Accenture gets U.S. Visit extension

The Homeland Security Department plans to extend Accenture's contract as the prime contractor and systems integrator for the U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT) program beyond May 2009, the company said today.

DHS officials have notified the company of its intent to continue the US-VISIT contract with the team led by Accenture, which has been the prime contractor for US-VISIT since 2004, according to a company news release.

The original US-VISIT contract had a five-year base period with five one-year options. The five-year base period will expire in May 2009.

Accenture's team includes L-3 Communications Inc., Raytheon Co. and SRA International Inc. Small-business team members include Blackstone Technology Group, Intelligent Decisions Inc., SyApps LLC and TSymmetry Inc.

With the US-VISIT program, DHS collects personal information and fingerprints from foreign visitors applying to travel to the United States on visas. DHS then screens the information against terrorist watch lists and criminal databases to determine whether the individual ought to be granted a visa. Starting in 2007, the program began phasing in a requirement to collect 10 fingerprints, up from two fingerprints previously.

Accenture is ranked No. 23 on Washington Technology's 2008 Top 100 list of the largest federal government prime contractors.