Postal Service Picks Vendor to Run Cloud Credential Exchange: This week the U.S. Postal Service announced that it has awarded a 1-year, $2.4 million contract to SecureKey Technologies to develop the Federal Cloud Credential Exchange (FCCX). The contract allows for two additional one-year extensions which could bring the total value of the contract to $15 million. FCCX is an outgrowth of the White House’s National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace (NSTIC). Under the terms of the contract, SecureKey is to develop cloud-based hub that allows users to utilize third-party credentials to securely access multiple federal websites and services. See FCW for more.
NASA Releases SEWP V RFP with China Sourcing Language: It’s been a fairly busy summer for big IT contract watchers, between EAGLE II awards, the OASIS RFP and now SEWP V. This week NASA released the long-awaited formal RFP for its Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP) V government-wide acquisition contract, expected to be worth at least $20 billion with a base term of 5 years and the potential for 5 option years. SEWP V will replace SEWP IV, which currently boasts 38 contract holders. Overall SEWP vendors provide wide range of advanced technology including tablets, desktops and servers, as well as network equipment, security tools, software products and cloud-based services. In an interesting twist, the RFP includes language extending Sec. 516 of the FY2013 continuing resolution which requires a risk assessment of IT hardware or software manufactured or assembled by “entities that are owned, directed or subsidized by the People’s Republic of China.” This provision would potentially extend that requirement through the life of SEWP (2024 if all option years are exercised) and is something that industry is concerned about and will be watching closely. Responses are due October 14th with questions due September 16th. See more on SEWP V including the full RFP here.
White House Adds Additional Detail to Open Data Policy: Earlier this week, the White House released a supplemental guide to its open data memorandum (OMB Memorandum M-13-13) originally released back in May. The new guide seeks to provide additional clarification to help agencies effectively implement the five main objectives of the earlier memo which include: creating an inventory of enterprise data assets, creating a listing of public data, creating a customer engagement process to help prioritize what data to release, documenting if data cannot be released and clarifying the roles and responsibilities for the effective release of data to the public. Under the memo, agencies have to meet these initial goals by November 1st. See the supplemental guidance here: http://project-open-data.github.io/implementation-guide/ Schneck Appointed to DHS Cyber Post: Former McAfee Vice President and Public Sector CTO, Phyllis Schneck has been appointed as the new Deputy Undersecretary for Cyber Security at DHS, filling a key position that has been without a permanent leader since Mark Weatherford left DHS for the Chertoff Group over a year ago. Schneck is expected to start sometime in September and will have her hands full as DHS is coordinating the implementation of the President’s Cyber Security Executive Order and trying to expand its internal cyber capabilities. See more here from Softpedia.
Government Shutdown Corner: Even though Congress is still out of town for the August recess, there continues to be talk of what will happen when they come back as it relates to funding the government beyond the end of the fiscal year. While no one knows for sure, if recent history is any judge it will come down to the last minute. That said, there’s a lot of speculation as to who wins and who loses if there is a government shutdown. Politico has the latest.
Michael Hettinger is VP for the Public Sector Innovation Group (PSIG) at SIIA. Follow his PSIG tweets at @SIIAPSIG. Sign up for the Public Sector Innovation Roundup email newsletter for weekly updates.