Oracle still finding plenty not to like about JEDI

Oracles continues to find things it doesn't like about Defense Department's approach to the $10 billion JEDI cloud contract.

The company has now filed three supplemental protests following its original filing in August. Companies generally file supplemental protests because they spot new arguments they can make after seeing the government’s response to their earlier filings.

In other words, Oracle filed its first supplemental protest after seeing the Defense Department’s response to its original protest filing. DOD had to respond to the supplemental and Oracle filed another supplemental after seeing that response. And so on

Oracle’s objection to JEDI is primarily DOD’s decision to pursue the cloud contract as a single award contract as opposed to a multiple award. And of course, Oracle has plenty of company in that opposition.

The Government Accountability Office is still working toward the original due date for a decision set with the first filing of Nov. 14.

The next likely significant step in this process is a hearing at GAO. Not all protests get a hearing, but given all the back and forth we should expect one here.

One thing that Oracle’s supplemental filings indicate to me is that they aren’t getting any satisfaction from DOD. If anything they are finding more to object to.

Meanwhile, we are just days away from the Oct. 12 deadline for companies to submit their proposals.

Estimates are that an award will be made around the April 2019 timeframe, but don’t hold your breath.