Feds to Ramp Up Online Purchasing Presence

Susan Cassidy is quoted in an E-Commerce Times article regarding efforts to create an online marketplace for government purchasers. "One model that was discussed would require a portal provider to contract with GSA to provide an online interface. Under this approach, suppliers would then sign up to use the portal, potentially via a contract with the portal provider. Next, government purchasers would select suppliers from the portal, entering prime contracts with suppliers directly," says Cassidy. Another approach would require online portal providers to sell directly to the government, providing a user interface for online purchases and the end items of supply. "Consistent with the text of the statute," numerous attendees [at the GSA forum] said that multiple online portals would "encourage competition among a larger pool of potential contractors and deliver better value to the government," Cassidy says.