Those problems resulted in a three-year implementation delay and millions of dollars in lost savings. GSA launched the program in 2007, but ran into a number of difficulties, including larger demand among federal users for more complex and diverse telecommunications services.

20 post on GSA's website, Bill Lewis, the Federal Acquisition Service Integrated Technology Service's Networx program manager, said with the program firmly in place, the government has saved an average of 35 percent off regular prices by using Networx contracting vehicles that consolidate purchases and leverage the combined buying power of federal agencies. As a result of the delays, it said, GSA's estimated cost to complete the transition increased by $66.4 million, 44 percent over the baseline estimate. The Government Accountability Office said complex acquisition processes and weaknesses in project planning contributed to delays transitioning to Networx from the GSA's old FTS2001 contracts, resulting in cost increases and missed savings for federal users.Īccording to the GAO study, under Networx, federal agencies tended to transition easier items first to demonstrate progress, before they turned to work on items such as data networks and international services that needed longer lead times.

Although GSA officials say the agency's Networx contracting vehicles have put significant dents in the federal government's telecommunications bills, a GAO study says the road to those savings wasn't nearly as smooth as it could have been.

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