Connections $5B competition about to begin

Competition under the $5 billion Connections II contract is about to heat up as the General Services Administration says that the official notice to proceed should be issued sometime in the next week.

After the notice is given, orders can be placed against the telecommunications services contract.

Twenty-one companies won prime contracting spots on the contract and will now compete for task orders for services such as communications and networking, building/campus facility preparation, operations, administration and management, and customer service and technical support.

The contract is a follow on to Connections I, which expires in January 2012. The new contract is designed to work in conjunction with the huge Networx telecommunications contract by providing the connection from a user’s desktop to the point where the network connects with the agency’s service provider under Networx, GSA said.

Some unique features of the contract include coverage and the use of Supply Chain Risk Management principles to make sure products are not counterfeit or tampered with as they move through the supply chain.

Another feature touted by GSA is that Connections II has environmentally friendly offerings with products that meet LEED and EPEAT standards and processes that incorporate ISO 14000 environmental standards.

The winners are:

A&T Systems Inc.
American Systems Corp.
Apptis Inc.
AT&T
Avaya Inc.
BAE Systems
Centech Group
Ciber Inc.
Concert Technologies
EPS Corp.
Futron Inc.
General Dynamics Information Technology
Government Telecommunications Inc.
Harris Corp.
Hewlett-Packard
Netcom Technologies Inc.
Nextiraone Federal
Qwest Government Services
Science Applications International Corp.
Vector Resources Inc.
Verizon Business