Dell, GSA Partnership Means Tech Changes for Agencies

Last week, negotiations concluded between the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and Dell EMC for technology to modernize agency data centers. This deal is the result of several laws passed in 2015 and 2016 which sought to strengthen IT acquisition strategies.

According to a GSA release, the new Dell deal includes:

• Virtual computing solutions via Dell EMC’s VxRail products to enable data center modernization.

• Multiple VxRail model options ranging from entry level to performance intensive.

• Tiered discounts based on leveraging the buying power of the federal government.

• Reduced contract duplication and administrative costs with streamlined terms & conditions.

All federal, state, local, and tribal government agencies eligible for GSA IT Schedule 70 programs will have the technology available to them.

Bill Zielinski, the GSA’s Office of Information Technology Category Acting Assistant Commissioner, said of the deal, “The offering is a significant step forward in supporting GSA’s goals under category management and it will help federal agencies protect high-value assets, while also supporting data center optimization and modernization. Streamlined Best-in-Class offerings like this from GSA will make it easier and more cost-effective for government agencies to get the solutions they need to meet their missions.”

The GSA boasts that the large sale buying power of the federal government reduced program costs significantly. The price consistency achieved in the deal is expected to help agencies more efficiently budget over the long term.

The deal brokered between Dell and the GSA comes as a result of a 2015 law passed by Congress called the Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act, which required the GSA to seek and form agreements that enhance IT acquisition.

The law was clarified in 2016 by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to require that the GSA establish at least two government wide agreements annually, aimed at “reducing costs and bringing innovative technology to the federal government through GSA’s IT Schedule 70.”

GSA Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) Commissioner, Alan Thomas, has said this new program will allow agencies to pursue greater technological innovation, reduce duplication in the procurement process, and more efficiently use taxpayer funds.