GAO challenges cost of FAA STARS program

The General Accounting Office is questioning the reliability of the Federal Aviation Administration's life-cycle cost estimate for STARS, a system intended to replace outdated air traffic control equipment.

TSA screener work hits $700M

<FONT SIZE=2>The Transportation Security Administration's effort to put federal screeners at every U.S. airport exceeded its contract by nearly $600 million, according to a new report.</FONT>

Harris, ITT picked for FAA NexCom development phase

Harris Corp. and ITT Industries Inc. have been chosen by the Federal Aviation Administration to develop competing prototypes for the agency's Next Generation Air/Ground Communications System, called NexCom.

SCB to buy Remtech Services

SCB Computer Technology Inc. of Memphis, Tenn., is acquiring Remtech Services Inc., Newport News, Va.

Perot Systems to purchase Soza

Perot Systems Corp. is acquiring Soza & Company Ltd., in a move that will add about $137 million in annual revenue to its government business.

GSA to run three big federal councils

The General Services Administration budget request includes money to operate three major government IT and management councils.

GSA awards Connections contracts

Seventeen companies have won contracts under the General Services Administration's Connections program, administered by the Federal Technology Service, to provide telecommunications equipment, support services and solutions to federal agencies.

Pay spat clouds Pearson achievement

<FONT SIZE=1>&#009;Pearson Government Solutions has been publicly praised by administration officials, including Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta, for completing the mammoth job of finding, screening and hiring some 57,000 airport screeners in less than nine months for the Transportation Security Administration.</FONT>

Top Pentagon contractors specialize in IT

Seven of the top 10 systems integrators providing information technology services to the federal government are also among the top 10 defense contractors.

Harris names new president and CEO

Howard Lance will replace Phillip Farmer as president and chief executive officer of Harris Corp.

Balutis bids adieu to IAC

After months of controversy, Alan Balutis has stepped down as the executive director of both the Industry Advisory Council and the Federation of Government Information Processing Councils.

DISA adds AT&T to Pentagon FTS2001 picks

AT&T Corp. has won approval from the Defense Department to compete with Sprint Communications Corp. and WorldCom Inc. for telecommunications services under the FTS2001 contract.

RSIS nets $409 million Energy Department deal

RS Information Systems Inc. won a five-year, $409 million Energy Department contract, one of the agency's largest small-business awards, for information technology support.

TSA awards two HR contracts worth $767 million

Accenture Ltd. and CPS Human Resource Services, a California agency, have won two Transportation Security Administration contracts worth a total of $767.6 million for HR services.

Govt. IT industry keeps swift acquisitions pace

The rapid pace of acquisitions in the government information technology industry continues, with purchases announced in early January by Science Applications International Corp. and Information Management Consultants Inc.

Boeing adds Conquest to expand intel services

The Boeing Co. is buying Conquest Inc., a provider of enterprise architecture, systems engineering and software technology solutions.

Albania taps Lockheed Martin for air traffic control upgrades

Lockheed Martin Corp. has been awarded a $32 million contract to modernize the Albania national airspace system. This is the largest contract to be awarded to an American company by the Albanian Directorate General of Civil Aviation and the government's first commercially financed industrial project, the company said.

Raytheon agrees with IG criticism of FAA program

Raytheon Co., the prime contractor for the Federal Aviation Administration's Integrated Terminal Weather System, said it agrees with an agency investigation that claims the program has suffered from delays and cost overruns caused by expansion of the system's original requirements.

Privatizing air traffic control is unlikely

<FONT SIZE=2>&#009;The Federal Aviation Administration is not expected to outsource air traffic control jobs to the private sector, despite a move by the agency to reclassify the jobs as commercial positions.</FONT>

Hanging up on a rough year

<FONT SIZE=2>Just how bad was 2002 for the telecommunications industry?</FONT>