GSA working to expand scope of $50B Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions contract

The General Services Administration plans to expand contract language within the $50 billion Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions (EIS) procurement so agencies can more quickly obtain mobility-as-a-service offerings starting in 2022.

GSA already issued one request for information (RFI) seeking comments on the modification to the $50 billion telecommunications and network modernization contract and is considering a second round of comments prior to finalizing changes next year.

EIS is the government’s flagship, $50 billion telecom and network modernization vehicle, and agencies have until September 2022 to transfer their telecoms inventory across to the contract.

The proliferation of 5G and edge computing has made mobility more central to IT, so GSA is updating EIS documentation to standardize wireless services and devices, mobile security and the Internet of Things.

“There’s really not too much that you can’t get today on EIS in the scope of telecommunications and networking for federal agencies,” said Kevin Gallo, director of technical account management in GSA’s Office of Enterprise Technology Solutions, during an ATARC webinar Thursday. “It really is quite broad and flexible, so really what we’re trying to do here with our update and expansion is make it easier for agencies to procure the services and easier for industry to offer them.”

EIS already references 5G, but GSA will ensure the technology is included everywhere it should be with the modification.

Agencies are interested in using 5G for network access arrangements as well as 5G or private cellular networks with Internet of Things devices. EIS is a “good” vehicle for allowing agencies to mix and match mobility offerings, Gallo said.

Private and public networks can be used in tandem for components, services and security.

While the EIS modification is addressing MaaS, 5G-as-a-Service offerings are on the horizon.

“That’s something that we do see in the future,” Gallo said. “In fact, even beyond mobility, the as-a-Service procurement model in general and making sure EIS can support that easily.”