Finance systems are hot

<FONT SIZE=1>&#009;Installing financial management systems could be a hot market area for systems integrators, as at least four major agencies are expecting to spend more than $500 million over the next four years to overhaul their systems. </FONT>

Installing financial management systems could be a hot market area for systems integrators, as at least four major agencies are expecting to spend more than $500 million over the next four years to overhaul their systems.

Officials of the Environmental Protection Agency, the departments of Interior and Justice and NASA are moving ahead with plans to overhaul financial systems, even though project leaders have no assurance of adequate funding.

These agencies plan to spend more than $120 million total this year and next, and more than $500 million between now and 2007, when they hope to complete the new financial management systems, agency officials said at a meeting of the Bethesda, Md., chapter of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association.

The Justice Department will be the first out of the gate with a request for quotes for commercial software packages coming out Feb. 14; an award is expected by the end of May. The project could be worth $200 million through 2007.

Task force studies Ga. plan

Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue has formed a task force to review the state's $1.8 billion telecommunications outsourcing project and make recommendations regarding its future.

The Converged Communications Outsourcing Project Task Force will review the state's telecommunications policy and identify a manageable and sustainable approach to outsourcing its needs. The task force is expected to deliver a written report to Perdue within 60 days, according to the governor's office.

The outsourcing project suffered a setback when a team led by IBM Corp. withdrew from the bidding, leaving only an Electronic Data Systems Corp. team in the running.

"Faced with one remaining bidder, it is important for the state to step back and reassess our needs in information technology," Perdue said.

 

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