Air Force to study computer purchases
The Air Force Information Technology Commodity Council will determine how the service buys PCs, the group's deputy director said this week
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The Air Force Information Technology Commodity Council's first job is to determine how the service buys PCs, the group's deputy director said this week.
"The Air Force wants quality IT from quality companies at the lowest practical [cost] level," Lt. Col. Thomas Gaylord said yesterday during a seminar at the Air Force IT Conference.
The Air Force wants a "mainstream configuration" for new desktop and notebook PC purchases, Gaylord said. The newly formed commodity council will study other IT issues including suppliers, pricing, purchasing and technical trends, he said. He said his group would ask where the Air Force spends its money and what drives the procurement strategy.
The service started the council July 21 to help streamline IT contracting, purchasing and maintenance. The group, consisting of service personnel, is led by John Gilligan, the Air Force's top IT official, and Charles Williams, the service's head of contracting.
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