Unisys has been awarded an unprecedented, multi-year task order to build an advanced information technology infrastructure for the United States Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The initiative will help to secure the safe transport of people throughout the US.
The task order has been awarded under the Department of Transportation`s Information Technology Omnibus Procurement (ITOP II) contract. Under the managed services contract, Unisys and its partners will provide IT and telecommunications services, including hardware and software services, helpdesk, network or security operations and business process re-engineering services for TSA, a new agency enacted by Congress and President George W Bush in response to the events of 11 September 2001.
Gartner notes: "This is the first large IT contract that falls under the purview of a planned Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the speed of the deal reflects the executive level mandate, from Bush and Homeland Security secretary, Tom Ridge, to move quickly to acquire the necessary resources. Under the agreement, Unisys will own and operate the IT infrastructure for the TSA and will deliver end-user computer, network and helpdesk services under a performance-based contract in contrast to traditional government contracts, which typically involve facilities management of government-owned assets and resources."
It is expected that ultimately TSA will be incorporated into DHS. This performance-based task order has an initial period of three years and can be renewed by the government for two additional two-year option periods. The value of the initial work orders was $23 million and an estimated value of $221 million for 2003. Included in the contract are a full complement of managed services to integrate everything from personal digital assistants (PDAs) and secure mobile radios to high availability local and wide area networks and enterprise operations centres. As such, the contract is consistent with the White House Office of Management and Budget`s objective to invest in common infrastructure for the new Department of Homeland Security.
"The contract award demonstrates the quality of Unisys offerings, its experience and a team of premier solutions providers," says Geoff Tuck, managed services director, Unisys Africa. "Unisys together with its partners will invest billions of dollars annually on research and development to provide TSA access to emerging technologies and quality solutions. The Unisys team`s resource base will be responsive and flexible in addressing TSA`s evolving needs as it expands its scope to other methods of transportation."
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