Pentagon eyes IT support for data center

The Defense Department likely will request proposals from vendors in the third week of August to provide architecture and database support services to the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC), according to a recently-issued procurement notice.

The notice asked IT vendors to volunteer information about how DMDC should structure the project. The request for information (RFI) stated that DMDC would purchase the services via the General Services Administration's Federal Technology Service.

The procurement notice added that DMDC likely would hire a vendor to help design, develop and implement the architecture for several databases at the agency, including personnel and authentication data repositories and data warehouse services.

The RFI added that DMDC agency also would purchase online and ancillary support services incidental to the architecture work.

The data center support contractor also likely would provide additional services under the contract, such as software development, project management, and research and analysis, according to the notice. Additional tasks specified in the information request fell in the category of database management and support.

The DMDC asked for comments on how the government should shape the procurement, such as provisions for penalties in the event of poor contractor performance, the feasibility of the goals specified in the acquisition's draft work statement and the best ways to provide incentives for superior contractor performance.