Unisys Corp. unveiled a new strategy, called Business Blueprinting, and four related public-sector technology solutions that the company said would help government agencies streamline business processes.
Plateau Systems Ltd. will provide a system to help manage all online, classroom and on-the-job security training for more than 55,000 Transportation Security Administration employees.
Deloitte Consulting has operated quietly in the federal marketplace for three years, while amassing the bulk of its government work in the state and local arena. A high-profile e-government job with the Transportation Security Administration, however, could put a spotlight on its federal business.
Many agencies have mentor-protégé programs that pair a large business with a small business. The programs are designed to foster more than just a prime contractor-subcontractor relationship. The large business mentor helps its protégé with business development, training and learning the ropes of business in general and government contracting in particular.
Quality Research Inc. of Huntsville, Ala., was "too small to be big, and too big to be small" after graduation from the 8(a) program in 2001, said its former president, Gary Ryan.
Lou Ray, president and chief executive officer of MATCOM International Corp. in Alexandria, Va., said he's paying a lot more attention to partnering with large contractors than he used to.
Executives at NCI Information Systems started planning for the firm's 1999 graduation from the 9-year-long 8(a) program five years in advance, said Linda Allan, executive vice president of strategic programs for the McLean, Va., firm. Small firms compete for set-aside contracts through the 8(a) program, which is run by the Small Business Administration.
Big, name-brand companies are seen as more credible than small firms, so getting government customers to accept newfangled solutions from a small company can be hard, Ray Muslimani said. His firm, 4-year-old Global Computer Enterprises Inc., employs about 100 people.
A successful small business excels at a few things, said Valerie Perlowitz, president and chief executive officer of Reliable Integration Services Inc. in Dunn Loring, Va.
One of the first things Michael Barbee did after joining WAM!NET Government Services in 2001 was move the unit of Eagan, Minn.-based WAM!NET Inc. to Herndon, Va.
Michael Barbee believes his company is not quite ready for prime contracting in the federal information technology arena, so it works as a subcontractor about 80 percent of the time.
A new report from the IBM Endowment for the Business of Government refutes six common arguments against putting government work up for competition with the private sector.
Dynamics Research Corp. has won a five-year prime contract to support the Air Force Personnel Center Human Resources System Program Office at Randolph Air Force Base, San Antonio.
Federal agencies must pay an interest penalty to their contractors when they make late payments under cost-reimbursement contracts, according to a final rule published in the Federal Register.
Karen Evans, a federal employee of more than 20 years, became chief information officer of the Energy Department in January 2002. In December 2002, she became vice chair of the federal Chief Information Officers Council. The council is the principal forum for agency CIOs to develop recommendations for federal information technology management policy, procedures and standards. As vice chairman, Evans has called for federal CIOs to continue developing a governance process for IT architecture and to develop standards for common transactions between government agencies.
Titan Corp. won a task order from the General Services Administration for geospatial information and services support for U.S. Air Force bases in the Pacific Air Forces.
