With a heartstrings-tugging whine that 60% of its subcontracts were to have gone to small and disadvantaged firms, most notable of which is Arix Corp IBM Federal Sector Division in Bethesda, Maryland has duly filed a protest with the General Services Administration Board of Contract Appeals seeking to overturn the US Treasury Department’s award of that $1,400m office automation contract to AT&T Co. IBM says that the Treasury Multiuser Acquisition Contract was awarded to AT&T at a price over $500,000 above IBM’s bid. IBM said that the Treasury Department asked for a solution that would provide best value and determined that IBM’s proposal exceeded their technical requirements. We are dismayed that Treasury wants to pay such a high price when our solution will more than meet their needs, IBM said, We believe our bid offered best value to the government and the taxpayers.
