House committees agree on small-biz changes

The House Government Reform and Small Business committees have negotiated changes to several procurement provisions of legislation that reauthorizes the Small Business Administration, said Government Reform Chairman Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.).

CACI to chase bigger deals

Systems integrator CACI International Inc. plans to compete for federal contracts two to three times larger than those it has won in the past, after it completes its acquisition of American Management Systems Inc.

CDW-G seeks small-biz partners

CDW Government Inc. is looking to add companies to a consortium it set up last year to help small businesses win government contracts.

Tech leaders showcase ideas at FOSE

Government has made substantial progress in getting citizen services online, but greater effort will be needed if it is to catch the next wave of technology, the head of Accenture's government group said at FOSE in Washington last month.

Interoperability supporters see progress

Despite pervasive problems, government and industry have taken some positive steps toward creating interoperable wireless communications in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Keep your eye on the solution

For three days last month, tech companies took center stage at the 2004 FOSE trade show in Washington. They demonstrated products, discussed the government IT market and sought business partners for contract bids.

OPM issues RFI for Recruitment One-Stop

The Office of Personnel Management is asking vendors for ideas to improve its USAJobs Web portal, a sign that the agency could be ready to address the uncertain status of its plans for the site.

GSA readies RFI for next wave of e-gov projects

The General Services Administration by the end of the month will kick off a line of new business consolidation initiatives by releasing a request for information.

Vendor sought to consolidate recreation sites

The consolidation of the government's recreation reservation Web sites is about to begin.

Input: S&L tax systems fuel government spending

State and local governments will spend heavily on information technology products and services related to tax and revenue over the next five years, according to a new report.

States warm up to GSA's IT schedule

Rep. Tom Davis today stumped for more IT vendors to make cooperative purchasing part of their General Services Administration IT Schedule contracts.

Buy Lines: Look before you leap into cultural change

The increasing emphasis on performance-based acquisitions and other results-oriented initiatives has sparked a need for cultural change in government and industry.

Government defends e-rulemaking

Oscar Morales likes to compare the early days of the federal e-rulemaking initiative to early use of online tax filing. The IRS' offering was slow to gain acceptance; now it is a time-saving tool used by millions of people and businesses.

Infotech and the law: New DFAR could put whole new spin on procurement

The Defense Department has published amendments to its supplement to the Federal Acquisition Regulation, known as DFAR, as part of its program to transform defense procurements. Most of the changes are marginal, but the department also is moving many regulations out of DFAR and into a procedures, guidance and information manual, or PGI, that won't have the force of law.

Technologies that give you an edge

Among the honorees for the Best New Technology awards to be given out this week at FOSE 2004 are products that address important government needs, from voice over IP and enterprise architecture initiatives to data security and network performance. These technologies, which solve challenges at a diverse pool of civilian and defense agencies, are the subject of an indepth look in this issue's lead story.

FedBizOpps RFP on its way

The General Services Administration this month plans to release a draft request for proposals to upgrade and enhance FedBizOpps, the government's procurement portal.

NASA issues plan for IT services A-76 competition

Dozens of vendors already have told NASA that they are considering taking part in the A-76 competition for NASA's Shared Services Center.

Manugistics inks SmartBuy deal

Manugistics Group Inc. became the second vendor to sign on to SmartBuy, the federal government's enterprise software licensing initiative.

GSA prepares for FedBizOpps follow-on contract

The General Services Administration this month plans to release a draft request for proposals to upgrade and enhance FedBizOpps, the government's procurement portal.

2004 Who's Who in the State & Local Market

As states rebound from three straight years of budget shortfalls, systems integrators are showing remarkable creativity in helping states stretch scarce dollars. Many are signing contracts that require less upfront funding by customers, and that generate additional revenue for the state. Although these approaches are not necessarily new, the demand for them is strong and growing.