And in the IT world, that encompasses everything from a specific card for your PC to a multi-year Seat Management contract for your entire agency. That is to say, the web sites of the IT industry serving government provide detailed background information including white papers, technical specifications, benchmarks, comparison studies, etc. And all the major players in the federal arena offer federal-specific information related to contracts and technology advances. The mere act of shopping online has quickly evolved into a worthwhile learning experience for buyers ready to check out the marketplace for specific solutions as well as broader IT trends. As the Internet evolves, the online shopping experience for complex IT services and products pushes new knowledge resources out to buyers they simply never had before.
Information technology is complex, yes.
But when the experience of shopping for IT becomes a learning experience, two major government missions are met at once and in far less time at far less cost. This is why we believe that, ultimately, the online buyer is the smartest buyer of all. Buying online affords opportunities for federal IT buyers to keep abreast of trends in technology, e-commerce practices, contract options and other related resources that are only a click or two away when you are visiting the web sites of the leading online IT companies. These resources constitute value-add for government online buyers, making the basic shopping experience as much an educational experience as a transaction process. We think the availability of such resources will eventually make the online shopper the smartest shopper of all.