HP, CSC targeted for data center support

What: The Department of Homeland Security issued two sole-source solicitations for its Data Center One and Two contractors for continuity of service, as the agency moves to its enterprise computing services (ECS) model for data center support.

Why: ECS is a DHS Office of the CIO acquisition initiative to leverage the successes of data center consolidation under the federal "Cloud First" mandate, along with the flexibility, agility, and savings offered by emerging cloud computing technologies.

DHS intends to issue sole-source solicitations to current data center providers Computer Sciences Corp. and Hewlett Packard Enterprise Services to maintain continuity of services at DHS Data Centers 1 and 2 during the ECS transition. Both solicitations, it said, were under DHS's Enterprise Acquisition Gateway for Leading Edge Solutions (EAGLE) multiple-award contract.

The support order for Computer Sciences Corp.'s work with Data Center 1 begins this month (June) will run for six months, and comes with a total of four possible 12-month options that could begin in January. Computer Sciences Corp. has operated government-owned DHS Data Center 1 since July 2008.

DHS said the order with Hewlett Packard Enterprise Services DHS, has a year-long base period, and four 12-month options beginning in June. Hewlett Packard has owned and operated DHS Data Center 2 since September 2007.

DHS said in its notice for the solicitations that it is continuing its transition from its existing data center support model to the ECS model and is developing the requirements for an ECS pilot, proof of concept, and prototype acquisitions. Those are anticipated to last from six months to three years each. Transitioning to the new ECS model of support will take up to two years after the conclusion of the pilot, proof of concept, and prototype acquisitions, according to the notice.

The sole-source solicitations and contracts to Computer Sciences Corporation and Hewlett Packard Enterprise Services, according to DHS, are necessary to maintain continuity of mission critical services. "A break in or disruption of service due to a rushed transition would have catastrophic impact on the Department's mission and the safety of the American public," the notice said.