IBM to modernize Justice systems

IBM won a seven-year contract worth as much as $150 million to modernize and consolidate the Justice Department's financial management and procurement systems, the Washington Post reports.

Under the United Financial Management System contract, which has a base year and six one-year options, the company will combine six systems into one.

"The interfaces and support required to maintain all these disparate systems are daunting," said Richard K. Scott, executive program manager for IBM's federal business consulting services division, based in Bethesda.

"One department-wide system gives us an opportunity to reduce costs because we don't have to have six redundant infrastructures to support our systems," said Lee J. Lofthus, controller and deputy chief financial officer at the Justice Department. "It also improves the timing in which we get our data for our management."