Brian Dunbar
Headquarters, Washington, DC             April 28, 2000
(Phone: 202/358-0873)

CONTRACT RELEASE: c00-c

NASA HEADQUARTERS AWARDS $54 MILLION ORDER FOR IT SERVICES

     NASA Headquarters has awarded a $54 million task order to 
Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC), Vienna, VA, to 
provide Internet support and other information technology 
services.

     Under the task order, designated Information Technology 
Systems, Engineering, and Management (ISEM), SAIC will provide 
support for applications development, user services, information 
management, systems engineering and integration, 
telecommunications services, and security for all NASA 
Headquarters offices. Included in the task order are development 
and maintenance of Internet sites managed at NASA Headquarters, 
including the NASA Home Page, the NASA Headquarters Home Page and 
NASA's Strategic Enterprises' home pages.

     NASA was able to streamline the procurement process by 
placing the task order through an existing Department of 
Transportation contract. Vendors that had already been qualified 
through that contract were given the opportunity to make 
competitive bids on the NASA task order.

     After a one-month, fixed-price transition, the task order 
provides for a one-year basic period with four one-year options. 
The task order is cost-plus-award-fee, meaning the contractor is 
reimbursed for costs and awarded fees based on its performance.

     Six small disadvantaged businesses and woman-owned businesses 
have been proposed as subcontractors. They are:

     Integrated Management Services, Inc., Arlington, VA
     QSS Group Inc., Lanham, MD
     Future Enterprises, Inc., Washington, DC

     Washington Data Systems, Columbia, MD
     InDyne, Inc., McLean, VA
     INS, Arlington, VA

     If all options are exercised, the proposed value of the core 
services is $54,446,744.  Additional services for direct support 
of NASA Headquarters offices must still be negotiated with the 
vendor.  At the end of negotiations, the total potential value of 
the award and all options is estimated to be an additional $36 
million to $46 million. 

    The contract will be managed by NASA's Office of Headquarters 
Operations.

                            -end-