Ciber takes on Ag work

Ciber Inc. won a $1 million task order from the Agriculture Department to provide software development, maintenance and support for database applications for its Farm Service Agency, the company said yesterday.

The task order was awarded under the department's Information Technology Support Services (ITSS-2) contract.

Ciber will help modernize the agency's computer systems for the benefit of other agencies located primarily in Kansas and Washington, D.C., which rely on them to manage U.S. commodity operations and loan forfeitures.

Ciber also will develop two new applications to manage cotton supplies and the warehousing and examination of other commodity harvests. The applications must be compliant with the Agriculture Department's common computing environment standards and architecture.

Formed in 1994, the Farm Service Agency manages the country's bulk grain, rice and oilseed inventories. It incorporates programs from different agencies, including the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation and the Farmers Home Administration.

Based in Greenwood Village, Colo., Ciber is an international system integration consultancy for the government and commercial sectors. It employs about 8,000 people worldwide and had revenue of more than $843 million in 2004. The company is No. 94 on Washington Technology's 2005 Top 100 list.