PlanetGov becomes Apptis

Information technology services firm PlanetGov Inc. has changed its name to Apptis Inc. to reflect its recent acquisitions of IT companies and expanded services.

The new name is derived from the Chantilly, Va., company's slogan, "applying technologies, inspiring solutions."

The privately held company's IT solutions and services include network engineering and convergence, software engineering and development, storage management, managed IT services, security consulting, enterprise support services and technology deployment services.

"The biggest difference in the new company is that we have broadened the scope of our capabilities and we can be a single point of contact for our customers," said Steve Baldwin, the company's chief executive officer.

Apptis sells IT services for both federal and commercial clients. Its federal clients include the Defense, Homeland Security, Justice, State, Treasury and Veterans Affairs departments as well as the Federal Aviation Administration, Environmental Protection Agency and Securities and Exchange Commission.

Apptis wants to broaden its customer base in the Defense and Homeland Security departments and civilian agencies and offer more extensive solutions, Baldwin said.

He added that the company wants to go after a variety of new contracts both as a prime contractor and a subcontractor across its existing customer base, but declined to mention specific ones. Apptis is prime contractor on more than 85 percent of its current contracts, Baldwin said.

The company has added several IT firms to its portfolio during the past year. As PlanetGov, it finalized its purchase of SafeCare Systems LLC, a provider of healthcare solutions, earlier this month. It acquired Technology and Management Associates in early March and General Data Systems last November.

It also purchased Skyline Software Systems Inc., a provider of visualization and situational awareness software, in August 2003.

The company did not disclose financial terms for any of its acquisitions.

Before these purchases, the company had an unsuccessful run as a government Internet service provider and e-commerce exchange, starting in 2000.

Apptis employs 700 people and had 2003 revenue of $350 million, Baldwin said. The company expects 2004 revenue of $500 million. PlanetGov ranks No. 45 on Washington Technology's 2004 Top 100 list of federal prime IT contractors.

Staff Writer Roseanne Gerin can be reached at rgerin@postnewsweektech.com.