DHS awards $7.2M for data center and cloud optimization, email archiving, and virtual workstation support

Contract Overview

Contract Amount: $7,233,939 ($7.2M)

Contractor: Peraton Technology Services Inc.

Awarding Agency: Department of Homeland Security

Start Date: 2024-02-01

End Date: 2027-01-31

Contract Duration: 1,095 days

Daily Burn Rate: $6.6K/day

Competition Type: FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

Pricing Type: FIRM FIXED PRICE

Sector: IT

Official Description: DATA CENTER AND CLOUD OPTIMIZATION SUPPORT SERVICES 2. ARCHIVING AND BACKUP OF EMAILS AND TEXT MESSAGING ACROSS THE ENTERPRISE. SUPPORTS LOG IN TO VIRTUAL WORKSTATIONS AND DESKTOPS FOR TRAINING, HOTELING SPACE. PERMITS LOG IN VIA CLOUD NETWORKING.

Place of Performance

Location: CHANTILLY, FAIRFAX County, VIRGINIA, 20151

State: Virginia Government Spending

Plain-Language Summary

Department of Homeland Security obligated $7.2 million to PERATON TECHNOLOGY SERVICES INC. for work described as: DATA CENTER AND CLOUD OPTIMIZATION SUPPORT SERVICES 2. ARCHIVING AND BACKUP OF EMAILS AND TEXT MESSAGING ACROSS THE ENTERPRISE. SUPPORTS LOG IN TO VIRTUAL WORKSTATIONS AND DESKTOPS FOR TRAINING, HOTELING SPACE. PERMITS LOG IN VIA CLOUD NETWORKING. Key points: 1. Contract supports critical IT infrastructure including data centers, cloud services, and virtual workstations. 2. Services encompass email and text message archiving, crucial for record-keeping and compliance. 3. The contract is a delivery order under a larger indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) vehicle. 4. Pricing is fixed, providing cost certainty for the duration of the order. 5. The contractor, Peraton Technology Services Inc., has a significant presence in the federal IT sector. 6. This award falls within the broader category of computing infrastructure and data processing services.

Value Assessment

Rating: good

The award amount of $7.2 million over three years appears reasonable for the scope of services, which include enterprise-wide data center and cloud optimization, email archiving, and virtual workstation support. Benchmarking against similar large-scale IT infrastructure and data management contracts suggests this is within expected cost ranges. The fixed-price nature of the contract helps control costs, but detailed cost breakdowns would be needed for a more precise value assessment. The contract's duration of 1095 days aligns with typical IT service delivery periods.

Cost Per Unit: N/A

Competition Analysis

Competition Level: full-and-open

This contract was awarded under full and open competition, indicating that multiple bidders had the opportunity to submit proposals. The specific number of bidders is not provided, but the 'full and open' designation suggests a competitive process was utilized. This approach is generally favored to ensure the government receives the best value by leveraging market competition.

Taxpayer Impact: Full and open competition typically leads to more favorable pricing for taxpayers by encouraging a wider range of vendors to offer competitive bids, driving down costs.

Public Impact

US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) personnel benefit from enhanced virtual workstation access for training and daily operations. The contract ensures the secure archiving of enterprise-wide emails and text messages, supporting legal and regulatory compliance. Improved data center and cloud infrastructure management will enhance the reliability and efficiency of critical USCIS systems. The services support the operational needs of a major component within the Department of Homeland Security. Workforce productivity may be enhanced through reliable access to virtual desktops and cloud-based resources.

Waste & Efficiency Indicators

Waste Risk Score: 50 / 10

Warning Flags

Potential for vendor lock-in if future needs are heavily reliant on Peraton's specific solutions.
Ensuring continued innovation and cost-effectiveness beyond the current contract term.
Dependence on a single contractor for critical IT infrastructure management.

Positive Signals

Awarded through full and open competition, suggesting a competitive pricing environment.
Fixed-price contract provides cost certainty for the government.
Contractor has experience in providing IT services to federal agencies.
Services address core IT infrastructure needs, indicating strategic alignment.

Sector Analysis

This contract falls within the IT services sector, specifically focusing on computing infrastructure, data processing, and cloud hosting. The federal government is a significant consumer of these services, with spending in this category often running into billions annually. This award represents a portion of the broader government effort to modernize IT systems, optimize data center operations, and leverage cloud technologies for efficiency and scalability. Comparable contracts often involve managed services for data centers, cloud migration, and data archiving solutions.

Small Business Impact

The contract was awarded under full and open competition and does not indicate a small business set-aside. There is no explicit mention of subcontracting goals for small businesses within the provided data. Therefore, the direct impact on the small business ecosystem is likely minimal unless the prime contractor voluntarily includes small businesses in its subcontracting plan. Further review of the contract's subcontracting provisions would be necessary to fully assess its impact.

Oversight & Accountability

Oversight for this contract will likely be managed by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) contracting officer and program managers within the Department of Homeland Security. Standard oversight mechanisms would include performance monitoring, regular status meetings, and review of deliverables against contract requirements. Transparency is facilitated through contract award databases like FPDS. The Inspector General for DHS would have jurisdiction to investigate any potential fraud, waste, or abuse related to this contract.

Related Government Programs

DHS IT Modernization Initiatives
Federal Cloud Computing Strategy
Data Archiving and Records Management Programs
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Services
Data Center Consolidation Efforts

Risk Flags

Potential for vendor lock-in
Technological obsolescence risk
Dependence on contractor performance

Frequently Asked Questions

What is this federal contract paying for?

Department of Homeland Security awarded $7.2 million to PERATON TECHNOLOGY SERVICES INC.. DATA CENTER AND CLOUD OPTIMIZATION SUPPORT SERVICES 2. ARCHIVING AND BACKUP OF EMAILS AND TEXT MESSAGING ACROSS THE ENTERPRISE. SUPPORTS LOG IN TO VIRTUAL WORKSTATIONS AND DESKTOPS FOR TRAINING, HOTELING SPACE. PERMITS LOG IN VIA CLOUD NETWORKING.

Who is the contractor on this award?

The obligated recipient is PERATON TECHNOLOGY SERVICES INC..

Which agency awarded this contract?

Awarding agency: Department of Homeland Security (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services).

What is the total obligated amount?

The obligated amount is $7.2 million.

What is the period of performance?

Start: 2024-02-01. End: 2027-01-31.

What is Peraton Technology Services Inc.'s track record with similar federal IT infrastructure contracts?

Peraton Technology Services Inc. has a substantial track record of performing IT services for the federal government, including contracts related to IT infrastructure, cloud services, and data management. They have held numerous prime contracts across various agencies, often in competitive environments. Their experience typically involves large-scale IT operations, cybersecurity, and mission-critical systems support. While specific performance metrics for past contracts are not detailed here, their continued success in winning federal awards suggests a generally positive performance history. However, a deeper dive into past performance evaluations and any past performance issues would be necessary for a comprehensive assessment.

How does the $7.2 million award compare to similar data center and cloud optimization contracts?

The $7.2 million award for three years of data center and cloud optimization, email archiving, and virtual workstation support is within a typical range for such services, especially for an agency like USCIS within DHS. Large federal IT infrastructure contracts can range from millions to hundreds of millions of dollars annually, depending on scope, duration, and complexity. This specific award appears to be a delivery order under a larger IDIQ, suggesting it's part of a broader IT services framework. Benchmarking against publicly available data for similar scope contracts indicates that this award is moderately sized, reflecting a focused set of services rather than a complete IT overhaul.

What are the primary risks associated with this contract, and how are they mitigated?

Primary risks include potential performance issues from the contractor, cost overruns if the fixed-price model is not managed effectively, and technological obsolescence. Performance risks are mitigated through contract oversight, defined service level agreements (SLAs), and the competitive award process. Cost overruns are less likely with a fixed-price contract, but scope creep could be an issue if not managed. Technological obsolescence is a risk inherent in IT contracts; mitigation involves ensuring the contract allows for adaptation to new technologies or includes provisions for future upgrades. The government's ability to monitor performance and enforce contract terms is a key mitigation strategy.

How effective is the 'full and open competition' approach in ensuring value for this specific contract?

The 'full and open competition' approach is generally considered the most effective method for ensuring value in federal contracting, as it maximizes the pool of potential bidders and fosters price competition. For this $7.2 million contract, it means that multiple companies vied for the opportunity, theoretically driving down the price and improving the quality of services offered. The effectiveness is contingent on the clarity of the solicitation requirements and the rigor of the evaluation process. Without knowing the number of bidders or the evaluation criteria, it's difficult to definitively state the level of value achieved, but the process itself is designed to maximize taxpayer value.

What are the historical spending patterns for similar IT services at USCIS or DHS?

Historical spending patterns for IT services at USCIS and DHS are substantial, reflecting the agencies' critical missions and large IT footprints. Both agencies consistently spend significant portions of their budgets on IT infrastructure, cloud services, data management, and cybersecurity. USCIS, in particular, relies heavily on IT systems for processing immigration applications and managing citizen data. Spending in areas like data center operations, cloud migration, and digital archiving has been a trend across DHS components for several years as part of broader modernization efforts. This $7.2 million award aligns with these established patterns of investment in core IT capabilities.

Are there any specific performance indicators or metrics tied to this contract that demonstrate program effectiveness?

The provided data does not explicitly detail the specific performance indicators or metrics tied to this contract. However, for a contract of this nature, typical performance metrics would likely include system uptime percentages for data centers and virtual workstations, data retrieval times for archived information, successful completion rates for optimization tasks, and adherence to security protocols. Program effectiveness would be measured by the reliability and efficiency of the IT infrastructure supported, the accessibility of archived data, and the overall user satisfaction of personnel utilizing the virtual workstations. These metrics are usually outlined in the contract's Service Level Agreements (SLAs).

Industry Classification

NAICS: Information › Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services › Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services

Product/Service Code: IT AND TELECOM - INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS › IT AND TELECOM - APLLICATIONS

Competition & Pricing

Extent Competed: FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

Solicitation Procedures: NEGOTIATED PROPOSAL/QUOTE

Solicitation ID: 70SBUR24R00000006

Pricing Type: FIRM FIXED PRICE (J)

Evaluated Preference: NONE

Contractor Details

Parent Company: Veritas Capital Fund Management, L.L.C.

Address: 15050 CONFERENCE CENTER DR, CHANTILLY, VA, 20151

Business Categories: Category Business, Corporate Entity Not Tax Exempt, Not Designated a Small Business, Special Designations, U.S.-Owned Business

Financial Breakdown

Contract Ceiling: $12,596,434

Exercised Options: $7,233,939

Current Obligation: $7,233,939

Actual Outlays: $4,501,653

Subaward Activity

Number of Subawards: 1

Total Subaward Amount: $72,251

Contract Characteristics

Commercial Item: COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS/SERVICES

Cost or Pricing Data: NO

Parent Contract

Parent Award PIID: 70RTAC21D00000006

IDV Type: IDC

Timeline