CAN THIS BE COINCIDENCE? DELL COMPUTER GETS $248 MILLION VA CONTRACT

[babylonsister]

CAN THIS BE COINCIDENCE? DELL COMPUTER GETS $248 MILLION VA CONTRACT -- The VA's former
Chief Information Officer had led Dell's government sales operation.

http://vawatchdog.org/07/nf07/nfAUG07/nf081607-1.htm

Today we learned that Dell Computer just got a contract from the VA worth a quarter of a billion dollars. I don't believe in coincidence. As an old news guy, I can tell you there is NO such thing as coincidence!

Let's backtrack a bit.

This story involves a gentleman named Robert McFarland. McFarland made a name for himself at Dell Computer as the executive in charge of government sales. McFarland left Dell, and in January 2004 he was named VA's CIO (Chief Information Officer).

In April 2006, McFarland left the VA.

Today...a contract worth $248 million is awarded to Dell. A contract this large can take years to put together. It is not done on the spur of the moment. We can assume that this contract was in the works while McFarland was CIO at the VA.

********************************

VA Gets Tech Boost, Dell Gets Massive Contract

The three-year contract includes 249,000 computers for agency employees who serve nearly 75 million people eligible for veterans' services and benefits

By K.C. Jones
InformationWeek
August 15, 2007 02:27 PM

Dell on Wednesday said it has obtained one of its largest government contracts through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Dell said that the VA awarded the company a $248 million, three-year contract for computers, services and technology deployment. Under the agreement, Dell will provide 249,000 computers for agency employees who serve nearly 75 million people eligible for veterans' services and benefits.

more...

http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=201800336

[Solo_in_MD]

1. Dell has always been very strong in government sales

if there was anything amiss, the other offerores would have screamed. After Dryuan, the process was tightened up once again

[MADem]

3. That is true. They even have regular online PX specials for exchange customers as well.

They give a decent military discount...

[Double T]

2. More than a coincidence.

[JDPriestly]

4. More graft and corruption. They don't bother to hide it any more.

[Solo_in_MD]

5. Do you have any clue about how Federal IT procurements work?

The selection was done a year after the bubba left the VA. Why do you think there would be a connection?

Federal procurement is pretty rigerous these days, and it got worse after the Druyan debacle.

[Javaman]

6. Not saying this is the reason but...

Dell is from texas, big in austin, fingers deep in texas legislature, has well known buddies on the hill.

Coincidence, maybe, but not likely.

[Solo_in_MD]

8. So do the other manufacturers...

I know of at least one major program in the DoD that recently left Dell for Toshiba Toughbooks...

[porphyrian]

7. And the government will get the boxes two weeks before the monitors show up. - n/t