Unisys wins $200 million network job on SEWP

Unisys Corp. is the sole winner of the $200 million networking portion of NASA's Scientific and Engineering Workstation Procurement II awarded late last month.

Under SEWP II Unisys will provide Asynchronous Transfer Mode switches routers hubs telemetry systems network management software network interface cards and other equipment. The fixed-price indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity contract has a one-year base period and three one-year options. Unisys was the networking provider on the original SEWP.

The networking win represents the second SEWP II score for Unisys the company was selected in early October as one of three vendors to provide general-purpose workstations un-der the $1.8 billion government-wide SEWP II workstation contract. Together the networking and workstation awards under SEWP II have a potential value of $250 million to Unisys.

Nine vendors are sharing the SEWP II workstation pact. Their contracts are scheduled to be signed this week. Agencies can begin submitting orders for SEWP II early next month.

Single Award

Many industry watchers speculated that the networking portion of SEWP II would go to multiple vendors. Other companies believed to have competed for the networking buy include BTG Inc. Government Technology Services Inc. and Sylvest Management Systems Corp.

Joseph Santamaria vice president and general manager of information technologies for Unisys' Federal Systems Division said the award is a reflection of the company's success on the original SEWP. Unisys received $70 million in orders under the SEWP networking contract and was one of the first vendors to implement electronic data interchange on the pact resulting in orders of more than $20 million.

To purchase from SEWP II agencies will be required to submit orders electronically via the Internet because SEWP II is the first government contract to fully endorse electronic commerce.

"There was the potential for multiple winners on this " Santamaria said.

"It speaks well on the success we've allowed NASA customers on the SEWP I contract. [NASA officials are] probably very comfortable that we can get the thing extremely robust with anything and everything we can. Besides I don't like sharing."

Variety of Vendors

As part of the networking contract Unisys will tap a wide variety of vendors to provide the equipment. Some of the key suppliers to Unisys include 3Com Corp. Cisco Systems Inc. Fibronics International Inc. Interphase Corp. Madge Networks Inc. Network General Corp. SunSoft Inc. and Whittaker/Xyplex Inc.In addition to NASA nine civilian agencies are participating in SEWP II with no limitations on purchases. They are: the departments of Commerce Health and Human Services Interior Justice Transportation and Treasury the Environmental Protection Agency the General Services Administration and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Representatives from the EPA and the Census Bureau assisted NASA in the procurement process.