Army's technology needs translate into busy procurement year

Army contracting officials are planning for a busy summer. Not only will the Army Small Computer Program (ASCP) change its name, but the service’s Program Executive Office, Enterprise Information Systems has several multiple-award contracts in the pipeline to be awarded this year. Gary Winkler, the Army’s Program Executive Officer, Enterprise Information Systems (PEO-EIS), said today that ASCP will become the Program Management for Computing, Hardware and Enterprise Software Solutions (PM-CHESS). The small computer program office has led several large-scale procurements, including the service’s and the Defense Department’s enterprise software agreements and the Army Desktop and Mobile Computing contract. The new name focuses on the changing role and mission of the office, Winkler said. Meanwhile, PEO-EIS is ramping up to award as many as five contracts this year, Winkler said. The office already issued two requests for information earlier this month. The first asks the 16 vendors on the Information Technology Enterprise Solutions-2 Services for help in developing an Army-wide records management system. Winkler said the Army scoured what already exists in other services and wanted to see what industry has to offer. “We don’t do a good job of managing records,” he said at the Federal Networks conference in McLean, Va. “We need the help right away.” Winkler said responses to the RFI are due Feb. 29 and he hopes to follow up with a request for proposals in the near future. PEO-EIS issued another RFI for its Area Processing Centers (APC) to find other strategies for consolidated, large-scale data centers for the service to use. It has consolidated some of its processing centers into buildings run by the Defense Information Systems Agency, but officials want to know what other options are available.RFI responses are due March 5. “After we evaluate the responses, Gen. [Jeff] Sorenson [Army CIO] will meet with the Army chief of staff on March 15 to discuss recommendations,” Winkler said. “We will develop the APC concept paper that will include the plan and funding needs going forward.” He added that the Army would hold an industry day or begin meeting with industry in late March or early April. The Army will release an RFP for a new small-business ITES contract in May, Winkler said. The indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity multiple-award contract, which has a two-year base and three one-year options, would be for analysis, IP Version 6, warrant and maintenance, and information assurance services. “We don’t want too much overlap with the other ITES contract,” he said. “We want to award this in 2008, but that may be tough.” The office issued an RFP for passive radio frequency identification services Jan. 22. This three-year IDIQ contract could be worth $75.5 million. Responses are due March 4. Under the contract, the Army wants vendors to provide communications hardware, software, documentation, training, warranty service and maintenance to provide a common, integrated structure for logistics tracking, locating, and monitoring of assets for users. Winkler added that the Army would issue a solicitation for active RFID in the next few weeks. He said the Army would hold a pre-solicitation conference March 6 to give more information on the three-year contract.