Google has filed a lawsuit against the Interior Department for giving Microsoft an exclusive contract without seriously considering Google Apps as an option for a productivity suite.
The productivity suite services 88,000 employees, according to TechDirt.com. Google said the contract is “unduly restrictive of competition,” but the department countered, saying Google’s security is not tight enough, and cannot accommodate classified information, according to RedHerring.com.
Filed Nov. 1, the lawsuit has sparked online debate among tech junkies, and computer programmers. One Smith School professor said that Google should have the right to bid for contract.
“I believe the government should be as transparent as possible with its contract decisions,” said Tyser Teaching fellow Dr. Mark Wellman. “I am not familiar with Google’s platform but I believe that every company that wants to bid for a contract should be allowed to.”
Wellman is the director of the Business, Society & Economy program for College Park Scholars at University of Maryland. “A transparent bidding process when selecting technology providers has the potential to save taxpayers millions of dollars and possibly result in greater efficiency,” said Wellman.
President Barack Obama released a memorandum in March 2009 warning against government reliance on sole-source contracts.
“Reports by agency Inspectors General, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), and other independent reviewing bodies have shown that noncompetitive and cost-reimbursement contracts have been misused, resulting in wasted taxpayer resources, poor contractor performance, and inadequate accountability for results,” states the Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies.
The Interior Department’s chief technology officer said in a Google public session in April 2010 that a “path forward had already been chosen,” and that there is no opportunity for Google to compete because it did not comply with the department’s security requirements, according to the lawsuit. Google allegedly made several attempts to obtain the security requirements, though they were declined, according to the lawsuit.
Google adamantly stated that the prices offered would be lower than Microsoft’s, according to the lawsuit.
Google released an updated version of its Web-based software in July 2010. Google’s government applications are certified under the Federal Information Security Management Act, meaning they can accommodate government information considered “sensitive” but not “classified,” according to RedHerring.com.
According to the White House memorandum, spending on government contracts has more than doubled since 2001, and grew to more than $500 billion in 2008.
“During this same period, there has been a significant increase in the dollars awarded without full and open competition and an increase in the dollars obligated through cost-reimbursement contracts,” the memorandum stated. According to the memo, in certain “exigent circumstances,” agencies may need to consider a sole-source contract.
The response from the department and the weight of the suit remain to be seen.