News Releases
GSA Awards Seat Management Contracts to 8 Prime CompaniesGSA # 9498 July 1, 1998 Washington, DC -- The General Services Administration today awarded its Seat Management contracts worth a maximum value of $9 billion over 10 years to eight prime companies. These multiple award, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contracts were awarded to: * EER Systems, Inc. The contracts are non-mandatory, fully competed, and can support the requirements of any civilian Federal government agency or Department of Defense component. The contracts were awarded by the Federal Computer Acquisition Center (FEDCAC), part of GSA's Federal Technology Service. GSA Administrator David J. Barram hailed these awards as a significant milestone toward achieving GSA's vision of providing integrated desktop-to-desktop services to Federal agencies. With GSA's Seat Management, the government can acquire desktop computing as a totally integrated "information utility" that includes: (1) general purpose desktop computers, servers, and associated peripherals; (2) high performance computational systems and associated peripherals; (3) local and wide area network capabilities; (4) commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software; (5) help desk services; (6) maintenance; (7) design and installation services; and (8) training. These Seat Management contracts have the potential to revolutionize the way the government acquires information technology by providing desktop computing as a pure, non-owned service that encompasses the hardware, software, connectivity, management, operation, and maintenance of the desktop environment and its associated network infrastructure. The contracts will accommodate the full spectrum of desktop computing resources from general purpose to high performance, scientific and engineering environments. They will provide end-to-end information technology (IT) engineering and management services, and enable the government to acquire desktop functionality as a utility and pay for it by the seat. Individual task orders against the Seat Management contracts will be fully tailorable to client agency requirements and will deliver a prescribed service level to the Federal employee's desktop. "GSA's Seat Management Program was established in response to observations that the private sector was increasingly turning to managed life cycle service encompassing the acquisition, operation, and management of entire desktop computing environments and achieving reduced costs and increased operation efficiencies," said FTS Commissioner Dennis Fischer. "GSA's Seat Management contracts provide a mechanism for the IT community to obtain similar benefits by procuring integrated desktop computing as a pure non-owned service or 'information utility' in much the same way that one purchases residential telephone or cable television services." "GSA's Seat Management will provide the Federal government an entirely new approach to acquiring desktop computing functionality," said Wanda Smith, head of GSA's Seat Management Office. "It will provide end-to-end desktop technology and services solutions, and enable client agencies to achieve a common operating environment for all their desktop capabilities." The awards demonstrate GSA's continued commitment to small, small-disadvantaged, and women owned businesses. All eight awardees made significant commitments in their proposals to such firms. One winner, Multimax, Inc., a small disadvantaged business concern, put together a strong team and went head-to-head with the larger companies. Initial task orders for these contracts will be issued by GSA's Seat Management Program office. Eventually, all GSA regional offices and other Federal agencies are expected to have direct access to the contracts. For contract information contact Wanda Smith at (703) 756-4143 or wandam.smith@gsa.gov.
Last Reviewed 8/23/2005
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