Eight to share JIEO pie

The Defense Information Systems Agency last week initiated the government's latest multipleaward services program awarding eight contracts under a $610 million deal to provide engineering services. DISA's Joint Interoperability and Engineering Organization Systems Engineering program was awarded t

The Defense Information Systems Agency last week initiated the government's latest multiple-award services program awarding eight contracts under a $610 million deal to provide engineering services.

DISA's Joint Interoperability and Engineering Organization Systems Engineering program was awarded to one large business and seven small or disadvantaged businesses. Logicon Inc.'s Logicon Eagle Technology Inc. unit Arlington Va. won the large-business award. Capturing the small-business contracts were ARTEL Inc. Reston Va. Femme Comp Inc. Sterling Va. J.G. Van Dyke & Associates Inc. Alexandria Va. Pragmatics Inc. McLean Va. SETA Corp. McLean Va. Stanley Associates Alexandria Va. and Validity Corp. Encinitas Calif.

While a number of indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity services contracts are governmentwide JIEO Systems Engineering will serve primarily JIEO as opposed to DISA's Defense Enterprise Integration Services II multiple-award program which includes a civilian component.

JIEO Systems Engineering covers five task areas: telecommunications systems engineering computer systems engineering applications software development and maintenance standards and general engineering. The program is intended to support Defense Departmentwide systems such as the Defense Information Systems Network Defense Message System Global Command and Control System and Global Combat Support System.

The winning contractors will compete for task orders battling for each slice of the JIEO program's $610 million ceiling.

For Logicon the JIEO Systems Engineering win means maintaining its status as an incumbent contractor. Logicon was selected in 1991 as the sole prime contractor on a JIEO engineering services contract which the new JIEO program replaces. In gaining the large-contractor slot Logicon defeated Science Applications International Corp. which led a team of subcontractors including Computer Sciences Corp. industry executives said.

The JIEO pact is a boon for small businesses representing for some companies what could become their largest prime contract. This is the case for Pragmatics an 8(a) firm that has pulled together a team including Bellcore Harris Corp. and Northrop Grumman Corp.

"We're so happy " said Marion Bonhomme director of advanced development at Pragmatics. "We believe we have got a team that can meet any requirement they've got."

Similarly JIEO Systems Engineering could become the largest prime contract for 8(a) company SETA noted president Ranvir Trehan. SETA's JIEO subcontractors include TASC Inc. and TRW Inc.

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