WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 /PRNewswire/–The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced the award of a task order from its Smart Access Common ID Contract to issue the Electronic Treasury Enterprise Card (E-TREC) to U.S. Department of Treasury (Treasury) employees.

GSA’s Federal Technology Service (FTS) issued the $1.4 million task order on July 18, 2002 to Maximus Inc., one of four prime vendors selected under its multiple award indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract to develop smart card products and services.

Approximately 9,000 employees are expected to receive E-TREC cards beginning in the fall of 2002. The Secret Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the Internal Revenue Service, and Treasury Departmental Offices will participate in the implementation.

The E-TREC cards will contain a smart card integrated circuit chip and an antenna, allowing Treasury to conduct business using one card for physical (contact and contactless) and logical access (computer/data access), biometrics, public key infrastructure (PKI), and single sign on. The E-TREC card will follow the current GSA interoperability standards enabling the Department of Treasury to share information within participating bureaus.

“GSA’s Common Access ID Contract and the interoperable standards that we’ve developed offer agencies the best smart card technology currently available in government and the private sector,” said FTS Commissioner, Sandra Bates. “We have been very pleased to assist the Department of Treasury in expanding their security resources through smart card technology and look forward to working with them to achieve a successful implementation.”

GSA is a centralized federal procurement and property management agency created by Congress to improve government efficiency and help federal agencies better serve the public. It acquires, on behalf of federal agencies, office space, equipment, telecommunications, information technology, supplies, and services. GSA, comprised of 14,000 associates, provides services and solutions for the office operations of over 1 million federal workers located in 8,300 government-owned and leased buildings in 1,600 U.S. communities.

SOURCE U.S. General Services Administration

Web Site: http://www.gsa.gov