IBM wins Energy financial systems contract

The Energy Department on Monday awarded a contract to IBM Corp. to establish

and maintain an end-to-end financial management system.

The $31 million Business Management Information System-Financial Management

(BMIS-FM) contract is part of DOE's effort to transition to e-government

by replacing outdated systems, said Michael Fraser, DOE program manager.

The agency will now be able to integrate all aspects of financial management,

including budgeting, finance and accounting, procurement, human resources,

asset management, and logistics.

"This initiative reflects the need to expand our flexibility in DOE's

financial management practices by leveraging the newer Internet-based technology,"

Fraser said in a release. "The current systems, which have been in place

for nearly 20 years, have served the department well, but in the Information

Age, we need to be able to respond rapidly to new demands for financial

information from both internal and external customers."

The contract was awarded to IBM's Global Services division, which is

supported on the project by Science Applications International Corp., Oracle

Corp., Arthur Andersen, TRESP Associates and Business Commerce Solutions

Inc.

Project teams are being formed at both IBM and within DOE to begin design

and implementation planning, said Jay Robertson, client manager at IBM.

Also, one of the Energy Department's five self-financing federal power

marketing agencies recently awarded a contract to Anteon Corp. for computer

facilities and telecommunications services. The deal with the Bonneville

Power Administration is valued at $1.2 million for one year, with four

one-year option periods with an estimated potential contract ceiling of

approximately $6 million.