GSA Awards Connections Contract

GSA # 9999

January 31, 2003
Contact: Mary Alice Johnson, (202) 501-1231
maryalice.johnson@gsa.gov

WASHINGTON - The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) today announced the award of 17 contracts under the Federal Technology Service's (FTS) Connections Program. The contracts will provide telecommunications equipment, support services, and solutions to federal agencies.

The award replaces multiple expiring, regional equipment and services contracts and consists of three service categories: equipment and services, support services, and solutions. Equipment and services is comprised of voice, data and video equipment, microwave systems, wire and cable, and installation and maintenance. The support services category offers a variety of technical and professional labor skills. The solutions category includes infrastructure-related requirements using turnkey solutions, integration services, and managed services.

The contracts are eight-year multiple award, indefinite delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contracts with a base period of three years and five, one-year options. Equipment and services will be offered in the 50 states, District of Columbia, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, Saipan, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

"We are pleased to have assembled an impressive array of industry partners with more than 50% of the awards going to small business," said FTS Commissioner Sandra Bates. "The wide range of telecommunications equipment and services, combined with flexible packaging options, enables FTS to better support the needs of our customers." Commissioner Bates added, "The Connections Program focuses on telecommunications infrastructure and the complex environment of the first and last mile; this award gives customers a choice of industry partners, packaging options, and solutions designed to facilitate the convergence of voice, data, and video solutions in the federal workspace."

The Connections Program allows customers to order equipment or services for one-time purchases or complex telecommunications integration services. Customers can order directly from an industry partner or obtain value added assisted services from FTS including requirements development, statement of work preparation, cost analysis, task management, project management, and funds management.

GSA is a centralized federal procurement and property management agency created by Congress to improve government efficiency and help federal agencies better serve the public. It acquires, on behalf of federal agencies, office space, equipment, telecommunications, information technology, supplies, and services. GSA, comprised of 14,000 associates, provides services and solutions for the office operations of over 1 million federal workers located in 8,300 government-owned and leased buildings in 1,600 U.S. communities.