The General Services Administration (GSA) has launched a new strategy aimed at modernizing and streamlining Federal IT acquisitions, the agency announced today.
Coined its “OneGov Strategy,” GSA said the initiative will occur in phases. In its first phase, GSA said agencies will be able to access IT tools through standardized terms and pricing, which it claimed will benefit original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) through a “more direct and predictable engagement” model.
“The OneGov Strategy is a bold step forward for President Trump’s GSA and our mission to be responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars,” said GSA Acting Administrator Stephen Ehikian in a statement. “It’s about acting as one—aligning to our scale, standards, and security to meet the needs of today’s government while preparing for the future.”
Elements of the strategy zero in on improving cybersecurity and employing more transparent pricing through agencies’ direct relationships with OEMs, GSA said, noting that software purchases have generally occurred through resellers.
In the future, the OneGov Strategy will include hardware, platforms, infrastructure, and cybersecurity services among other categories, promoting GSA’s role as the “governmentwide hub for shared IT services,” the agency said.
“We’re creating a more consistent, scalable, and efficient way to buy technology—one that benefits agencies, OEMs, and taxpayers alike,” said Josh Gruenbaum, commissioner of GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service, in a statement. “We expect this approach to have similar success and benefits across other categories.”
The announcement is the result of an executive order by President Donald Trump earlier this month that directed agencies to prioritize acquisitions of “commercially available” products and services instead of those that are non-commercial or custom-made. While the order appears to have been related to all products and services, it singled out those related to IT.
President Trump also signed an executive order last month that aims to consolidate Federal contracting under GSA, including IT contracts.
It also follows other recent efforts by the GSA, including its landmark agreement with Google to offer Workspace to Federal agencies at a?temporary 71 percent discount.
Additionally, GSA reached an agreement with Microsoft in January to standardize government contract terms and pricing for Microsoft products and services after bringing together 24 agencies to determine cost reduction strategies and conditions in Federal transactions.