About that same time, NASA began pursuing a PC outsourcing effort, the Outsourcing Desktop Initiative for NASA program. Both the space agency and GSA negotiated deals with multiple vendors to provide seat services to agencies governmentwide. But, for the most part, seat management has failed to catch fire among agencies. GSA has contracts for nine task orders, including its own, and others for the Office of Inspector General at the Housing and Urban Development Department, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Federal Highway Administration and Treasury Department. When I talk to people, I try to find out what it is that they specifically fear, Lee said.
Control means different things to different people.
I try to drill down and find out what it is they want to control. Under seat, when agencies buy managed desktop services from industry they relinquish ownership and maintenance of most IT assets. But most agencies also retain an in-house staff to oversee the programs and that s how they can keep control, Lee said. Despite the inhibitions of many agency managers, Lee said, she s starting to see new interest in seat. In addition to educating agencies, Lee guides them through the tricky process of developing and implementing outsourcing programs.