Just a few days into 2018, it’s clear that blockchain technology and cryptocurrency are hot topics whose popularity will continue to surge. In 2017, at times it seemed impossible to escape a discussion with peers about how we wish we’d invested in Bitcoin starting in 2009. The spike in public interest in blockchain-based cryptocurrency has nearly everyone taking note – now even the U.S. Government. What makes cryptocurrency so valuable is the underlying technology it depends on, called blockchain. Blockchain could have a dramatic impact on internet security and communications moving forward.

Government contracting is fiercely competitive today. Often, what drives your chance of capturing a win includes having a competitively-priced, unique or timely offering, or being small-business certified. One important factor in any win is whether your company is the contract incumbent, having already done business with the agency. Traditionally, being the incumbent gives you a competitive edge though the market is changing. New research on winners and losers Grant Thornton’s (GT) 2016 Government Contractor Survey collected and analyzed data from companies who primarily do business with the federal government during Fiscal Year 2016. For six years, this survey has shed light on how companies compete for contracts.

Though the GSA tried to make doing business with its Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contracts easier, the process is still complex. Per GSA, “A mass modification is a government-initiated modification that occurs when a uniform change occurs schedule-wide.”[1] A mass mod is a schedule-wide update to a contract’s terms that require the contractor’s acceptance. Often, these modifications are all-encompassing updates that incorporate new government regulations or legislation. One recent example is mod A509 for the new Transactional Data Reporting system.

Strengthening the security of federal networks, systems, and data is one of the most important challenges federal agencies face. Therefore, the General Services Administration (GSA) is changing how it provides access to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)'s cybersecurity program through the Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) program. GSA's newest Schedule 70 Special Item Number (SIN) 132-44, Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation Tools, is a dynamic approach to strengthening the cybersecurity of government networks and systems. The jointly administered program by DHS and the GSA currently operates under a Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) which will expire in August, 2018. The GSA began the BPA-to-GSA transition process by adding the SIN 132-44 to IT Schedule 70.

This update will affect SINS 520-16 through 520-20. The General Services Administration’s (GSA) Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) is planning to release Refresh 28 of the 00CORP Professional Services Schedule (PSS) in Mid-November 2017. This update will implement a variety of changes to the scope of Special Item Numbers (SINs) 520-16, 520-17, and 520-20. It will also delete SINs 520-18 and 520-19 in order to redefine Data Breach Response and Identity Protection Services under PSS. These changes help to embrace the transition seen in data breach response and help create a proactive solution for identity protection.

Last month, the General Services Administration (GSA) announced that there are some major changes coming to several of their Schedule solicitations.