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Microsoft Wins Homeland Security Contract
syzme writes "According to The Register (as well as Reuters and News.com), 'The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has signed a deal for Microsoft software worth something in the region of $100 million, covering servers and over 140,000 desktops. This does not however mean that Microsoft and its hench-OEM Dell are poised to hoover up all of the Department's lovely IT budget, nor indeed that this is all new money for them; largely, it seems to be more a case of Microsoft holding onto business it's already got.'" This shouldn't be much of a surprise -- remember the Federal government is already Microsoft's biggest customer.
that DHS already has many Open Source (and non-MS) apps widely deployed... They are extensively using Apache, Squid, Open Office (in some places) and things like Java for other day to day operations...
t ec h.htm
Some of their integration efforts are mentioned here:
http://www.govexec.com/features/1202/1202manage
(Disclaimer: I work for DHS.)
Note that this MPU comment appeared exactly 2 minutes after the parent post. Guess who posted it? ;)
Nedal Nib Amaso
That is Osama Bin Laden spelled in reverse order.
Except that, specifically in the CIA, outside internet connections are handled on seperate pc's that the agent has to switch over to using a KVM, making it all but impossible to send a virus to their network. I'd have to imagine that the DHS would be set up similarly.
Saying Android is a family of phones is akin to saying Linux is a family of PCs.
The RFP (Request for Proposal) should be public information. They're not always easy to find, but they're out there.
Bids, on the other hand, are usually confidential. Pricing models, extra services offered, exact numbers of everything is not available to make sure that bidders don't game (ie, low-ball) their bid to kill the other guy.
Your scenerio assumes information that sensitive is just freely available on a computer open to the internet. But classified information isn't transmitted lightly. Classified hard drives aren't on open networks and classified documents don't get emailed.
... courtesy of the rejected post machine. The government sector news sites are always good - and usually better - for details about contracts of this sort:
Microsoft/Dell Gets $90-$120 Million Homeland Security Contract
Microsoft has been awarded the five-year, $90 million Department of Homeland Security contract for desktop and server software. The contract will be managed by Dell and will provide the DHS with 140,000 desktops running Windows XP and Microsoft Office Professional. When consolidated with current agreements, the contract amounts to a six-year agreement covering 144,000 desktops, worth between $110 million and $120 million. This follows the $478 million, six-year deal with the Army announced last month. More at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Washington Post, InformationWeek, the Register , eWEEK, and Reuters.
No it doesn't, because that would cost the person their job. Classified and above grade data doesn't get f-d around with, ever.
If you file a FOIA (Freedom Of Information Act) request you can get the winning bid (even if you can't find it on a website). Just call the DHS Contracting office and ask them for it. If they refuse ask them to give you the number of the person who handles FOIA requests in their department. I looked at the DHS website and there are several contact #'s so I don't know which one should be contacted...
also anyone see this?
Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft has landed a $470-plus million contract to issue software to the U.S. Army. Bloomberg reported it was the "biggest order ever for the company's programs. The deal covers 494,000 desktop computers, Microsoft spokesman Keith Hodson said. The Army will buy the software from a Microsoft reseller, Softmart, based in Downingtown, Pa. Hodson declined to say how the companies will divide the revenue," the wire service said.
from july 25, 2003
They shouldn't even have a KVM. If you work on a government site, you get more slack than a contractor, but you still usually have to have an air-barrier between machines of different classifications. Same thing applies for projects of different classifications, usually.
Contractors negotiate the level of seperation, but it's not uncommon that machines of different classification aren't allowed in the same room as each other.
ok... what's the problem? i can't seem to find it... anti freedom? WHAT?????
As a taxpayer, am I free to NOT pay for Microsoft software? No! The government takes my money and buys Microsoft software with it. Microsoft, like so many other unprincipled companies who value money over freedom, beg like starving mongrels at the thought of taxpayer-plundered money.
please explain to me the reasons MS is immoral.
My god, where to start?
1. Microsoft developed poor-quality software that people were content to live with merely because Microsoft was able to hold onto a huge market share. People are accustomed to the idea that "computers are unstable" and "need to be rebooted frequently" -- problems created by Microsoft if by anyone.
2. Microsoft created and fosters the virus protection industry.
3. Microsoft has a vested interest in things such as incompatible and secret file formats in order to compel people spend more money on software.
4. Microsoft uses the BSA to threaten those who don't comply with its will.
5. Microsoft does not honor the refund that it states on its EULA.
6. Microsoft lied about the difference between NT Worstation and NT Server in order to force the sale of IIS.
7. Microsoft lied about the technical differences between Direct3D and OpenGL in order to force developers to learn an API that it controlled.
8. Microsoft compelled computer makers to not ship dual-boot systems by threatening to take away the Windows license of any computer manufacturer who violated Microsoft's will.
I can go on and on. I an totally willing to discuss any of the points I've brought up here if it would help you understand why I think Microsoft is immoral. I will not accept any claim that my reasons are "petty", for what is "petty" to one is earth-shattering to another.
I don't make the rules. I just make fun of them.
Since businesses usually purchase a volume license, businesses needed an option not to buy Windows again. To get around this, Dell will ship computers with a lite version of DOS. You can't really do much with this version of DOS, but if your company is installing your volume license anyways, you don't need it.
Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
In general, DHS has been an organizational nightmare and a half. Remember how much they had to integrate from the rest of the US government?
They basically took over US Customs-part of the Dep't of the Treasury for two centuries.
The Immigration and Naturalization Service and it's sub-component, the US Border Patrol, have long been part of the Dep't of Justice. Those two agencies essentially were meant to regulate who and what crossed the US borders, but were part of separate (and rival) cabinet-level departments. And the agency which controlled the issuance of visas to foreign nationals was part of the State Department, yet a third cabinet department.
The Federal Protective Service, basically a police department and physical security consulting service for most nonmilitary Federal property, was part of the General Services Administration's Public Buildings Service, an independent agency of office managers and real estate agents. Now they get to integrate into DHS.
FEMA used to be an independent agency, which mainly oversaw disaster-reconstruction money, flood insurance, and model fire-prevention codes and training. Now they're in DHS.
CIA was an independent agency. I think they're part of DHS now.
In the name of duplication, the US Marshall's Service in the Dep't of Justice used to provide the same security function for Federal courts that the Federal Protective Service did for most other Federal property. DHS tried to take that away from them. Don't think they succeeded, though.
The National Infrastructure Protection Center was taken away from FBI and added to DHS. It's a wonder the rest of the feebies were left alone.
The US Coast Guard has traditionally been a part of the Department of Transportation during peacetime, and part of the Navy during wartime. They almost got sucked into DHS.
When you fly into a US airport from abroad, you'll see three different uniforms before you can even worry about making a connecting flight. INS inspectors (white shirts with guns) check your passport. Now they're part of DHS. Then Customs inspectors (navy shirts with guns) to make sure you don't have any drugs or counterfeit blue jeans. And THEN white shirts without guns to ask you about fruits and vegetables and crop pests. They're a third agency, the US Dep't of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. No shit, DHS almost took them over too.
So, I think it's fair to say that IT integration is the least of the organizational headaches DHS will have this year.
It means "guarded condition", immediately above green ("low threat level") and below yellow ("elevated risk of terror attack"). Personally I find it redundant to have this department since the CIA, FBI, NSA, and DIA should have caught the 09/11 attacks before they happened in the first place. But nevertheless the "blue" level does exist.
n d/ bluecondition.html
_ th reat_chart_4.html
Links:
http://www.volusiahealth.com/eh/PocketPC/Homela
http://www.ch1hawaii.com/n/hlsec/national_alert
As long as there is a Second Amendment, there will always be a First Amendment.