In a public announcement today, Dr. Robert A. Walker, President of Advanced Systems, Inc. (ASI), a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), announced that ASI had been awarded a Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) contract to create and operate an Emerging Technology Center (ETC) to perform independent functional and security testing for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). As stated in the BPA, “In order to provide the best of care to the veterans, VA must remain at the forefront of technology across its services. To support this effort, many emerging technologies need to be evaluated and validated against VA specific requirements before they can be fielded in the VA intranet. Impartial assessments are critical in the assurance of performance and this approach can be done by employing an independent third party that is not influenced from outside sources.” Under the terms of the BPA, the products and technologies to be tested and evaluated may include but are not limited to:
•     Identification and Authentication
•     Authorization
•     Access Control
•     Malicious code protection (Integrity, Behavior, Vulnerability)
•     Software Distribution (Big fix, Patch link, HP Radia, Tivoli, CA, SMS, etc)
•     Vulnerability scanners
•     Framework Solutions (SMS, Tivoli, CA Unicenter, etc)
•     Network Management
•     Operating systems (Microsoft, UNIX, LINUX, Macintosh, VMS)
•     Remote access
•     Secure Messaging
•     Network Devices
•     Wireless
•     Public key Technology
•     Voice / Voice over IP
•     Video
•     Applications
•     Remote control
•     Computer Hardware

Advanced Systems, Inc. (ASI) core business areas are:

System Design, Integration and Support
LAN/WAN Analysis and Design
Operational Support
Remote Diagnostics
Wireless Networking
Security Planning/Evaluation/Testing
Database Integration
Technical Analysis and Site Survey

Custom Software Development
Database Systems
Applications Development (Web/Integrated)
Software Engineering
Multimedia/Graphics

Program Management & Support Services
Planning and Analysis
Organizational Development

Financial, Statistical and Mathematical Modeling
Science & Engineering Support Services
Engineering & Management Consulting Services
End-user Technical Training and Support

The ETC will be collocated with a network operations center provided by ASI’s key Team ASI subcontractor, Digicon, Inc. The world-class facilities will allow the ASI-Digicon team to create testing environments that closely match those that exist within the VA system, as well as those that might be created through the introduction of new technologies. “As the introduction of new functional and security technologies accelerates, the threat environment will become more complex and sophisticated,” said Dr. Walker. “If they are to provide a secure operating environment, all organizations, both commercial as well as government, must evaluate the security implications before they implement new technologies or modify critical business processes. The ETC should serve as an example to these organizations as to how independent experts can provide the skills and objective analysis necessary to successfully navigate these critical threats.”

ASI is a proposed prime contractor under the GSA VETS Government-wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) for Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses, bringing together the capabilities of 46 other SDVOSB companies and 11 other companies as part of Team ASI. VETS will be a major vehicle for implementing Public Law 108-80 that establishes a goal of three percent of the value of all federal procurements for SDVOSBs and the President’s Executive Order 13360, Contracting with Service-Disabled Veterans Businesses. The objective of the VETS GWAC is to provide civilian agencies and the Department of Defense (DoD) the ability to obtain a broad range of comprehensive IT support services in a timely and cost-effective manner under a multiple award contract.

“The structure and capabilities of Team ASI will help enable the Federal Government to meet the objectives of the Public Law and the requirements of Government Departments and Agencies. The separate award of the BPA by the Veterans Administration is a strong endorsement of goals established for the VETS GWAC,” said Walker.

Founded in 1988, Advanced Systems, Inc. is a privately held company that provides specialized management, engineering and information technology products and services for commercial and governmental users.

Team ASI is a trademark of Advanced Systems, Inc.