Because of the new services, agencies must be sure that they are still in compliance with a number of regulations, including the Federal Information Security Management Act and Internet Protocol version 6, panelists said.

This means agencies must take careful inventory of their existing network services to ensure that everything they have can be transitioned and updated under the new contract. Williams and other GSA officials stressed that the transition to Networx from the agency's expiring telecommunications GWAC'FTS 2001'will be difficult because the number of services offered under Networx will far surpass those currently being offered. 'The time for planning and transitioning is right now,' Jim Williams, commissioner of GSA's Federal Acquisition Service, said after his speech kicking off the agency's Networx Transition Summit in Reston, Va. Even though the Networx governmentwide acquisition contract will not be awarded until next year, agencies interested in using the telecommunications vehicle would be wise to start planning their transition now, General Services Administration officials said.

Networx contract id