Changes focus Getronics on IT services

Getronics Government Solutions LLC, formerly Wang Government Services, announced personnel changes Monday that reinforce its focus as a federal information technology services organization.

Getronics added the position of chief technology officer to its senior leadership team to help anticipate federal technology needs. The company also appointed chief operating officers for civilian and Defense Department operations. About 50 positions that conducted corporate office support functions were eliminated, according to the company.

The changes are expected to make Getronics Government Solutions more profitable and more focused on its core business of enterpisewide infrastructure support, according to a company statement.

The company's major prime contracts include the General Services Administration's Seat Management, the Outsourcing Desktop Initiative for NASA, the Treasury Department's Seat Management, the Justice Department's Office Automation Integration Services and the Immigration and Naturalization Service's Facilities Operation and Hardware Maintenance Support.

The streamlining efforts at Getronics make sense because the federal market has gotten tougher, said Thomas Meagher, vice president for equity research at BB&T Capital Markets. Other companies in the same space, such as Unisys Corp., also are taking action to counter poor performance.

Job reduction is a logical consequence of the acquisition of Wang Government Services by Getronics and its expected consolidation of some operations, he said.

"It's just getting tougher all around," Meagher said.