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April 8, 2003
GovPro E-Newsletter
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Tuesday, April 8, 2003 Volume 2, Issue 12
Welcome to the GovPro Newsletter brought to you by the Penton Government Media Group. Look forward to news, resources, product and supplier information, and links relating to the government market.
CONTENTS CDC Diagnoses Corporate Contributions GAO Gives GSA Tips on Tracking Online Service Sources Security Suppliers Self-Service Fare Collection Hits the Streets News of the Weird
WE'RE GIVING AWAY A PALM M515!
Tell us about your planned purchases of cars and trucks for 2003. Your valuable input will help us understand current usage and future needs in the marketplace. Every 50th respondent receives a Palm M515. http://www.pentonsurveys.com/survey.asp?s=01228243004255
FEATURES
COMPANIES CONTRIBUTE TO CDCS EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER
One year after Home Depot co-founder Bernard Marcus pledged $3.9 million to equip an emergency operations center at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and called on corporations for additional support, 15 companies have donated or provided discounted equipment through the CDC Foundation.
"We knew a year ago that CDC urgently needed a state-of-the art facility to coordinate responses to public health emergencies. But we did not know if adequate government funding would be available to quickly build the kind of facility that CDC leaders envisioned," says Marcus, immediate past board chair of the CDC Foundation. "Thanks to companies like Hewlett-Packard, Motorola, Rockwell Collins, and Dell that provided their top-of-the-line equipment, CDC now has a world-class operations center ready to handle any public health emergency that might arise."
CDC's Marcus Emergency Operations Center became fully operational in March, 2003. The center was recently activated to assist in the global investigation of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which has sickened people worldwide. During such an event, the center serves as a central communications and command hub. Personnel working in the facility have access to multiple audio, video, and data feeds from health organizations and scientists in the field, allowing for real-time analysis and decision-making. Teams gather in theater-style workstations surrounded by large plasma video screens to view images from remote locations and track the spread of a disease or threat.
"The technologies available to scientists working in the operations center are truly cutting edge," says Charles Stokes, president and CEO of the CDC Foundation. "The Marcus Foundation gift, along with the generous contributions of the corporate partners, have allowed CDC to build one of the most impressive command centers in the country."
Corporations that made contributions to the center include AMX Corp., C & S Antennas, Christie Communications, ClearOne Communications, Dell Computer, Hewlett-Packard, JVC, Liberty Communications, Linkspoint, Motorola, Rockwell Collins, Shure Inc., Starin Distributing, Symbol Technologies, and The Sytex Group.
The CDC Foundation is an independent nonprofit enterprise that forges effective partnerships between CDC and others to fight threats to health and safety.
FEDERAL P-CARD PROGRAM GETS TRACKING TIPS FROM GAO
In a review earlier this year of approximately $13.8 billion worth of federal agency buying charged to government purchase cards, the General Accounting Office (GAO) uncovered faulty data-tracking procedures that may prevent small firms from winning a bigger share of the Congressionally-mandated 23 percent small business procurement goal, says Senator Kit Bond (R-MO).
"This is another hole in the dyke of federal procurement policy, which may allow lucrative business opportunities to leak out, slip downstream and out of the hands of small businesses," says Bond, who requested the review. In its report (GAO-03-56), the GAO found that the General Services Administration (GSA) does not collect sufficient data related to purchase cards, special credit cards that allow agencies to make individual purchases or payments on existing contracts, to identify whether those transactions are made from small firms or big businesses.
Senator Olympia J. Snowe, (R-Maine) also voices concern, saying the report's findings merit thorough review to determine if Congress should ask the GSA to implement the GAO's recommendations or take other action to get a clearer picture of potential harm to small firms.
Purchase cards are intended to streamline the process of acquiring goods and services by authorizing a broad range of government employees to purchase directly from merchants rather that going through the regular procurement process.
According to the GAO, about 2 million cards are in use by federal personnel. Moreover, spending on goods and services via purchase cards stands at an estimated $13.8 billion and is increasing rapidly. Purchases grew by $1.5 billion between Fiscal Year 2000 and FY 2001 alone.
"Congress established the 23 percent goal to help small firms who lack the competitive edge of Fortune 500 companies do better at fishing the waters of government work," adds Bond. "As federal agencies do more business using purchase cards, GSA must find a reliable way to unravel hard, sound data to help gauge the potential benefit or loss to the small business sector."
The GAO recommends that the GSA Administrator: clarify the information that banks and payment card associations are asked to report and conduct periodic assessments to verify that they are interpreting and reporting the data consistently; specify a rigorous, disciplined approach to identifying and using appropriate information sources for the data and ensure that the participants agree to it.
NEWS
ONLINE SUPPLIER SOURCE ADDS HOMELAND SECURITY CATEGORY
A company that assists government agencies in finding suppliers online and businesses in securing government contracts, announced that it is now collecting and distributing notices of Homeland Security projects for its customers across the United States. Businesses that subscribe to Onvia.com's daily e-mail bulletin can receive information about products and services the government plans to purchase.
Onvia will publish many of the public bids and RFPs related to homeland security projects. Earlier this year, Onvia distributed leads in its Homeland Security category ranging from emergency operations planning services in Texas, to the purchase of gas masks in Michigan, to the development of a hazard vulnerability and multi-hazard mitigation plan in Nevada. For more information, visit http://www.onvia.com
TRANSIT AGENCIES ADOPT SELF-SERVICE FARE COLLECTION
Public transit agencies considering self-service fare collection (SSFC) systems have a new resource from the Transit Cooperative Research Program. Available free of charge to anyone who requests a copy, TCRP's "Toolkit for Self-Service, Barrier-Free Fare Collection" contains a set of guidelines for transit decision-makers, operators, and researchers to use when evaluating whetheror how best-to utilize this fare collection strategy. The Toolkit comes with a companion CD-ROM that duplicates the contents of the report.
Also known as Proof of Payment, SSCF is the newest fare collection strategy to be adopted by transit agencies and has seen increasing use over the past 20 years. Of the 18 North American light rail transit operators, 15 use the strategy - as do nine commuter rail services.
SSFC actually began in Europe in the 1960s, with early applications in Germany and Switzerland. Beginning with the opening of the San Diego Trolley in 1981, most light rail transit operators in the U.S. have implemented SSFC. Now that SSFC has been widely used, the collective experience has been tapped through this report to provide guidance to other agencies.
"Toolkit for Self-Service, Barrier-Free Fare Collection" is designed to provide practical guidance to transit officials both in assessing SSFC as part of the overall fare collection decision, and in designing and successfully implementing as SSFC system. The Toolkit includes sections on Fare Collection Strategies, Policy and Enforcement Issues, Operational Issues and Capital, and Equipment Issues. It also contains a glossary, literature review and an executive summary.
The Toolkit was prepared by Multisystems, Inc. of Cambridge, Mass., with Mundle &Associates, Inc. and Parsons Transportation Group, Inc. of Philadelphia. Order the toolkit online at http://www.tcrponline.org.
MEYER PRODUCTS Meyer is the world leader in snow plows plus accessories, parts, spreaders, and controls for plows. Custom-designed Meyer snow plows fit exact vehicle frame and weight specifications for exceptional performance in all applications. Visit: http://www.meyerproducts.com
NEWS OF THE WEIRD: Bizarre but true stories about real people. http://www.govpro.com/GPRONewsletter/Article/29128/
LINKS
C & H Distributors provide a fast, efficient way to purchase shelving, cabinets, packaging and shipping products, or office furniture. Visit: http://www.chdist.com/govt
Crown Equipment designs, manufactures, distributes, services, and supports material handling products that provide customers with superior value. Visit: http://www.crown.com/gsa1
Safety Storage, the first choice for custom and pre-fabricated hazardous storage buildings. http://www.safetystorage.com
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
Decatur Electronics: Radar systems for traffic and sports applications. http://www.decaturradar.com
Fixtures Furniture: Commercial-grade chairs and tables. http://www.fixturesfurniture.com
Jesco Industries, Inc.: Self-dumping hoppers, wire mesh safety equipment. http://www.jesco-wipco.com
Potters Industries, Inc.: Highway safety marking spheres. http://www.pottersbeads.com
Stockhausen, Inc.: Occupational skin care products. http://www.stockhausen-inc.com
VMAC: Underhood air compressors. http://www.underhoodair.com
You have received this e-newsletter because you are a subscriber to Government Product News or Government PROcurement Journal. If this message was sent in error or you wish to unsubscribe, see the unsubscribe information below.
Find information on advertising in the GovPro Newsletter on http://www.govpro.com or contact rhowlett@penton.com.
You may qualify for a FREE Magazine Subscription Complimentary subscriptions to Government Product News, a product-driven resource, and Government PROcurement, editorial targeting the public sector purchasing professional are available to those who qualify. To subscribe to Government Product News visit: http://www.submag.com/sub/gn To subscribe to Government Procurement visit: http://www.submag.com/sub/gp
Copyright 2003 Penton Media, Inc.
Welcome to the GovPro Newsletter brought to you by the Penton Government Media Group. Look forward to news, resources, product and supplier information, and links relating to the government market.
CONTENTS CDC Diagnoses Corporate Contributions GAO Gives GSA Tips on Tracking Online Service Sources Security Suppliers Self-Service Fare Collection Hits the Streets News of the Weird
WE'RE GIVING AWAY A PALM M515!
Tell us about your planned purchases of cars and trucks for 2003. Your valuable input will help us understand current usage and future needs in the marketplace. Every 50th respondent receives a Palm M515. http://www.pentonsurveys.com/survey.asp?s=01228243004255
FEATURES
COMPANIES CONTRIBUTE TO CDCS EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER
One year after Home Depot co-founder Bernard Marcus pledged $3.9 million to equip an emergency operations center at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and called on corporations for additional support, 15 companies have donated or provided discounted equipment through the CDC Foundation.
"We knew a year ago that CDC urgently needed a state-of-the art facility to coordinate responses to public health emergencies. But we did not know if adequate government funding would be available to quickly build the kind of facility that CDC leaders envisioned," says Marcus, immediate past board chair of the CDC Foundation. "Thanks to companies like Hewlett-Packard, Motorola, Rockwell Collins, and Dell that provided their top-of-the-line equipment, CDC now has a world-class operations center ready to handle any public health emergency that might arise."
CDC's Marcus Emergency Operations Center became fully operational in March, 2003. The center was recently activated to assist in the global investigation of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which has sickened people worldwide. During such an event, the center serves as a central communications and command hub. Personnel working in the facility have access to multiple audio, video, and data feeds from health organizations and scientists in the field, allowing for real-time analysis and decision-making. Teams gather in theater-style workstations surrounded by large plasma video screens to view images from remote locations and track the spread of a disease or threat.
"The technologies available to scientists working in the operations center are truly cutting edge," says Charles Stokes, president and CEO of the CDC Foundation. "The Marcus Foundation gift, along with the generous contributions of the corporate partners, have allowed CDC to build one of the most impressive command centers in the country."
Corporations that made contributions to the center include AMX Corp., C & S Antennas, Christie Communications, ClearOne Communications, Dell Computer, Hewlett-Packard, JVC, Liberty Communications, Linkspoint, Motorola, Rockwell Collins, Shure Inc., Starin Distributing, Symbol Technologies, and The Sytex Group.
The CDC Foundation is an independent nonprofit enterprise that forges effective partnerships between CDC and others to fight threats to health and safety.
FEDERAL P-CARD PROGRAM GETS TRACKING TIPS FROM GAO
In a review earlier this year of approximately $13.8 billion worth of federal agency buying charged to government purchase cards, the General Accounting Office (GAO) uncovered faulty data-tracking procedures that may prevent small firms from winning a bigger share of the Congressionally-mandated 23 percent small business procurement goal, says Senator Kit Bond (R-MO).
"This is another hole in the dyke of federal procurement policy, which may allow lucrative business opportunities to leak out, slip downstream and out of the hands of small businesses," says Bond, who requested the review. In its report (GAO-03-56), the GAO found that the General Services Administration (GSA) does not collect sufficient data related to purchase cards, special credit cards that allow agencies to make individual purchases or payments on existing contracts, to identify whether those transactions are made from small firms or big businesses.
Senator Olympia J. Snowe, (R-Maine) also voices concern, saying the report's findings merit thorough review to determine if Congress should ask the GSA to implement the GAO's recommendations or take other action to get a clearer picture of potential harm to small firms.
Purchase cards are intended to streamline the process of acquiring goods and services by authorizing a broad range of government employees to purchase directly from merchants rather that going through the regular procurement process.
According to the GAO, about 2 million cards are in use by federal personnel. Moreover, spending on goods and services via purchase cards stands at an estimated $13.8 billion and is increasing rapidly. Purchases grew by $1.5 billion between Fiscal Year 2000 and FY 2001 alone.
"Congress established the 23 percent goal to help small firms who lack the competitive edge of Fortune 500 companies do better at fishing the waters of government work," adds Bond. "As federal agencies do more business using purchase cards, GSA must find a reliable way to unravel hard, sound data to help gauge the potential benefit or loss to the small business sector."
The GAO recommends that the GSA Administrator: clarify the information that banks and payment card associations are asked to report and conduct periodic assessments to verify that they are interpreting and reporting the data consistently; specify a rigorous, disciplined approach to identifying and using appropriate information sources for the data and ensure that the participants agree to it.
NEWS
ONLINE SUPPLIER SOURCE ADDS HOMELAND SECURITY CATEGORY
A company that assists government agencies in finding suppliers online and businesses in securing government contracts, announced that it is now collecting and distributing notices of Homeland Security projects for its customers across the United States. Businesses that subscribe to Onvia.com's daily e-mail bulletin can receive information about products and services the government plans to purchase.
Onvia will publish many of the public bids and RFPs related to homeland security projects. Earlier this year, Onvia distributed leads in its Homeland Security category ranging from emergency operations planning services in Texas, to the purchase of gas masks in Michigan, to the development of a hazard vulnerability and multi-hazard mitigation plan in Nevada. For more information, visit http://www.onvia.com
TRANSIT AGENCIES ADOPT SELF-SERVICE FARE COLLECTION
Public transit agencies considering self-service fare collection (SSFC) systems have a new resource from the Transit Cooperative Research Program. Available free of charge to anyone who requests a copy, TCRP's "Toolkit for Self-Service, Barrier-Free Fare Collection" contains a set of guidelines for transit decision-makers, operators, and researchers to use when evaluating whetheror how best-to utilize this fare collection strategy. The Toolkit comes with a companion CD-ROM that duplicates the contents of the report.
Also known as Proof of Payment, SSCF is the newest fare collection strategy to be adopted by transit agencies and has seen increasing use over the past 20 years. Of the 18 North American light rail transit operators, 15 use the strategy - as do nine commuter rail services.
SSFC actually began in Europe in the 1960s, with early applications in Germany and Switzerland. Beginning with the opening of the San Diego Trolley in 1981, most light rail transit operators in the U.S. have implemented SSFC. Now that SSFC has been widely used, the collective experience has been tapped through this report to provide guidance to other agencies.
"Toolkit for Self-Service, Barrier-Free Fare Collection" is designed to provide practical guidance to transit officials both in assessing SSFC as part of the overall fare collection decision, and in designing and successfully implementing as SSFC system. The Toolkit includes sections on Fare Collection Strategies, Policy and Enforcement Issues, Operational Issues and Capital, and Equipment Issues. It also contains a glossary, literature review and an executive summary.
The Toolkit was prepared by Multisystems, Inc. of Cambridge, Mass., with Mundle &Associates, Inc. and Parsons Transportation Group, Inc. of Philadelphia. Order the toolkit online at http://www.tcrponline.org.
MEYER PRODUCTS Meyer is the world leader in snow plows plus accessories, parts, spreaders, and controls for plows. Custom-designed Meyer snow plows fit exact vehicle frame and weight specifications for exceptional performance in all applications. Visit: http://www.meyerproducts.com
NEWS OF THE WEIRD: Bizarre but true stories about real people. http://www.govpro.com/GPRONewsletter/Article/29128/
LINKS
C & H Distributors provide a fast, efficient way to purchase shelving, cabinets, packaging and shipping products, or office furniture. Visit: http://www.chdist.com/govt
Crown Equipment designs, manufactures, distributes, services, and supports material handling products that provide customers with superior value. Visit: http://www.crown.com/gsa1
Safety Storage, the first choice for custom and pre-fabricated hazardous storage buildings. http://www.safetystorage.com
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
Decatur Electronics: Radar systems for traffic and sports applications. http://www.decaturradar.com
Fixtures Furniture: Commercial-grade chairs and tables. http://www.fixturesfurniture.com
Jesco Industries, Inc.: Self-dumping hoppers, wire mesh safety equipment. http://www.jesco-wipco.com
Potters Industries, Inc.: Highway safety marking spheres. http://www.pottersbeads.com
Stockhausen, Inc.: Occupational skin care products. http://www.stockhausen-inc.com
VMAC: Underhood air compressors. http://www.underhoodair.com
You have received this e-newsletter because you are a subscriber to Government Product News or Government PROcurement Journal. If this message was sent in error or you wish to unsubscribe, see the unsubscribe information below.
Find information on advertising in the GovPro Newsletter on http://www.govpro.com or contact rhowlett@penton.com.
You may qualify for a FREE Magazine Subscription Complimentary subscriptions to Government Product News, a product-driven resource, and Government PROcurement, editorial targeting the public sector purchasing professional are available to those who qualify. To subscribe to Government Product News visit: http://www.submag.com/sub/gn To subscribe to Government Procurement visit: http://www.submag.com/sub/gp
Copyright 2003 Penton Media, Inc.
