VA releases data center RFP

Austin Automation Center Enterprise System

The Department of Veterans Affairs has released its $500 million request for proposals covering products and services for its Austin Automation Center (AAC) data center in Texas.

The two 10-year AAC Enterprise System contracts will provide hardware, software, and technical and professional services supporting the Austin data center. According to the RFP, the VA will award two indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contracts — a prime contract and a small-business set-aside contract.

The ACCES contract will cover a wide variety of products and services including providing equipment and software and supporting the AAC's desktop services, data entry, distribution and on-site peripheral equipment.

The long-term plan is to rely on IBM Corp. S/390 enterprise servers and Unix services "that are highly modular and scalable. This provides a flexible environment as customer needs change," according to the RFP.

The VA hopes to have the contract in place by Oct. 1. The RFP was posted March 21, and proposals are due by May 4. The AACES Web site says that the VA hopes to make an award decision by July 12 with a contract award by Aug. 30.

The incumbent contractor is Northrop Grumman Corp., according to Federal Sources Inc. of McLean, Va.

The ACC provides data center services for the VA in addition to a number of other agencies including NASA, the Transportation Department's Federal Highway Administration, the National Archives and Records Administration and the General Accounting Office.

The ACC receives no federal dollars but instead relies on customer funding.

The AAC runs more than 130 applications for its clients.

Dorobek is a freelance writer based in Arlington, Va.