Compusearch's New Internet Portal - FedConnect - Completes the Automated Acquisition Process; Creates Auditable Link between Federal Agencies and Vendors

Dulles, VA - Compusearch, the number one provider of acquisition management software and solutions for the civilian federal government, announced today the launch of FedConnect, the first Internet portal to fully and efficiently tie vendors into the electronic acquisition process through secure and auditable communication.

FedConnect works with an agency’s acquisition system to capture and manage transactions and interactions with vendors in a structured and secure environment and improve the efficiency of the federal acquisition process.

Dr. Steve Kelman, former Administrator of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy explains "The acquisition support systems agencies are generally using today help manage government purchases but do not help agencies get control over what ends up being, in total, millions of interactions with suppliers that are associated with their purchases. Last year alone, some 200+ million agency-vendor interactions happened in the form of e-mail, faxes, phone calls, and letters, outside the standard acquisition systems."

Compusearch Chief Operating Officer Reid Jackson added, "We built FedConnect at the request of our users who need a secure and easy way to manage interaction with their vendors. Today, much of the communication never makes it into the final acquisition record. In fact, the only data that makes it into the final record is that which is manually recorded. Our users tell us that tying vendors into the acquisition process through FedConnect will help them achieve more complete and accurate acquisition records while also making the entire process simpler and easier for everyone."

Agencies can electronically post opportunities including all related attachments from their acquisition management system to FedConnect where vendors can search, review and respond. Vendor’s responses through FedConnect are guided by solicitation-specific settings and specifications set up through the agency’s acquisition management system. As part of their response, vendors can include an unlimited number of supporting documents. All of this information is retrieved electronically by the agency’s acquisition system eliminating the need to manually key vendor data or file vendor submissions outside the electronic acquisition folder. In addition, awards, modifications, communication, announcements, and other interactions with the vendor occur within this secure, bi-directional portal, providing a complete audit trail of all activity relating to the action.

Provided as a central portal, similar to FedBizOpps, FedConnect co-exists with the agency’s existing architecture and infrastructure. FedConnect is currently fully integrated with Compusearch’s PRISM acquisition management suite but it can also communicate through web service technology with any other brand of acquisition management software an agency may use. FedConnect provides a vital link to the vendor community while maintaining complete security for the agency’s internal systems. FedConnect is free for all vendors and will be available for access 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Compusearch is currently in the process of deploying FedConnect for two federal agencies and will be rolling the solution out to other agencies throughout this summer. Agencies who would like to be part of the FedConnect program or who would like more information should contact Compusearch sales at 703-481-3699 x271. FedConnect is now available on Compusearch’s GSA Schedule GS-35F-0585J. More information about FedConnect can be found at www.compusearch.com/.

About Compusearch Founded in 1983, Compusearch is the leading provider of acquisition, spend management, and vendor/government procurement collaboration and grants management solutions. Built specifically for federal agencies, Compusearch’s PRISM acquisition management software is the most widely adopted federal acquisition system with over 25,000 users in more than 70 federal agencies across the civilian, intelligence and defense sectors of the federal government. Compusearch is a privately held small business, owned by Carlyle Ventures. For more information, visit www.compusearch.com/.