The Evolution of Cloud on GSA Schedule 70

By Adam Hyman, Director, Government Programs

As the government continues its initiative to modernize and transform IT across its ever-expanding network, cloud technology has been, and will continue to be, critical in achieving government missions.

While the government’s demand for cloud technology has grown, the largest IT government contract, GSA Schedule 70, has been slow to adapt. As a result, vendors have had to scatter cloud offerings under existing SINs, including 132-32 (Term Software Licenses) and 132-52 (Electronic Commerce), none of which are ideal because their terms did not align with how cloud is sold.

In 2015, GSA acknowledged the void and introduced SIN 132-40 (Purchase of Cloud Computing Services) to GSA Schedule 70 contracts. However, under this SIN, only the three NIST service models (SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS) are in scope, while any supporting hardware, software, and services are out of scope and need to be added on other GSA Schedule 70 SINs.

And, to add a cloud offering under SIN 132-40, vendors must select at least one NIST cloud deployment model (private, public, or hybrid) and provide GSA a technical write-up describing how the cloud offering satisfies each of NIST’s five essential characteristics of cloud computing:

1. On-demand self service
2. Broad network access
3. Resource pooling
4. Rapid elasticity
5. Measured service

While the introduction of SIN 132-40 was a significant improvement in offering cloud technology, GSA’s evolution in adapting the Schedule 70 contract may not be complete. Recently, GSA has sought Industry feedback via RFI’s on a few proposed changes to SIN 132-40 including:

• Tightening up the definitions of several SINs, including 132-32, which would properly define “term” licenses and distinguish those licenses from any form of cloud SaaS available under SIN 132-40; and
• Broadening the scope of SIN 132-40 to include cloud-related professional services.

We anticipate increased usage of the Cloud SIN as GSA continues to modify and update the terms of the Schedule 70 contract, including changes to come from its MAS consolidation initiative — and we will continue to follow proposed changes. immixGroup was awarded the cloud SIN 132-40 on both of its GSA Schedule 70 contracts and is prepared to guide suppliers on how to get their cloud offerings moved or added to this SIN.

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