Networx TIC award imminent for Verizon
Unconfirmed rumors say that the General Services Administration shortly will award a Managed Trusted Internet Protocol Service (MTIPS) Networx contract to Verizon Federal Business.
“We’ve finalized our agreement on the technical solution, so I would expect that by [early to mid-May] we will have a TIC award,” said Susan Zeleniak, president of Verizon Federal Business.
As of today, Networx chief “Karl Krumbholz has advised me that no award has been made to Verizon,” said GSA spokesman Robert Lesino. Krumbholz is deputy assistant commissioner of network services in GSA’s Office of Service Development.
“Small differences of opinion delayed our award, but we’ve resolved all of those issues,” Zeleniak said.
Initially, Verizon’s concept of how the solution should be provided differed from that of GSA, she said. “As a result, we drove up some costs that GSA was able to show us were not necessary, so we revised our solution.”
Verizon representatives met with GSA officials, most recently on Friday, “and we’re now in compliance with what GSA is looking for,” Zeleniak said. “So I expect to hear any day now.”
Of the five Networx contract holders, only Level 3 Communications and Verizon have yet to win the contract modification that lets agencies order the services that protect connections to the public Internet.
Implementing MTIPS helps agencies meet Office of Management and Budget requirements to cut the number of their Internet gateways and improve cybersecurity. Under the Networx telecommunications contract, MTIPS includes an Einstein Enclave computer network intrusion detection system as well as other components.
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Sami Lais is a special contributor to Washington Technology.