IBM recruits Boeing and L-3 for ITES-2 team

As Army officials evaluate proposals for $20 billion worth of contracts for technology services and products, one prime contractor vying for the work announced the companies that make up its team.

IBM Corp. of Armonk, N.Y., is competing for a piece of the IT Enterprise Solutions-2 Services contract, or ITES-2S. Its primary partners are L-3 Communications Inc., Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., BBN Technologies, and Boeing Corp., IBM officials said. The team also includes more than 20 other technology companies.

Art Maxwell, IBM's program manager for ITES, said the large team would ensure the company could respond to any requirement the Army has under the contract.

"No. 1, we want to leverage their expertise," Maxwell said. "And these companies can have different ways of looking at business than IBM. Plus, they are already out there operating with the customer."

Army officials are expected to award the contract in February 2006, industry sources said. The Army is expected to make four awards to large contractors and four other awards to small businesses. Additional awards also are possible.

The contract winners will compete for task orders on a broad range of IT services and products under a nine-year contract.

IBM ranks No. 14 on Washington Technology's 2005 Top 100 list, which measures federal contracting revenue.