GSA, Army sign enterprise license deals for IT asset management

The General Services Administration and the Army Small Computer Program’s Enterprise Software Initiative have signed governmentwide contracts with two information technology asset management companies.The SmartBuy license deals with BDNA and BigFix could save agencies more than 50 percent off the companies’ GSA schedule prices, said a GSA official who requested anonymity.“The value here is more intangible as far as getting a handle on our IT assets,” the official said. “There are certainly cost-avoidance savings, but agencies have a mandate to be able to account for their IT assets, and this gives them an automated capability at a significant discount off the GSA schedule.”BDNA is offering up to 50 percent off its schedule price, while BigFix will discount up to 67 percent.The official said two other deals are on the horizon. GSA expects to award a SmartBuy contract for document management system software soon and a contract for time-and-attendance software in the coming months.SmartBuy helped the government avoid more than $133 million in software costs in fiscal 2007.The Agriculture Department’s recent purchase of 180,000 data encryption software licenses from SafeBoot Technology is expected to result in more than $23.5 million in avoided costs, which is about 90 percent off the GSA schedule price. Additionally, South Carolina and Connecticut have submitted letters of intent to purchase software under the contract.