The Obama administration's anti-counterfeit working group is looking for gaps in legal authority and regulation that may undermine how officials can check on the quality of products the government buys.
By opening discussions with vendors, officials can learn what other companies can offer them, instead of sticking with the current vendor, an official says.
Officials have reminded agency purchasers about value-neutral IT purchases after a federal judge ruled that the Interior Department decided to buy software from Microsoft while other capable companies were interested in the work.
When Federal CIO Vivek Kundra unveiled the White House IT management reform plan earlier this month, he said one of its toughest elements would be aligning the budget process with the technology cycle.
The Technology CEO Council claims the federal government can save $1 trillion in 10 years by streamlining supply chains, consolidating data centers, automating paper processes and applying anti-fraud analytic tools.