EDS to Support FDA Data Center Consolidation

Electronic Data Systems (EDS) has won a key contract to support the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as it consolidates its data center network into two facilities. The FDA recently selected 10 contractors to support the project, which will invest $2.5 billion in updating the agency's IT services and data center infrastructure over the next 10 years.

EDS was awarded a contract to oversee migrate the FDA's existing applications to a "contractor-owned" data center, with an initial funding of $12 million. The agency's infrastructure will be consolidated in two locations: the EDS facility and a second data center at the agency's White Oak campus in Silver Spring, Maryland.

EDS was recently acquired by HP for $13.9 billion.

Other companies that were awarded work as part of the FDA contract included Buccaneer, Computer Sciences Corporation, Dynanet, General Dynamics, Human Touch, IDL-Pragmatics, Interactive Technology Solutions, Telesis and Unisys. The FDA said the 10 contractors will compete for data information technology task orders throughout the contract.

"This contract sets the stage for the FDA to have IT to acquire, analyze and act on data critical for import protection, food protection and medical product safety plans," said Andrew C. von Eschenbach, M.D., Commissioner of Food and Drugs. "We are creating a high-tech, efficient, data management system designed to meet the needs of those who must accomplish our mission -- protecting and promoting the health of the American public."