Navy awards BPAs worth $90 million

The Naval Information Systems Management Center has awarded four broad purchase agreements worth a total of $90 million for up to 23 500 desktop PCs and servers.

NISMC tapped AmeriData Federal Systems Inc. Digital Equipment Corp. Government Technology Services Inc. and McBride & Associates for the three-year pacts. It is the second time since May that NISMC has turned to BPAs to acquire desktop PCs. In the latest round of BPA contracts the Navy also awarded GTSI an additional contract for Panasonic notebook PCs joining the notebook contract awarded in May to AmeriData and McBride & Associates.

Louis Masciocchi a NISMC contracting officer described the BPAs as "a new tool to get products to our customers quickly. They keep pace with technology and allow us to do a fast turnaround." NISMC can execute the streamlined BPA agreements based on discounts from the General Services Administration's multiple-award schedule far quicker than indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contracts that have served as the mainstay of Defense Department PC procurements for close to a decade Masciocchi said.

"It took only 30 days from the time we went out for quotes until we awarded the contracts " Masciocchi said.

According to Dan Coco the account manager for the Navy's federal region this fast turnaround translates into real savings for the bidders who then pass on their savings to the customers. Those savings combined with the potential volume lead to discounts of 5 to 8 percent Coco said.

BPA a Better Way

John Irick executive vice president of McBride & Associates agreed with Coco that the BPA process pays off for buyers. "This results in far better prices than the more protracted IDIQ process." Irick did not have McBride & Associates' BPA pricing available but said "it is considerably below GSA."

Irick does not believe that vehicles such as BPAs mean the end of large-scale IDIQ procurements. "I don't think IDIQs are becoming dinosaurs but contracts like this do provide agencies and users with more options and more flexibility."

Dendy Young president of GTSI said the Navy through the use of the BPA vehicles has put itself at "the forefront of government agencies to leverage the benefits of the GSA schedule."

All four of the BPA contracts which NISMC calls Tactical Advanced Computer PC call for vendors to deliver advanced Intel-based desktops as well as servers capable of running Microsoft Corp.'s Windows NT operating system.

Digital plans to offer a line of Intel-based PCs ranging from Pentium 100s to Pentium Pro 200s as well as its 64-bit Alpha workstation.

Both GTSI and AmeriData will supply Hewlett-Packard Co. desktop PCs under their Navy BPAs. GTSI will also offer desktops from Compaq Computer Corp. on its contract. Prices are expected to range from $2 500 for a desktop model to $20 000 for a network server.

The four BPAs are open to all Navy Marine Corps and Coast Guard users.