Director's Corner

Dear Federal Partners,

Information technology manufacturers and suppliers across the country are struggling with significant supply chain disruptions that are impacting their ability to meet customer and market demands. The supply-chain bottlenecks -- around the world -- have caused record shortages of many products that American consumers are used to having readily available, such as household goods, electronics and, most importantly to NITAAC, information technology (IT).

The current push for modernization is not just about updating or replacing old technology. It’s about “creating the platform for change”— that is, finding more cost-effective, innovative approaches to delivering IT and improving service to the citizen. A common component of the push for IT modernization is delivering data, information and transactional services across multiple platforms to enhance how citizens engage with the government.

There are many reasons an agency might decide to use an assisted acquisition.  Oftentimes, agencies use assisted acquisitions simply because they do not have the time, or manpower, to complete the acquisition in-house. In other cases, an agency may not have the expertise needed to complete the procurement.

Now in its 18th year, Cybersecurity Awareness Month builds interest in the importance of cybersecurity and the resources needed for all Americans to be safer and more secure online. The theme for Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2021 is “Do Your Part. #BeCyberSmart.” The theme empowers individuals and organizations to own their role in protecting cyberspace because if everyone does their part, cyberspace will be more resilient for everyone.

At NITAAC, we not only are fueling information technology (IT) modernization across the government, we are leading by example. As one of the federal government’s top sources for ‘everything IT,’ NITAAC has taken the message of modernization to heart and has reimagined how agencies acquire IT.

The federal buying season begins in August and runs through September. During this time,  many agency procurement officers will make their final selections to meet end-of-year spending requirements, as most government allocated funds are often “use-it-or-lose-it,' meaning they won't carry over until the next fiscal year.

Laptops and desktops continue to be among the most purchased items year-over-year during the federal buying season. In fact, every year the federal government spends more than $1 billion on laptops and desktops.

In 1996, Congress passed what is now known as the Clinger-Cohen Act (CCA), which eliminated the General Services Administration (GSA) as the sole source for acquiring information technology (IT) and allowed other federal agencies to assume a lead contracting role.

Many federal agencies lack an understanding of the various types of cloud services available on Government-Wide Acquisition Contracts (GWACs).  As a result, agencies are still purchasing cloud services as an add-on to other contracts, something that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) worries could lead to security challenges. What’s more, many federal workers lack the skillsets to effectively transition to a cloud-first environment.

According to the Small Business Administration (SBA), small businesses are the lifeblood of the U.S. economy. In fact, small businesses create two-thirds of net new jobs and drive U.S. innovation and competitiveness. The contributions of small businesses are so great that federal legislation has been enacted to ensure that small businesses have fair and equitable access to federal spending.

The 2019 Federal Cloud Computing Strategy — Cloud Smart — is a long-term, high-level strategy to drive cloud adoption in Federal agencies. This is the first cloud policy update in seven years, offering a path forward for agencies to migrate to a safe and secure cloud infrastructure. This new strategy will support agencies to achieve additional savings, greater security and faster services.

In the update, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is looking to accomplish a few key things: