Small firms form joint venture

Access Systems Inc. has formed a small business joint venture with Diamond Data Systems and Ultimate Solutions Inc. to pursue a contract at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center in New Orleans, said officials from the Reston, Va.-based company.

The joint venture establishes a new company called the Accela Group, which is headquartered in New Orleans. The company is preparing to bid on a contract to support Spawar's IT management, systems development and engineering, and operations support objectives at the center in New Orleans and at detachments in Washington and Millington, Tenn., officials said.

The New Orleans center's "mission is to deliver exceptional services, products, support and life-cycle management of information systems to the Navy and other DOD customers," said William Daus, chairman of the joint venture and Access' COO.

Access has more than 350 employees in 13 states and the District of Columbia providing IT solutions to federal clients in 11 Cabinet-level departments and several independent agencies.

Diamond Data Systems is a small business in New Orleans. Since 1992, the company has been managing and implementing large-scale technology projects in the government, scientific and commercial communities.

Ultimate Solutions Inc. is a veteran-owned, New Orleans-based, multi-disciplinary company specializing in information systems and technology, training and security-related business areas.