance the bottom line. Some government agencies are watching and preparing to follow suit.
	The National Imagery and Mapping Agency changed its name to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency to better reflect its intelligence capabilities. The change was mandated in the 2004 Defense Authorization Act. The agency's Web site is www.nga.mil.
	Saying it doesn't have enough employees to safeguard contractors' confidential information, NASA officials proposed changes meant to strengthen protection of proprietary data when it must be disclosed to non-NASA support workers.
	Congress is increasingly convinced that commercial software tools are adequate for the data mining and analysis requirements of fighting terrorism and protecting personal data from misuse. But agencies charged with countering terrorism are slow to evaluate and adopt available tools, said Patrick Murray, staff director and chief counsel for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
Market valuations for publicly traded government IT companies rose an average of 17 percent over the last six months, according to Input Inc., a Reston, Va.-based IT market research firm.
	The Army Corps of Engineers is looking for munitions response and related services at former defense sites, active Defense Department installations, base realignment and closure sites, property adjoining defense installations and other sites.
	The Energy Department is conducting a market survey to identify small businesses to provide specialized support services to the Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology. The department wants companies to provide support of space nuclear reactor power systems, evaluation of radioisotope nuclear power requirements and power source designs. The contractors also will provide assistance on launch activities involving nuclear materials and terrestrial and marine nuclear systems.
	The Transportation Department is doing market research to make a build vs. buy decision for a Web-based, enterprisewide, acquisition management information system.
	For months, the telecommunications industry has been waiting to learn whether WorldCom Inc. will be debarred from government procurements because of problems with its accounting practices and record-breaking bankruptcy.
