Quality Associates to digitize FDA archives

Quality Associates Inc. has been awarded a five-year, $20 million contract from the Food and Drug Administration to digitize, index and consolidate about 20 million pages of FDA documents and materials.

The FDA's investigations and inspections documentation exists in print, electronic media such as CDs, and in their original form, such as product packaging. Under the terms of the contract, Quality Associates will work on site at about 20 FDA facilities across the country to digitize the documentation.

When the transfer is completed, authorized FDA personnel will be able to search for and access specific documentation housed in a comprehensive digital document archive.

"Federal agencies, especially those involved in regulation and oversight, have archives that literally amount to millions of printed pages stored within thousands of hard-copy files, CDs and even floppy disks," said Scott Swidersky, director of Information Systems at Quality Associates. "Digitizing, indexing and consolidating information to make it readily accessible to the appropriate staff can significantly reduce the time needed to assemble supporting documentation."

Quality Associates of Fulton, Md., is a provider of document management, imaging and archiving solutions. The company is a GSA Federal Supply Service contractor providing data conversion and archival systems for federal, state and local agencies.