IBM To Upgrade Software At Transportation Security Administration

The federal Transportation Security Administration has tapped IBM to develop a software infrastructure that the agency hopes will allow it to more easily get critical data to key personnel during emergencies.

Under the plan, disclosed Wednesday, IBM will work with the TSA's IT unit to create a service-oriented architecture -- a set of standards-based software that can connect PCs, cell phones, PDAs, and other communications tools into a single, unified network.

The deal is worth up to $98.5 million over five years, though IBM may receive only a portion of that depending on the actual amount of work it performs. Other vendors that could receive part of the award include subcontractors Oracle, Deloitte Consulting, Lockheed Martin, Akamai, and Blackstone Consulting Group.

The TSA awarded the contract under its Operational Application Support and Information Services (OASIS) program. It's part of a larger IT services acquisition program run by the Department of Homeland Security called Eagle.

Through OASIS, the TSA wants to modernize its communications infrastructure so that crucial information can be quickly passed to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies during times of crisis. "The TSA's rapidly evolving and flexible environment demands new and innovative ways of distributing information," said John Nyland, a managing partner in IBM's global services unit.

Separately, IBM on Thursday said it had received a contract worth $480 million to provide a range of IT services to Canada's Scotiabank. IBM said it will manage the bank's data centers, automated banking machines, branch computers, and help desk operations.