CSC again wins $500M TSA infrastructure contract

The Transportation Security Administration’s on-again, off-again $489 million infrastructure contract is back on again for Computer Sciences Corp.

TSA announced Wednesday that it is awarding the contract to CSC after reevaluating the bidders on price and technical merits.

The announcement effectively lifts the stop work order on the TSA Information Technology Infrastructure Program, which CSC originally won in September. Since then, it has been mired in protests filed by Unisys Corp., the incumbent contractor, which has been doing the work since 2002, and General Dynamics Corp.

In a statement, CSC officials said: “We look forward to resuming our work with the TSA to provide world-class information services that will improve the performance and reliability of the agency’s infrastructure.”

Unisys officials said they are reviewing options and haven’t determined a response.

A TSA spokesman said Unisys does have the option of protesting this award as well.

General Dynamics officials were not available Wednesday for comment.

“This contract award provides TSA with the information technology infrastructure and secure IT systems support crucial to carry out our mission across transportation systems around the country and internationally,” said Emma Garrison-Alexander, TSA’s assistant administrator for IT and chief information officer.

The contract is for the management of the IT infrastructure that connects TSA facilities including TSA headquarters, airports and international support centers.

For Unisys, the work generated over $2 billion since 2002. The new contract is estimated to be worth $489 million over five years because it doesn’t include ownership of any hardware. The contract was awarded under the Homeland Security Department’s Eagle contract.

While the contract has been under protest, Unisys has continued to provide infrastructure services to TSA.