Vendors seeking to crack the largest single global customer for information technology — the U.S. government — should keep a sharp eye on the ever-changing contract landscape. Federal spending for IT now amounts to more than US$90 billion annually.
The U.S. government has launched two new programs designed to modernize and upgrade IT performance at federal agencies. Each program will involve significant participation of private sector providers as both advisors and contractors for IT equipment and services.
Source: Federal Programs to Spur Private Sector IT Engagement | Government | E-Commerce Times
Online retail has been booming, with consumers flocking to the Internet to shop for almost anything. Online retail revenues in the U.S. would reach a projected US$445 billion in 2017 and jump to $600 billion by 2020, according to a report FTI Consulting released last fall.
Source: Feds to Ramp Up Online Purchasing Presence | E-Commerce | E-Commerce Times
Federal agencies have begun using an emerging information technology tool to manage the huge amount of data the United States government generates and stores. Federal IT managers recently have embraced the concept of convergence, which has been gaining traction in the private sector. Agencies also have indicated that the approach may be useful for other federal IT applications.
Source: IT Convergence Trend Alters Approach to Federal Market | Government | E-Commerce Times
Onvia on Tuesday launched a new service for companies selling to the public sector. The service provides access to detailed materials associated with a given solicitation, including all submitted proposals, the awarded bid, the final contract, and the agency’s scoring criteria. Onvia “helps clients succeed in pursuing government contracts,” said Ben Vaught, director of Onvia for Government.
Source: New Service Promises Help Winning Government Contracts | Sales | E-Commerce Times
Comcast’s Terms of Service for its Xfinity Internet service gives it, its agents, suppliers and affiliates the right to “reproduce, publish, distribute and display” the content worldwide. It also lets third parties copy, republish or distribute material posted or transmitted using Xfinity Internet. This would include confidential information sent by a company employee or an independent contractor.
Source: Comcast, Google Can Publish Users’ Email Contents | Service Providers | E-Commerce Times
Federal agencies already under the gun to modernize their information technology capabilities have a new set of standards to meet as a result of an executive order President Donald Trump issued this spring. The directive not only will affect agency managers in their IT operations and acquisition activities, but also will have a significant effect on IT vendors.
Source: New Cybersecurity Policy Will Impact Federal IT Market | Government | E-Commerce Times
There’s been a lot written recently about how artificial intelligence, machine learning and automation are going to displace millions of workers. However, these powerful new technologies already have spawned a surge in demand for a new wave of highly skilled consultants to help organizations capitalize on the added business opportunities resulting from the latest innovations.
Source: Seeding the Next Generation of Consultancies | Enterprise IT | E-Commerce Times
A major federal acquisition opportunity with a potential contract value of $50 billion for IT vendors is back on track. The GSA recently resumed processing vendor applications after a legal challenge to the contract was resolved in its favor. As a result, the GSA this fall will reveal the names of approximately 60 vendors who will be eligible to participate in the Alliant 2 IT contract vehicle.
Source: Federal IT Acquisition Worth $50B Cleared for Takeoff | Government | E-Commerce Times
Just when most of the country is on vacation — including the U.S. Congress — federal government agencies become active in awarding contracts. The federal fiscal year ends on Sept. 30, and many agencies wait until the last quarter of the year to make acquisitions. The last few months have brought billions of dollars in federal contracts for information technology providers.
Source: Year-End Deals on Track for Federal IT Providers | Government | E-Commerce Times
