Ciber wins Agriculture loan re-engineering deal

Ciber Inc. won a $3.9 million contract from the Agriculture Department to provide application development and business process re-engineering for the system that distributes loans to farmers and ranchers, the company announced this week.

Ciber of Denver will Web enable the Farm Service Agency's Farm Loan Program Information and Delivery System. The company also will centralize loan services to reduce support costs and improve service to the public.

The new system will support the direct loan program activities and improve availability, accuracy and timeliness of management information, the company said. It also will provide Farm Service Agency offices with improved capabilities to manage their loan portfolios.

The system also will ensure a consistent supply information required by Congress, the Office of Management and Budget and other federal entities.

The Farm Service Agency offers direct and guaranteed loan programs to help farmers who are temporarily unable to obtain commercial credit. The agency also approves loan guarantees and monitors and provides oversight of lenders' activities.

Ciber, a provider of system integration and consulting services to government and commercial customers, has about 8,000 employees and annual sales of $950 million.