DHS selects Dell for software

The Homeland Security Department has awarded a contract to Dell Computer Corp. worth at least $110 million over six years for a departmentwide license for Microsoft Corp. products, officials said Monday.

Lee Holcomb, chief technology officer at DHS, described the deal as a "substantial savings to DHS in terms of outlays."

Holcomb said the Microsoft products would be phased in over the next few years as the department retires existing licenses from the 22 federal agencies that are now part of DHS.

He said the contract includes a core suite of office products and an expanded set of products that includes Microsoft's visualization package and its project management tool.

Dell spokeswoman Michelle Mosmeyer said the contract is valued from $110 million to $120 million over six years and was competitively bid for the department's "software needs. It does not include hardware," she said.