Micron gets $10M VA desktop deal

The Department of Veterans Affairs announced Tuesday that it has selected

Micron Government Computer Systems Inc. to supply the VA with more than

7,000 desktops. The three-year lease agreement is worth at least $10 million.

Over the next 45 days, Micron will deploy an initial 7,000 ClientPro

Cf and Cn desktops to replace an assortment of hardware in the VA Sierra

Pacific Network (VISN 21), which covers Hawaii, parts of California and

Reno, Nev.

This could be the first of many deals that Micron lands with VA outposts

across the country, said Harry Heisler, vice president and general manager

of Micron Government Computer Systems.

"VISN 21 is just one of many VA regions looking at a fairly long-term

metamorphosis of their IT infrastructure," he said. "We want this to be

our business card at VA, where other regions can look in and see what we

did."

In addition to the hardware, the contract includes:

* Technology refreshment to replace systems if technological advances

outdate the machines during the three-year contract.

* Maintenance, asset profiling and self-healing software.

* Access to Micron University, which offers more than 400 online education

and IT courses.

* Data migration, enabling Micron employees to save information on VA's

existing systems and load the data onto the new computers.

"This is the work we love to do," Heisler said. "A consulting role with

custom requirements in a life-cycle [management] approach, as opposed to

just delivering boxes to a loading dock."