The history of technology procurement

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P 1949GSA established 1962 1,030 computers estimated to be in federal government use at a cost of $595 million 1965Brooks Act passed 1970GSA commissions Fry Management Consultants Inc. to review government ADP functions; Fry recommended a complete reorganization of ADP activities noting a fivefold increase in the number of computers since 1960; GAO estimates total ADP-related activities were $6 billion to $8 billion 19715,040 computers est

1962 1,030 computers estimated to be in federal government use at a cost of $595 million

P> 1949GSA established


1965Brooks Act passed

1970GSA commissions Fry Management Consultants Inc. to review government ADP functions; Fry recommended a complete reorganization of ADP activities noting a fivefold increase in the number of computers since 1960; GAO estimates total ADP-related activities were $6 billion to $8 billion

19715,040 computers estimated to be in federal government use at a cost of $3.3 billion

1972As a result of Fry's recommendations, GSA starts the Automatic Data Processing and Communications Service, later renamed the Automated Data and Telecommunications Service (ATDS)

FEDSIM (the Federal Computer Performance Evaluation and Simulation Center) is started to provide technical assistance, analysis and performance evaluation of federal computer systems

19736,731 computers in federal government use, a 13 percent increase over the previous year

Group 70 schedule - general purpose ADP equipment, software, supplies and support equipment - is added to the Federal Supply Classification System

1975 ADTS oversees procurement and management of 3,500 computers

1978ADTS assumes contracting responsibility for all Group 70 equipment and related non-commodity items from the Federal Supply Service

1979Of the 12,190 computers in the federal government, Digital Equipment Corp. manufactured the most (2,992) followed by Sperry Univac (1,794) and IBM (1,179)

Smaller computers gain prominence, with 7,818 in use; of these, 64 percent cost less than $50,000

1980Paperwork Reduction Act passed, ADTS reorganized

1982The Office of Information Resources Management (OIRM) is formed in GSA and absorbs ADTS

1983GSA adds microcomputers to the schedule

1985Competition in Contracting Act passed

OIRM renamed Information Resource Management Service (IRMS)

1988Integrity Act passed

1989The average age of federal computers is nine years and seven months; computers costing more than $500,000 are on average two years old

1994Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act passed

IRMS renamed Information Technology Service (ITS)

1995Federal infotech budget is approximately $27 billion

1996Information Technology Management Reform Act passed

Brooks Act repealed


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