Glossary of Public-Sector Terms
8(a): A small business that has been certified by the federal government as having a social or economic disadvantage. A certain percentage of federal buying is set-aside for 8(a)s only.
BAA/TAA: Buy American Act/Trade Agreements Act. These state that the federal government can only purchase products made in specified countries.
COO: Country of Origin. The country where a product is manufactured or assembled.
FAR: Federal Acquisition Regulations. These are the laws that govern federal purchasing.
FirstSource: A GWAC (see below) issued by the Department of Homeland Security.
GSA: General Services Administration. The agency is responsible for overseeing the FARs.
GSA Schedule: A federal purchasing contract that is pre-negotiated between a supplier (reseller or manufacturer) and the GSA. Any federal agency can purchase items or services from a GSA Schedule.
GWAC: Government-Wide Acquisition Contract. This is a contract issued by one agency allowing other agencies to use it as a "purchase vehicle" in return for a fee. A GWAC typically lasts three to five years, can be worth billions of dollars and is awarded to multiple resellers to encourage price competition. SEWP-IV and FirstSource are prominent examples of this type of contract.
HUBZone: Historical Underutilized Business Zone: One of the 8(a) classifications. This is based on where the business is located, rather than who owns it.
Prime: A company that holds a contract directly from the government is referred to as a "Prime."
Purchase Vehicle: Another term for a contract. Without a purchase vehicle you can't sell to the federal government (other than in very small quantities under rare circumstances).
SEWP-IV: Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement. A GWAC issued by NASA. There are 38 Prime contract holders, including 21 8(a)s.
State Term Contract: A large purchasing contract issued by a state to multiple resellers for a "term" of up to five years. This allows state agencies, city and county governments within the state and public schools to buy off the contract to reduce procurement-related costs.
Green Resources
Many government and education agencies are moving toward green initiatives creating greater opportunities for resellers. Here are some resources and Web sites to help you become more familiar with or to take advantage of these new business opportunities. To find out more about green computing, click here.
EPEAT® is a system to help purchasers in the public and private sectors evaluate, compare and select desktop computers, notebooks and monitors based on their environmental attributes. For more information, click here. To find out more about how to purchase EPEAT® registered products required for the Federal Government, click here.
ENERGY STAR® is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy helping us all save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices. For more information, click here.
To find out the differences between EPEAT® and ENERGY STAR®, click here.
Helpful Links
8(a) Business Development Program
The SBA's 8(a) Business Development Program, named for a section of the Small Business Act, is a business development program created to help small disadvantaged businesses compete in the American economy and get access to the federal procurement market.
Application for 8(a) Business Development and Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) Certification
Central Contractor Registration (CCR)
The Central Contractor Registration (CCR) is the primary vendor database for the Department of Defense (DOD), NASA, Department of Transportation (DOT) and Department of Treasury. The CCR collects, validates, stores and disseminates data in support of agency missions. Both current and potential government vendors are required to register in CCR to be awarded contracts by the DOD, NASA, DOT and Treasury.
Federal Business Opportunities
FedBizOpps.gov is the single government point-of-entry (GPE) for federal government procurement opportunities of more than $25,000.
Your First Click to the U.S. Government
The official U.S. gateway to all government information, this site is the catalyst for a growing electronic government. You can search millions of Web pages from federal and state governments, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories. Most of these pages are not available on commercial Web sites. FirstGov is the most comprehensive search of government anywhere on the Internet.
Grants.gov
Grants.gov is the official E-Grants Web site, where applicants may find and apply for federal funding opportunities. The charter of Grants.gov, one of 24 President's Management Agenda E-Government initiatives, is to provide a simple, unified electronic storefront for interactions between grant applicants and the federal agencies that manage grant funds.
HUBZone Program
The HUBZone (Historically Underutilized Business Zone) Empowerment Contracting program provides federal contracting opportunities for qualified small businesses located in distressed areas. Fostering the growth of these federal contractors as viable businesses for the long term helps empower communities, create jobs and attract private investment. Check to see if you're in a HUBZone.
NAICS Codes
NAICS was developed jointly by the U.S., Canada and Mexico to provide new comparability in statistics about business activity across North America. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) has replaced the U.S. Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system. NAICS will reshape the way we view our changing economy.
Procurement Technical Assistance Centers
The Defense Logistics Agency, on behalf of the Secretary of Defense, administers the DOD Procurement Technical Assistance Program (PTAP). PTA Centers are local resources that assist businesses in marketing products and services to federal, state and local governments.
Small Business Administration Library
The most important small business resource is no longer labor, capital or land, but knowledge. Learning opportunities and training programs are the venture capital of the future. Acquiring intellectual capital will continue to be a powerful dimension shaping the success of small businesses today and in the future.
Surety Bond Guarantee (SBG) Program
The program objectives are to strengthen the competitive free enterprise system by helping qualified small and disadvantaged contractors obtain bid, performance, payment and ancillary bonds, who would otherwise be unavailable to obtain them without the SBA guarantee.
The U.S. Small Business Administration
In the Small Business Act of July 30, 1953, Congress created the Small Business Administration, whose function was to "aid, counsel, assist and protect, insofar as is possible, the interests of small business concerns." The charter also stipulated that the SBA would ensure that small businesses receive a "fair proportion" of government contracts and sales of surplus property.
If your company qualifies as a disadvantaged business (e.g. woman-owned, minority-owned, HUBZone) under the Small Business Administration's guidelines, you may be eligible to receive certifications that will allow you to compete for the 23 percent of federal business that is required by law to go through disadvantaged resellers. The following links will provide you with information on diversity classifications and show you how to apply:
SBA Home Page: www.sba.gov
HUBZones: www.sbaonline.sba.gov/hubzone
Veterans, Service-Disabled Veterans: www.sba.gov/aboutsba/sbaprograms/ovbd
8(a) Business Development: www.sba.gov/aboutsba/sbaprograms/8abd
Native American: www.sba.gov/aboutsba/sbaprograms/naa
Small Disadvantaged: www.sba.gov/aboutsba/sbaprograms/sdb
Women-Owned: www.sba.gov/aboutsba/sbaprograms/onlinewbc
If you are a reseller who works with, or wants to start doing business with entities, then the following links will help you navigate that lucrative market:
E-Rate: www.usac.org/sl/
US Department of Education: www.ed.gov
National Center for Education Statistics: www.nces.ed.gov/survey/sdds
The GSA schedule is a powerful selling tool for resellers interested in the federal market. Check the links below for information on this government contract opportunity:
General Service Administration: www.gsa.gov
GSA Advantage: www.gsaadvantage.gov
Selling to the federal government sometimes requires products that meet certain criteria. The links below provide information on some of the most common federal requirements:
Energy Star®: www.energystar.gov
EPEAT®: www.epeat.net
Section 508, handicapped accessibility: www.section508.gov
For additional resources that can help you win business in the public-sector market, learn valuable market data, access current and upcoming RFPs and get valuable information on key agency contacts, the Tech Data TechEDG Team recommends these sites:
Input: www.input.com
Center for Digital Government: www.centerdigitalgov.com
Federal Business Opportunities: www.fbo.gov<br>
Onvia: www.onvia.com
Gartner Research: www.gartner.com
Federal Agency Web sites
Environmental Protection Agency Headquarters, Procurement Operations
Federal Emergency Management Agency
FEMA business opportunities
General Services Administration (GSA)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NASA Acquisition Internet service
Office of Personnel Management OPM
Social Security Administration
Office of Acquisition and Grants
Department of Veterans Affairs
News and Articles
The Federal government has created a user-friendly way to communicate the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding for each of the 50 states. By visiting www.recovery.gov/?q=content/investments-state you will be able to click on any state and view funded programs and the monies allocated for each program. As the Federal government makes changes, this link will be updated to reflect those changes. The dollar amounts in the map are based on the reports received to date and will change as more of the funding announcements become available. By taking advantage of this information, you will have the edge when prospecting opportunities state by state.
On May 15, 2009, the Department of Defense (DoD) released its Agency Plan for ARRA funding. The DoD intends to execute defense-related funds as quickly as possible through programs designed around Energy Conservation, Energy Efficiency and Facilities Upgrades to name a few. To find out specifics on the DOD's IT spending, please visit www.defenselink.mil/recovery.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and related guidance include several provisions that require the Department of Defense (DOT) to take steps beyond standard practice, including reporting, information collection, budget execution, risk management and specific action related to award type. These all require some sort of IT infrastructure. To find out the details, please visit www.dot.gov/recovery.
For information on the IT opportunities available through the Recovery Act, CompTIA has provided Recovery Act: IT Opportunities.
For information about where and how ARRA money is being spent, visit www.Recovery.gov.
If you're interested in learning about proposed shovel-ready projects and the candidates for federal grant programs, visit www.Stimuluswatch.org.
To gain insight on projects and grants from specific federal agencies, refer to the agency's recovery site by putting a "/recovery" at the end of the agency's Web address. You'll be directed to their recovery site. Example: www.ed.gov/recovery.
An excellent resource for helping your end-user agency find and apply for federal grant money is www.Grants.gov.
Technology projects in the education sector will be getting an unprecedented amount of federal stimulus funding. To learn about the E-RATE Program, which will help you navigate the education market space and provide real value to your education end users, visit www.universalservice.org.
To find out how state CIOs are using the federal stimulus money in their respective states, visit www.Nascio.org/advocacy/recovery.
Resellers can get a complete breakdown of ARRA at the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations Web site. Click here for more information.
Visit your state's Web site for more information regarding how ARRA funds are being spent.
Authority Magazine's editorial coverage focuses on emerging technologies, channel trends and business-building opportunities resellers can use to better manage their operations and strategically broaden their solution offerings to enhance profitability.
Commerce Business Daily is a source for notices of proposed government procurement actions, contract awards, sales of government property and other procurement information.
Computer Reseller News is a leading industry publication for computer resellers, now with a government focus.
Federal Computer Week is a guide to government information technology.
Government Computer News is a weekly publication that targets government VARs.
Government Technology is a publication dedicated to the state and local government markets.
Tech Data Press Center is your source for news on what's making the "Difference in Distribution."
Washington Technology is a biweekly publication that targets government integrators.
SLED Newsletter Articles
Educating America to Stay Competitive in the World
Students are more involved in their education than ever before and need the tools to be more competitive on the global spectrum. The 21st century student demands a 21st century virtual classroom. Blended learning is believed to become the norm where students supplement their traditional classroom education with online classes giving them a more competitive edge.
The priorities for schools have always been student performance, assessment and providing the tools they need to succeed. K-12 is going through a transformation, including providing alternative models for the delivery of curriculum, smaller technological footprints and going wireless.
Online learning is one of the most significant new instructional approaches available for supporting the improvement of teaching and learning in America's schools today. From providing summer school programs to advanced placement courses, K-12 students are learning more while staying at home. With the current administration's push for wireless broadband access to rural areas, many of these schools will be able to help their students access this information. E-learning also addresses the needs of teachers who are required to take Continued Education Classes each year, giving schools the option of providing web-based training to their staff.
From the desktop to the datacenter, virtualization is helping to transform education for the digital age. "Schools are looking for an easier, more affordable and more reliable way to manage their desktop environments while still providing students and faculty with the ability to stay productive," says Senior Product Marketing Manager for VMware Courtney Burry. "By turning to desktop virtualization schools can centrally and more securely manage a user's data, applications and operating system in the datacenter and can enrich the learning environment for students by providing anytime access to school assignments and applications from any device. Students and faculty can simply launch VMware View and their 'school desktop' is delivered to their machine."
Burry continues, "With budgets the way they are, this is the perfect time for education to look at virtualization. Not only can schools reduce capital outlays with desktop virtualization by repurposing existing PCs, but they can also reduce the ongoing operational costs associated with managing, patching and updating their PC environment-and this amounts to significant savings."
Another way educational institutions are breaking into the 21st century is with the advent of digital textbooks. Many school districts have already made the transition and have found that this shift has created other challenges within the classroom around digital technology. "It's come down to form factor and portability," says Ergotron's Senior Global Director for Education and Healthcare Industry Steve Reinecke. "Some districts want to be really progressive, but run into problems with space concerns and power."
That's where mobile teaching platforms, mobile computer labs and mobile power centers come in. "When a school invests in technology, a lot of times they can't afford to be putting technology in every single classroom," explains Reinecke. "Mobile teaching platforms equipped with a projector, a document camera, and a notebook all in one station give more students and teachers the opportunity for collaborative learning, while at the same time staying within the school's budget."
With the digital classroom comes a question of security. Schools are tasked with providing security on two fronts. They have to manage the data and technology that includes things like student records, but they also have to be aware of students bringing something like malware into the education environment.
"The opportunity is in flipping the conversation around solutions and activities that improve productivity and also fix the problems," advises HP's Director of Americas Channel Marketing, Matt Smith. "Resellers can turn the learning environment into a 21st century classroom providing an optimized solution."
From greater demand to greater educational possibilities, the 21st century virtual classroom provides resellers with opportunities to help students, teachers and schools meet and exceed their education goals. To find out more about how you can transform the ways students learn, and transform the world, call our Business Development Representatives at 800-436-5353, ext. 80321, or send an e-mail to usbusdevgov@techdata.com.
Keeping Constituents Happy Keeps State And Local Goverments Happy
2011 is a pivotal year, especially for states with new governors, new CIOs and new initiatives. Many state and local governments are considering significant changes to their IT governance models.
"The biggest thing that everyone reads about is that the government is going to be cutting way back, that budgets are being slashed and so forth," says Plantronics' Director of Public Sector Sales, Jim Stevenson. "The cuts they are going to be making, however, are mainly in the area of personnel and reducing real estate space and expense."
State and local governments realize that they must use technology to solve the problem of providing services to their citizens. "Security and reliability is huge given the huge disaster recovery plays such as snowageddon and hurricanes," explains Senior Product Marketing Manager for VMware Courtney Burry. "A lot of state and local agencies are looking at desktop virtualization as a way to more effectively provision out those services 24/7." This also allows them to provide their body of employees with remote access for the police department, the fire department and social workers who are going from home to home.
There's also a lot of interest in unified communications for its huge cost savings and large productivity gain. "No matter what level of government-from city to state-they are looking at some kind of unified communication platforms," says Stevenson. "The government is dispersing the workforce and a big part of that is the work-at-home initiative."
"With the great interest and push toward cloud-based services, communications services like IP telephony, unified communications and contact center are now viable options," explains Director of Business Development for Avaya Gavin Lee. "There's a greater need for VARs to deliver the license, support devices, support gateways and so forth, as well as the need to put in place a high-performance and reliable data and wireless network."
And, with the demand for constant connectivity comes greater investments in video conferencing technology. "From mobile media centers," says Reinecke, "to 911 centers, and police and fire units, greater mobility and communication are making video conferencing the standard."
Going mobile and staying connected includes the distribution of information through document management. "Document management is easier to use, more productive and it's going mobile," explains Fujitsu's Business Development Manager George Patrick. "People expect information in the palm of their hand and new technologies are making the distribution of information more reliable than it has ever been."
It all comes down to total cost of ownership and doing more with less. "Resellers should emphasize the long-term cost-saving advantages of their solutions as well," says Brother's Director of Government Sales Jim Sharkey. "Such things as being an ENERGY STAR® product, having power-save modes, and being more cost-effective and efficient should also be added to the equation."
"Smaller municipalities are counting pennies and are looking at ways to cut costs in areas like supplies in order to get more for their dollar, as well as pay for larger projects," says Vice President of Channel Sales at Rhinotek Ro Crowley. "Some of the smaller groups aren't even ready to shift to digital now, but are saving for the future. This is a great area for resellers to look into and make these smaller agencies customers now."
The opportunities are out there and it is up to you to step up and grab them. Government customers need you! To find out more about how you can help them help their constituents, call our Business Development Representatives at 800-436-5353, ext. 80321, or send an e-mail to usbusdevgov@techdata.com.
Webinars
Our webinars are focused on the topics that matter to you and your business. These live events are hosted by vendor partners and industry experts who share their knowledge about the government and education markets, new technologies and opportunities to help you grow your business. Each webinar gives you the ability to submit questions to these experts and receive answers during the presentation.
Watch, Listen and Learn
To help you make the most of this opportunity and grow your public-sector business, the TechEDG team invites you to participate in a webinar series hosted by government and education vendor partners and industry experts. Each webinar includes valuable information, such as technologies for education, grant funding, making the most of the stimulus, federal technology trends and public-sector safety, as well as Tech Data credit and government services.
Upcoming Webinars:
December 7 - Emerging Tech Trends Shaping the Federal Market: Where to Place Your Bets
View our previous webinars:
For the November 18 - Apple in Government webinar, click here.
For the September 2 - Plantronics Public Sector Safety - Selling to the First Responder Market webinar, click here.
For the August 26 - Uncovering Public Sector Opportunities with HP and TechEDG webinar, click here.
For the July 1 - Setting the Stage: Fellowes Capturing Stimulus Funds in 2010 webinar,
click here.
For the May 25 - Fujitsu webinar, click here.
For the May 25 - Boosting Business with Grant Funding: Qualifying for Grants 101 - AGWA webinar, click here.
For the April 1 - Go to the Head of the Class: Technologies for the Education Buying Season with INPUT's Senior Analyst Jason Sajko webinar, click here.
For the April 1 - Ergotron's webinar, click here.
For the March 9 - The State of the States: Where to Find the Money During the SLED Buying Season with Chris Dixon, State and Local Market Analysis Manager for INPUT webinar, click here.
For the March 9 - Credit Services webinar, click here.
To learn more, please call the TechEDG team at 800-436-5353, ext. 80321.
Technology Solutions Tour Presentations
(codec may be required to view presentations)
Orlando, Florida
August 2–4
Fraud Protection - SALES
Fraud Protection - CREDIT
Current Fraud Trends
Eaton Presentation
Fellowes Presentation
HP Public Sector: Building on Great Opportunities
HP Supporting Tomorrow's Decisions
Plantronics Presentation
INPUT: Federal IT Forecast, 2010-2015
INPUT: Federal Information Security Spending Outlook
Washington D.C.
April 21–23, 2010
AGWA Grants for Technology
Cisco presentation
Eaton presentation
Fellowes presentation
Ergotron presentation
HP presentation
INPUT State of the Public Sector
INPUT Federal Market_Key Technologies
INPUT Selling to state governments
Plantronics Headsets in the public sector
Qualifying for Grants 101
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