GSA Announces Cloud Email Services for Federal Government

Blanket purchase agreements streamline cloud transition, saves taxpayer dollars

WASHINGTON, Aug. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the U.S. General Services Administration announced that it is now offering cloud based email services, making it easier for government agencies to move to cost saving cloud services. Through 20 blanket purchase agreements awarded to 17 businesses today, federal, state, local and tribal governments will have access to cloud based email services. Cloud based email services supports the Obama Administration's mandates and initiatives to bring cloud services into the federal government and reduce federal data centers, which save taxpayer dollars.

"GSA has added another excellent option for agencies looking to rapidly move their email to the cloud to save time, resources and taxpayer dollars," said Mary Davie, Acting Commissioner of GSA's Federal Acquisition Service. "Our innovative cloud solutions are another example of how GSA offers the best value, low cost services that help agencies serve the American people."

GSA is offering these email services through a blanket purchase agreement with the cloud service providers, which allows for simplified ways of fulfilling recurring needs for these services. Transitioning to a cloud solution lowers the cost of email by up to 50 percent annually and saves $1 million for every 7,500 email boxes. Cloud computing provides flexible platforms that enable increased efficiency, agility, and innovation.  

Last year, GSA was the first federal agency to move to a cloud based email system, saving $2 million dollars to date. Over the next five years, GSA will see another 50 percent savings with an estimated $15 million reduction in IT costs.

GSA's award of these cloud email service contracts allows vendors to provide government entities with email, cloud-based office automation, electronic records management, migration services, and integration services.

President Obama has asked government agencies to leverage cloud services to become more efficient. The implementation of 25 Point Federal IT Reform Plan, and "Cloud First" mandates require federal agencies to consider cloud-based solutions the new default IT solution.

GSA has awarded 20 blanket purchase agreements to 17 cloud service providers, 4 of which are small businesses. The businesses that received these contracts are:  

Accenture Federal Services LLC,  Autonomic Resources LLC, CGI Federal Inc., Ciracom Inc.,  Computer Sciences Corporation, Dell Federal Systems L.P., DLT Solutions, General Dynamics Information Technology Inc., Harris IT Service Corporation, IBM Global Business Services,  Lockheed Martin, Onix Networking Corp, Science Applications International Corporation,  Smartronix Inc.,  Systems Research and Applications Corporation, Technosource LLC, and Unisys. 

SOURCE U.S. General Services Administration