More than one-fourth of applications for security clearances ask for “Top Secret,” up from just about one out of six in 1995, according to the Government Accountability Office.

In a report to a House Intelligence subcommittee, GAO said reducing the number of high-level clearances would help speed the processing of applications.

GAO’s Jack Edwards said an investigation for a “Top Secret” clearance takes 60 hours and costs about $3,700, compared to six hours and about $200 to investigate someone seeking a secret or confidential clearance.

The Federal Acquisition Regulation councils will soon publish an interim rule setting standards for “green” IT products, Federal Computer Week reported.

The rule will codify standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) program. It identifies energy-saving and environmentally friendly computer, monitors and other IT hardware.

The number of bid protests filed with the Government Accountability Office rose by 6% in fiscal 2007, the first increase in three years.

In its annual report to Congress, GAO said it sustained 27% of the 335 protests that were decided, down from 29% the year before. Agencies accepted GAO’s recommendations in all cases.

GSA and the Defense Department announced a governmentwide SmartBuy agreement with Point One, providing Meridio Enterprise Data and Records Management (EDRM) Software.

GSA said the government will save an average of 38% by mandating use of the contract vehicle to acquire Meridio products.

In four years, since the SmartBuy program began, GSA said it has signed 25 governmentwide licensing agreements with 20 software publishers.

SBA is considering a waiver of the nonmanufacturer rule for All Other Miscellaneous Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing, NAICS code 335999 product number 6240.

The agency believes no small business manufacturers supply this class of products to the government. Comments are due Dec. 31.