Five firms nab Air Force PC deal

The Air Force has awarded a $600 million contract to five companies for desktop computers, laptops and servers.

Blanket purchase agreements went to CDW-G Inc., Dell Marketing LP, Micron Government Computer Systems Inc., Gateway Inc. and GTSI Corp.

The contract essentially combines two previous BPAs to gain efficiency, according to Col. Neal Fox, director of the Air Force Standard Systems Group Commercial Information Technology-Product Area Directorate (CIT-PAD), the organization awarding the contract. CIT-PAD operates the Air Force Information Technology Superstore at www.itsuperstore.af.mil.

The BPAs will run for two years, with one additional option year. They will enable the entire Defense Department and other organizations authorized to use the General Services Administration schedule to place orders at deep discounts.

"The CIT-PAD intends to remain focused on acquisition reforms that deliver the highest payoff for greater business efficiencies, increased performance and cost savings," Fox said. "The streamlined approach associated with the CIT-PAD acquisition division's efforts are on the leading edge of acquisition reform."

The contract was awarded under the umbrella acquisition approach known as Information Technology Tools, or IT2, which has awarded $1.9 billion in contracts for commercial IT products and services over the past two years.

"These BPAs begin the first round in the third series of iterative acquisition blocks that are part of the IT2 acquisition strategy," said Stephen Sigler, chief of the CIT-PAD acquisition division. "With block two, we completed networking products, software, workstations, and supplies and accessories."

The Standard Systems Group manages more than 130 standard information systems supporting Air Force requirements in many functional areas.