Bush requests 1 percent increase for IT

Administration asks for $59.7 billion for IT hardware, software and services, a $600 million increase over this year's request.

Vendors face performance, small-biz goals on Alliant

Get it right or get out -- that's the message to vendors from GSA's Federal Technology Service on the upcoming $150 billion Alliant governmentwide acquisition contract.

NASA plans smart-card pilot using Maximus

NASA will begin testing a smart-card program for access to facilities and information systems after awarding a contract to Maximus Inc.

GSA will merge six governmentwide contracts

With its new plan to merge the services of six governmentwide acquisition contracts into the Alliant procurement, the General Services Administration is upping the ante on its effort to eliminate duplicative GWACs.

Contracting out of control at FTS regional offices, IG says

<font color="CC0000">UPDATED </font color>GSA's inspector general today said the Federal Technology Service's client support centers in three regions have breached federal procurement laws over the last two years.

Davis asks administration to clarify SmartBuy plans

A congressman is asking the Office of Management and Budget to divulge details of the stalled enterprise software program SmartBuy.

GAO: OMB needs to ensure better procurement data

The Office of Management and Budget must do more to ensure the reliability of federal procurement data, including reviewing agency procedures for collecting and reporting information to the Federal Procurement Data System, the General Accounting Office said.

Agencies given a year to begin move to E-Travel

Some federal agencies must choose one of three online travel systems and begin moving to it by the end of 2004.

OMB to ask for long range A-76 plans

The Office of Management and Budget is asking agencies to prepare long-range plans for conducting public-private competitions of federal jobs.

Next wave of e-gov projects coming soon

A federal committee working on a federal health architecture is close to submitting recommendations for cross-agency projects.

Acquisition councils rule on contacts with debarred companies

Agencies must limit contractual connections with companies that have been debarred, suspended or proposed for debarment from federal business, a Federal Register notice said today.

NARA begins search for vendor to develop archives

The National Archives and Records Administration late last week released the final solicitation for its Electronic Records Archive project. The potential eight-year, performance-based contract could be worth about $122 million, industry sources said.

GSA considers rules for contract award notices

The General Services Administration is considering requiring agencies to announce all contract awards online.

Defense to merge business modernization into GIG work

The Defense Department is merging its troubled Business Systems Modernization effort with its Global Information Grid architecture project.

New A-76 provisions will have little effect, agencies say

While federal employee unions and industry associations argue about new job-competition language in the Transportation-Treasury Appropriations bill, agency officials are taking little notice.

GSA sets timetable for procurement system

The General Services Administration will begin deploying a new back-office procurement management system by the end of January.

Agencies eye managed network services

Agencies are starting to warm up to the idea of buying managed network services, the Federal Technology Service's Sandra Bates says.

EDS wins E-Travel contract

The General Services Administration yesterday awarded EDS Corp. a contract to provide online travel management for the E-Travel program.

Davis' SARA bill close to becoming law

The way agencies buy services is about to shift heavily toward performance contracts.

GSA retools SmartBuy to make it more flexible

After much discussion with agencies and vendors, the General Services Administration is refocusing its enterprise software licensing program to be more flexible and better coordinated within the government. Emory Miller, GSA's project director, said the program, known as SmartBuy, will look at a variety of business models, including a tiered methodology, quantity discounts and a model that asks vendors to lower their prices if agencies buy a suite of software products.