An opportunity for yet another cottage industry has emerged in the federal ecosystem. It's called blowing the whistle on competitors with noncompliant contracts, and it pays well.
The National Cyber Security Partnership, formed by four trade associations in 2003, is expected to announce soon that it has expanded to include many more trade associations.
IT industry leaders see improvements in the National Infrastructure Protection Plan released earlier this month, but they remain worried that they may be left out of the loop in the Homeland Security Department's policies and actions for IT sector security.
The Treasury Department has tapped 21 companies to develop new software applications, provide support and introduce technologies under a five-year, $3 billion deal.
The Army needs a local telephone-exchange services provider for Fort Gordon, Ga,; the Air Force is looking for software tools to help analyze data collected from various survey instruments distributed to personnel throughout the service; and The U.S. Geological Survey requires technical support services for the National Wetlands Research Center in Lafayette, La.
In just one year, the Network-Centric Solutions program has brought a windfall of $429.7 million to the eight prime contractors allowed to bid on the work.
The new International Biometric Advisory Council has been established to foster development of common standards for privacy and interoperability among European, U.S. and global biometrics programs.
As the General Services Administration undergoes its dramatic transformation, the agency is also contemplating changing how it sets its fees for doing business.
The government's Information-Sharing Environment is advancing with additional staff, consulting with a new Information Sharing Council and organizing pilot projects, according to the environment's program manager.
The Transportation Security Administration displays material weaknesses in its information technology used for financial reporting and internal controls, largely related to legacy systems inherited from the Transportation Department, according to an audit Homeland Security Department Inspector General Richard Skinner.
The General Services Administration plans late this month to hold a public forum on its $50 billion Alliant procurement, and may issue a second set of draft requests for proposals if it makes any major changes to the program, the agency's Alliant chief said Oct. 27.
Solving the government acquisition staffing shortage requires innovative thinking, and for John Ely, executive director of procurement for the Homeland Security Department's Customs and Border Protection, that means hiring some of his new workers soon after they graduate from college.
When they're not building missiles and fighter jets for the government, Lockheed Martin Corp., Boeing Co. and Northrop Grumman Corp. will be making weather forecasting a little easier.
The contracting community should prepare itself for new rules that could significantly affect payment for work done by subcontractors under time-and-materials or labor-hour contracts.
The Securities and Exchange Commission wants vendors to offer follow-on support for its Electronic Data Gathering Analysis and Retrieval System, called Edgar.
The expansion of the federal IT budget is expected to slow over the next five years, with the growth rate dropping below 3 percent, according to the Government Electronics and IT Association's annual forecast.
