CDW-G captures Air Force pact

The Air Force last week awarded CDW-G, Chantilly, Va., an $83 million blanket purchase agreement covering desktop, portable and server systems, completing the first phase of a major acquisition strategy.

The Air Force Standard Systems Group, which awarded BPAs to three computer manufacturers for similar systems earlier this year, selected CDW-G as a reseller under its Information Technology Tools (IT2) program.

The CDW-G BPA adds a range of desktops and servers from Compaq Computer Corp. and Hewlett-Packard Co. to the list of systems already available from Dell Computer Corp., Gateway Inc. and Micron Electronics Inc. In addition, the CDW-G agreement will offer notebook systems from Toshiba America Information Systems Inc.

SSG began the IT2 initiative in March with BPAs covering desktops and peripherals, followed in April by a BPA for rugged portables. When IT2 is complete, SSG will have put in place enough BPAs to replace a wide variety of indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contracts, including Desktop V, one of the Defense Department's oldest and most successful PC procurement programs.

SSG plans future awards covering networking, teleconferencing, software and accessories.