After canceling a potential $2.6 billion contract it had previously awarded to Northrop Grumman [NOC], the General Service Administration (GSA) on Monday evening selected General Dynamics [GD] to provide the enterprise-wide information technology (IT) infrastructure for the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) new headquarters that is being built at the St. Elizabeth’s hospital complex in Washington, D.C. GSA said the seven-year task order it awarded to GD has a ceiling value of $867 million if all options are exercised. The award was made to GD One Source, which is led by GD’s Information Technology business in partnership with its Advanced Information Systems and C4 Systems units. Last September GSA selected Northrop Grumman for a potential 10-year, $2.6 billion contract to develop the enterprise IT infrastructure for the DHS headquarters consolidation at St. Elizabeth’s (TR2, Sept. 29, 2010). However, GSA in November terminated the IT contract with Northrop Grumman citing the need to take corrective action following protests from the losing bidders, which included GD (TR2, Nov. 24, 2010). Under the DHS Technology Integration Program (TIP) GD will design, configure, install, test and maintain the integrated network infrastructure to transport voice, video and data across the consolidated headquarters campus. Funds for the TIP contract are being provided through the Recovery Act. The contract is a hybrid that will include the use of task performed on a fixed price and cost plus basis. Work planned to be done on a cost plus award fee basis includes requirements analysis and design, implement and test the solution, and operations and maintenance. Work to be done on a cost plus fixed fee basis includes technical consulting, the use of emerging technology, logistic support related to transitioning employees to the new headquarters. All work at some point may be transitioned to fixed-price. The headquarters consolidation will bring together the 22 agencies that make up DHS in one location. “The DHS St. Elizabeth’s campus will be a showcase for the value of integrating technology, people, and processes in a consolidated environment that will truly help DHS achieve their critical mission to protect the nation’s security,” says Martha Johnson, GSA administrator. “All of GSA is partnering with DHS to create a model campus that is green, energy efficient, and secure, with an integrated technology backbone that can accommodate IT, physical security and smart building networks for the agency well into the future.”
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