Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
GAO Slaps Harris For Offering Its Competitor’s Radios For Army Deal
http://breakingdefense.com/2014/02/gao-slaps-harris-for-offering-competitors-radios-for-army-deal/GAO Slaps Harris For Offering Its Competitors Radios For Army Deal
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.
on February 07, 2014 at 2:25 PM
The military can move in mysterious ways, especially when it comes to the arcane and often-dysfunctional bureaucratics of buying gear. But in our combined 31 years of covering the Defense Department, we here at Breaking Defense had never seen this one before: a defense contractor getting busted for trying to sell the government its competitors product.
Its not a big-dollar story, but its a bizarre one. This week, Congresss watchdog agency, the Government Accountability Office, released its latest round of rulings on defense contracts it had been asked to overturn. Such contract disputes have gotten more and more common as defense contractors compete more and more desperately for shrinking budgets. But the Government Accounting Office is a harsh mistress: GAO overturns only 3 to 4 percent of disputed contracts. So, on Tuesday, when the agency said it upheld Motorola Solutions complaint against the Army for improperly awarding a $2.5 million radio contract to Harris Corp., it was remarkable just for the fact that Motorola won.
But even more remarkable and actually kind of funny was GAOs reason for ruling against Harris. Harris is a sharp-elbowed and highly successful newcomer to the hotly contested world of Army radio contracts. But in this particular contract to provide a new radio system for the Armys Detroit Arsenal (last years Navy Yard shootings show, such emergency systems are important) it turns out Harris only won the competition with Motorola by offering a Motorola radio, because Harriss own product didnt qualify.
At the time the Army had to make its decision, Harriss radio had not yet been approved by the Michigan Public Safety Communications System a requirement of the contract, and an understandable one for a facility located in Detroit. But Motorolas had. So after deeming Harriss original proposal unsatisfactory, the Army gave Harris wiggle room to offer the Motorola product, in essence, as a back-up in case the Harris radio wasnt certified in time.
unhappycamper comment: Who owns Motorola?
Answer: Lenovo
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57618535-94/google-said-to-invest-$750m-in-lenovo-as-part-of-motorola-deal/
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
2 replies, 942 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (2)
ReplyReply to this post
2 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
GAO Slaps Harris For Offering Its Competitor’s Radios For Army Deal (Original Post)
unhappycamper
Feb 2014
OP
Motorola radio is still US, just the cellular end went to Lenovo. But Harris RF always was better
LiberalArkie
Feb 2014
#1
LiberalArkie
(15,732 posts)1. Motorola radio is still US, just the cellular end went to Lenovo. But Harris RF always was better
than Motorola.
Victor_c3
(3,557 posts)2. For those who don't know, Lenovo is a Chinese company n/t