Since the launch of the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) during the end of July 2012, the General Service Administration has received widespread complaints concerning the system. Users have criticized SAM.gov for its frequent system errors, inefficient functions, untimeliness of registrations and most recently – breach in security. The system, which replaced the Central Contractor Registry (CCR) and the Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA), was created with the intention of making the registration process easier to track and maintain for both Federal contractors and agencies. However, instead the system has perpetuated the feelings of frustration among not only its users, but also its creators.

As we dive deeper into the year 2013, we see now more than ever the workforce’s reliance on mobile devices. It has reached a scale so great that according to multiple technology research firms, before the end of this year, mobile devices will overtake personal computers as the most common tool to access the web.

The federal government FedRAMP program will not allow for any additional 3PAO’s to join the already approved 16 independent testing firms after March 25, 2013. The application process will be closed March 25th, and companies already in the process will not be able to resubmit any changes to their applications. These approved 3PAO’s are in place to review if the potential cloud providers, which want to offer their services to the government, meet the FedRAMP requirements. The 3PAO’s are responsible for saving the federal government an average $200,000 per cloud deployment by helping with the FedRAMP certification process. The pause to the vetting process is a result of the federal government’s desire to outsource the process. In an email sent by Jackeline Stewart, a spokeswoman for the General Services Administration, the planned privatization of the "accreditation function will result in a pause in accepting new applications." She also added the length of the hiatus depends on the time it takes to evaluate fair competition and then shift responsibilities. The target time to have the process back up and running is Fall 2013. Mike Hettinger, Public Sector Director for the Software and Information Industry Association, said "We have continually encouraged GSA to make sure that the FedRAMP program has enough bandwidth to handle the cloud service providers who want to go through the process. If, by privatizing, that will ensure enough bandwidth to go through the process, I am encouraged.” Hettinger continued to say, “I'm a little concerned about the gap between when GSA stops accepting third-party assessors and the fall when the private sector accreditation organization will be established. Having a gap probably has the potential to slow down the process."

It is no secret that the United States does not have enough people who can defend the country from digital intrusions. The government has been aware of this problem for a very long time and has already taken steps to solve it. We are currently two years into Obama’s ten-year plan to develop Science, Technology, and Math (STEM) teachers and he recently requested to Congress for money to retrain 2 million Americans for high-tech work. In addition, a month ago the Pentagon said it needed to increase the U.S. Cyber Command’s workforce by 300% to counter attacks. However, even after all these efforts, last month the demand became even more urgent after the Chinese attempts at cyberespionage.

As of March 1st, the Sequester has officially begun. Government-wide budget cuts have been implemented and small businesses seem to be the early victim. The situation looks particularly troubling for small businesses that deal with the Department of Defense and related agencies. According to the Small Business Administration, 35% of Department of Defense suppliers are small businesses. In many cases, government agencies are the premier customer for these small firms, making the loss of federal contracts potentially fatal for these companies. Economics expert Dr. Stephen S. Fuller of George Mason University fears the Sequester could be even more devastating for small businesses than many realize. He believes that in addition to the loss of prime contracting opportunities, many small businesses are subcontractors to government agencies such as the Department of Defense. Therefore, the spending cuts will have a trickle-down effect on small businesses that could be equally devastating. Fuller mentions that in addition to this, many small businesses act as suppliers or vendors for prime federal contractors without even knowing it. This ignorance prevents proper strategic business planning for these firms that could lessen the effects of the Sequester. Fuller estimates that approximately half of the projected two million job losses resulting from the spending cuts could come from smaller firms. Small businesses across the country are beginning to brace themselves for the effects of the recent Sequester. Many firms are attempting to diversify their clients amongst different government agencies and further into the private sector. While it still remains to be seen what the true effects of the spending cuts will be on smaller firms, many companies are bracing for the worst. It is also worthy to note that the aforementioned budget cuts will likely effect all businesses including those that do not have federal contracts. The cuts are predicted to have a ripple effect that will show decreases in GDP and increases in unemployment, which foreshadow a recession.

If you have a 58 I GSA Schedule Contract, this could be pretty significant news. It was recently announced that beginning in March 2013, federal buyers will only be purchasing televisions and monitors that are EPEAT registered. EPEAT is the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool, and GSA describes it as “a multi-attribute, multi-tier environmental and energy efficiency rating system and registry for electronic equipment. The criteria address more than energy efficiency and, in essence, define what it means for products to be environmentally preferable.”