Lockheed closes health IT acquisition

Lockheed Martin's acquisition of Systems Made Simple should position the company for more opportunities with the VA and other critical health IT customers.

Lockheed Martin closed its acquisition of Systems Made Simple, a deal which brought the government’s largest contractor access to one of the biggest health IT contracts on the market.

The company announced deal Oct. 30, and financial terms were not disclosed, but Systems Made Simple brings a strong position on the Veterans Affairs Transformation Twenty-One Total Technology contract, known as T4.

According to Deltek, the company has pulled in $640.6 million in task orders since 2011.

The multiple award contract runs through 2016, so the acquisition gives Lockheed Martin a strong position for that competition.

Lockheed Martin sees the VA as an important customer. It is already building an IT-enabled disability case management services systems for VA through its QTC business.

The acquisition also fits with Lockheed’s strategy of making acquisitions that bring more capabilities or access to new markets. Making deals to add bulk isn’t a priority for the company unless it is adding mass in critical sectors.

Among the sectors Lockheed has pegged for growth are energy, health IT and international markets.