New wine, new bottles
Industry executives have long complained that most performance-based contracting has been more hype than reality. As one executive told us: "In many instances, they're just taking the old contract, stamping 'performance-based' on it, and then proceeding as if nothing has changed."
BearingPoint scores $229 million Emerge2
BearingPoint Inc. is the winner of the Homeland Security Department's deal to build the consolidated administrative and financial management system known as Emerge2, the agency announced today.
Leaders of the pack
You will find an interesting juxtaposition of stories on the front page. For our main story, Senior Editor Nick Wakeman spoke with Robert Beyster, founder of Science Applications International Corp., Charles Rossotti, founder of American Management Systems Inc., and other Titans of the industry to get their take on developments in the federal market.
The homeland security bandwagon
All of the sudden, Congress is in a hurry.
Editor's Note: Wallflower no more
It was at least six years ago that Ken Buck of the General Services Administration began touting the virtues of share-in-savings contracting as a tool for federal IT acquisitions. The concept has been popular among the states, allowing governments to build systems with little upfront expense. The contractors get paid from the money saved or from new revenue generated once the new system is in place.
One step at a time is prudent
Climbers who reach the top of Mount Everest have little time to celebrate, because what is arguably the hardest and most dangerous part of the climb is ahead of them: They still have to get down without suffering a serious injury ? or death.
Practice saying no; you'll thank us later
What do you say when a valued government customer asks you to perform work that may not be within the scope of your contract? In the past, contractors looked for ways to accommodate their customers. But efforts now under way to tighten the rules make just saying "no" the prudent course.
Tune in for 'As The Industry Turns'
Stop me if you've heard this one before: The telecommunications industry is in a state of flux.
They've got what you want
Question: Where do contractors get workers with security clearances?
Top companies, top news ... top this!
We've got a big issue with even bigger stories. One, of course, is our annual Top 100 ranking, the bible for companies that provide IT products and services to federal agencies. Senior Editor Nick Wakeman directed our coverage and wrote the lead article examining the companies that year after year have steadily climbed in the rankings.
The ways of some winners
Our feature story this issue doesn't tell you how much government agencies are spending on IT services or what they intend to buy. But it will tell you a lot about the people who are doing that buying and what they expect from government contractors.
A helping hand for those that grab it
When the Anaheim, Calif., police chief wanted a federal grant for a regional emergency management system, he sought help from one of the city's IT contractors, EDS Corp.
If you get this message, we're at FOSE ... why aren't you?
Don't try to call the Washington Technology office this week. We'll be at FOSE, checking out the latest technologies and talking with industry and government leaders about their plans for the future.
Share the pain, reap the gain
California is facing a $15 billion budget shortfall, and it doesn't have a lot of money to throw at new information technology initiatives. So state CIO Clark Kelso said government agencies will aggressively pursue share-in-savings contracts with their vendors.
'Capital with a kicker'
The Windsor Group LLC has launched an investment fund that will provide both cash and expert advice to small and midsized government services companies.
A secure partner secures the deal
The White House says it's serious about cybersecurity.
Survival Guide: Bob Brudno, managing director of Savoy Partners Ltd.
When Science Applications International Corp. in November named Ken Dahlberg as its new chief executive officer, no one was more pleased than Bob Brudno.
Ease your marketing headaches
How hard is it to identify and then articulate what sets your company apart from its competitors?
The M&A word is out
It's no secret that mergers and acquisitions are on the rise. In the government IT market, the number of M&As rose from 47 in 2001 to 64 in 2002 to 73 in 2003. And the aggregate value of those deals jumped from $3.8 billion in 2002 to $5.9 billion last year.
Playing the predictions game
Making predictions is easy. Getting them right is ... well, not so easy. Just ask the guys who predicted that the stock market would reach 36,000.But that doesn't mean you can't get a useful sense of directions and trends. For our annual look at the year ahead, the Washington Technology staff talked to experts in government and industry and found widespread agreement on several important issues.
Almost There!
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