Education assigns Aspen a contract renewal

Aspen Systems Corp. has won a five-year, $37.6 million contract renewal from the Education Department to continue operating its one-stop information and referral center, the company announced this week.

Under the contract, Aspen Systems of Rockville, Md., will use advanced technologies for real-time inventory and transactional information, as well as to introduce Web search and navigation features for the one-stop center, known as ED Pubs.

Aspen will enhance access and delivery of operational data, reduce costs and ensure fast and flexible responses to the requirements of the department's 18 principal offices and their constituents, company officials said.

ED Pubs was established in 1998 as a facility to serve the department's inventory storage and management, order processing and fulfillment, mass mailing, mailing list management, cost containment and e-commerce requirements. The company has operated the center for six and one-half years.

Aspen Systems offers business process and technology solutions to the government and commercial sectors. It has 1,700 employees and annual sales of $164 million.