Broadcast monitoring

The State Department wants to subscribe to a service that will collect and store international broadcast media in a searchable archive. Broadcast outlets to be covered include BBC World, Al Jazeera, Saudi Arabia's Al Arabiyah, China's CC-TV-1, Brazil's Rede Globo TV, Columbia's Caracol TV, Japan's Asahi TV, Germany's NTV, Pakistan's TV 1, Russia's ORT and France's 2 TV. Fax proposals by Aug. 26 to Gerald Guilbert, State Department contract specialist, phone (202) 260-5004, fax (202) 205-5466, e-mail GuilbertGL@state.gov.

Emergency systems

	The Marine Corps Logistics Base at Barstow, Calif., wants bids for a computer-aided system to dispatch and track emergency equipment. Requirements include, among other things, compatibility with Zetron Systems and related hardware and software and access to local, state and federal law enforcement criminal databases through CAD and mobile units. The contractor must do all installations.

Computer-aided dispatch

	The regional contracting office at Camp Pendleton Marines Corps base wants a Windows 2000-based, computer-aided dispatch system for fire and emergency services at Marine Corps Air Station, Yuma, Ariz.

Data conversion services

The Agriculture Department plans to award a contract for one year and four option years for data conversion services for its rural development program. The contractor will provide labor, equipment, supplies and transportation to pick up and convert source documents to magnetic tapes. This is a small-business contract. Responses are due by Sept. 15. For more information, see fedbiz<BR>

3 IT projects among NIST grants

Computer security, intelligent data searching and a personal wireless service were among 16 projects that received funding recently from the National Institute of Standards and Technology's Advanced Technology Program.

OMB issues e-gov guidance

Agencies must develop performance measures for e-government projects that are citizen- and productivity-related, conduct privacy impact assessments for planned IT investments and establish IT training programs, according to new guidance sent to federal agency heads on fulfilling the administration's e-gov agenda.

Commission: No more e-commerce

The Postal Service should drop its e-commerce initiatives and focus on smart mail delivery, the President's Commission on the U.S. Postal Service has recommended.

GSA details interim software plan

&#009;The General Services Administration issued interim procedures for agency purchases of commodity software while it negotiates governmentwide licenses under the new SmartBuy program.

Parting's sweet sorrow

Over the last two years, Mark Forman got industry and government to buy in to his agenda for better management: simplify and unify information technology across the government by developing cross-agency initiatives and justifying investments with solid business cases.

Online Extra: Doing Business With GPO

Expanded interview: Name: Reynold Schweitkhardt, manager of information resources management policy.

GAO is looking into phony credentials

The General Accounting Office is undertaking an extensive review of the credentials of senior government officials at a half-dozen agencies.

Doing Business With National Imagery and Mapping Agency

4600 Sangamore Road<br>Bethesda, MD 20816-5003<br>(301) 227-7300<br><br><a href= "http://www.nima.mil">www.nima.mil</a>

LogMod offers new business model

As the first phase of the Army's new logistics systems rolls out, both the service and prime contractor Computer Sciences Corp., El Segundo, Calif., are realizing the benefits of using commercial software to get the job done.

Buy Lines: Savings can be found in enterprise licensing

The Department of Homeland Security recently awarded a six-year contract worth more than $100 million to Dell Inc. for a Microsoft software enterprise license. The deal will support approximately 144,000 personnel, and promises to produce significant savings for the agency.

Problems plague retirement system

Tom Wolf, 34, quit his U.S. Postal Service mail-sorting job May 22 after 10 years. Then his start as a casino blackjack dealer was delayed five weeks. To save his West Allis, Wis., home from foreclosure, Wolf applied to withdraw his retirement money from the Thrift Savings Plan, a retirement fund, similar to a 401(k) plan, for civilian and military government employees.

Councils set data elements

Data elements agencies will use in a new online directory of governmentwide acquisition contracts were published July 24 in the Federal Register.

IT security to be added to FAR

The General Services Administration is drafting a new acquisition regulation to integrate security into IT buys.

Dems give Bush a D

A Democratic think tank report blasted the Bush administration for not matching its rhetoric on homeland security with action.

DISA releasing small business RFP

The Defense Information Systems Agency is issuing an RFP for its Coalition and Advanced Information Technology Integration and Operations acquisition. The small-business contract will support the transfer of advanced IT from research and experimentation through pilot operations to deployment and full-scale implementation with the Defense Information Infrastructure. The contract is for one year with four one-year options; two one-year incentive award term periods are possible. Details can be found via fedbizopps.gov, solicitation no. DCA100-03-R-4020FINALRFP, or at www.ditco.disa.mil/dcop.

Wireless services

The Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Division Keyport, is planning blanket purchase agreements for wireless services. Prospective contractors need to submit rate plans that include a complete description of their wireless services and charges. Wireless services for personal digital assistants should be included. Responses to the RFP are due Aug. 21. Details can be found on fedbizopps.gov, solicitation no. N0025303R0034.