GSA adds cellular, paging services to IT sked

The General Services Administration announced yesterday it is adding cellular and paging services to the Federal Supply Service's information technology schedule.

FSS officials said Wednesday they are accepting offers for commercially available cellular and paging services to be offered through their Group 70 schedule. FSS Commissioner Frank Pugliese said the move illustrates how GSA has responded to changes in the marketplace to make it easier for federal agencies to meet IT needs.

The announcement marks the first time FSS has offered any type of telecommunications service—which traditionally has been sold to federal agencies by GSA's Federal Technology Service—through the multiple award schedule program. For years, FSS officials privately have stated their desire to offer telecom services, but their efforts to do so have until now been blocked by FTS officials who have said such an action would create unnecessary competition within GSA.

In contrast to comments made by FTS officials in the past, Wednesday's announcement was blessed by FTS Commissioner Dennis Fischer. "Use of the schedules to provide cellular service provides another vehicle to thrill our customers and to ensure that the most up-to-date wireless products and services are available at competitive prices," Fischer said in a prepared statement.