A cautionary word about strategic sourcing

In a report dated April 15, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a new report on strategic sourcing. The report is worth reading…carefully. For while it clearly endorses the greater use of strategic sourcing for government needs, it is important to pay close attention to the sometimes less than obvious messages it contains.

Lockheed wins $53M contract to integrate minehunting system

Lockheed Martin has won a $52.9 million contract with the U.S. Navy to perform maintenance, testing and integration of a minehunting system onto Littoral Combat Ship mission modules.

Under the cost-plus-fixed-fee contract, the company will maintain, test and integrate the Remote Minehunting System with LCS mission modules and seaframe programs.

Cubic wins $21M FMS contract for virtual small arms training

Cubic Corp. has won a $21 million foreign military sales contract with the U.S. Army for the company’s Engagement Skills Trainer 2000, a virtual small arms training system.

The system was built by Cubic Simulation Systems, and uses digital video projectors, high-definition screens, game-based computer graphics and ballistically accurate weapons for marksmanship, collective and escalation of force training.

Three win $99M contract for anti-terrorism force protection

Three companies have won a $99 million contract with the U.S. Navy for physical security access control at Navy shore installations, including joint bases assigned to the Navy.

The winners are:

• Alutiiq Pacific
• Securityhunter Inc.
• Split Pine Technologies

Octo Consutling taps new business development VP

Octo Consulting Group has named Tracy Denny vice president of business development, where he will be responsible for establishing and leading all aspects of Octo’s business development function.

The firm’s business development function will include business development personnel oversight, capture and proposal management functions and leading strategies to achieve Octo’s strategic growth objectives, the company said in a release.

Lockheed, Northrop move toward commercial markets

In 1996, when I started my career with Washington Technology, the dotcom bubble was just starting to inflate.

Over the next couple years, I watched as several government contractors tried their hand at cracking commercial markets. They saw greener pastures in the commercial sector, which was growing rapidly, and had healthier margins compared to the slow and steady government market.

Three contractors win $200M VA contract for mobile technologies

Three companies have won a $200 million task order contract with the Veterans Affairs Department to provide mobile devices and cellular wireless services including voice, text and data services.

The winners of the contracts are:

• Cellco Partnership
• AT&T Mobility
• A&T Systems Inc.

Metron wins $18.3M research contract for unmanned submarine

Metron Inc. has won a $18.3 million contract for research and development of a large displacement unmanned undersea vehicle.

This cost-plus-fixed-fee contract has a base value of $7.3 million, and has two option years.

Under this cost-plus-fixed-fee contract, Metron will conduct in-lab integration and testing of autonomy and mission planning software with bench test hardware selected for deployment on the undersea vehicle.

Microsoft to expand cloud service into Australia

Microsoft is building two new cloud computing centers in Australia in a move to expand its Windows Azure business into the country, Yahoo News is reporting.

The data centers will be built in the states of New South Wales and Victoria.

Windows Azure has around 200,000 customers, but Microsoft has not released any revenue numbers, Yahoo News reported.

Lockheed wins $112M contract for undersea warfare systems

Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training has won a $111.5 million contract with the U.S. Navy for the development, integration and production of undersea warfare systems.

Under the cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-only, firm-fixed-price contract, the company will develop, integrate and produce AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 Surface Ship Undersea Warfare Systems.