Air Force chooses eight companies to provide IT equipment in NETCENTS-2 Netcentric Products

MAXWELL AFB, Ala., 22 April 2013. Eight U.S. information technology (IT) companies will share contracts potentially worth $6.9 billion over the next six years to provide commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) computer and computer networking equipment.

The contracts are part of the Air Force Network Centric Solutions (NETCENTS-2) Netcentric Products program, and will include networking equipment, servers and storage, peripherals, multimedia, identity-management and biometric hardware and software, and other software that is not included on other enterprise licenses.

The eight companies chosen Friday to provide IT equipment under the NETCENTS-2 Netcentric Products program are:

Ace Technology Partners LLC in Arlington Heights, Ill.;

CDW Government LLC in Vernon Hills Ill.;

CounterTrade Products Inc. in Arvada Colo.;

FedStore Corp. in Rockville Md.;

General Dynamics Information Technology in Needham Mass.;

Intelligent Decisions Inc. in Ashburn Va.;

Iron Bow Technologies LLC in Chantilly Va.; and

World Wide Technology Inc. in Maryland Heights Mo.

Each company will receive a minimum of $2,500 of an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (ID/IQ) contract for providing netcentric products for the Air Force, generally at Air Force facilities. After that the companies will compete with one another for Air Force and government IT contracts over the next three to six years.

The military services use IDIQ contracts acquire supplies and services when the exact times and exact quantities of future deliveries are not known at the time of contract award. A multiple-award contract confirms that several different companies are qualified to a general type of work. This type of contract puts into effect the government’s preference for multiple awards for IDIQ-type contracts to make the most of competition and choice for supplies and services.

The NETCENTS-2 NetCentric Products program is set up as a three-year basic period with three one-year options, if exercised. Handing the contract are officials of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at the Gunter Annex of Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.

The Network-Centric Solutions-2 (NETCENTS-2) contracts provide the Air Force with a primary source of netcentric and IT products, services, and solutions. Use of the NETCENTS-2 contracts (except ITPS) is mandatory for Air Force organizations as the contracts are awarded.

Equipment the Air Force acquires under the NETCENTS-2 Netcentric Products program will be for the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, other components of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), as well as for other federal agencies.

The NETCENTS-2 NetCentric Products contracts, when ordering begins, will involve delivery orders issued by local contracting officers using AFWay -- and online ordering system for military and federal IT organizations.

For more information contact the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at the Gunter Annex of Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., online at www.gunter.af.mil.