More commodity buying being consolidated to BPAs

Following the recent White House memo requiring agencies to buy laptop and desktop computers from governmentwide contracts, the latest areas getting attention are mobile devices and services, and software licensing.

The Office of Management and Budget is drafting a policy to limit agencies’ independent buys of mobile devices and associated services, according to FedNewsRadio.

In addition, OMB circulated draft guidelines on how federal agencies should purchase and manage software licenses in a more centralized fashion. The goal is to save money and avoid redundance.

Among the guidelines, effective immediately, is that agencies cannot enter software licensing contracts that forbid sharing pricing information with others, according to FedScoop.

More information: FedNewsRadio http://goo.gl/UPSJsY
FedScoop http://goo.gl/UUmfbB

$1.4B for FBI Building

The Obama administration has included $1.4 billion for construction of a new headquarters for the FBI in its fiscal 2017 budget request to Congress.

The General Services Administration announced the $1.4 billion commitment in a press call.

The FBI is considering sites in Landover, MD; Greenbelt, MD; and Springfield, VA.

New clearance agency

The White House announced creation of a new agency, the National Background Investigations Bureau, to take over security clearance activities performed by the Office of Personnel Management’s Federal Investigative Services.

The new agency will be housed within OPM in Washington, DC. However, the Defense Department “will assume the responsibility for the design, development, security, and operation of the background investigations IT systems for the NBIB,” the White House said.

Top industries for 8(a) contracts

8(a) court case heats up

DOD delays cyber requirements

In Memoriam

Column: SBA closes the door on resellers of major commercial software

Washington Insider: