The General Services Administration (GSA) has reached a software acquisition agreement with Adobe to provide streamlined data security and electronic solutions for government, enabling agencies to meet the requirements of Federal information security and electronic government policy.

“The offering is a significant step forward in promoting acquisition efficiency and supporting the agency’s goals under category management,” said Mary Davie, assistant commissioner for GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service in the Office of Information Technology Category (ITC). “It will help Federal agencies protect high-value assets, while also supporting faster transition to an electronic government.”

“Securing critical agency assets, streamlining government operations and saving agencies money is at the heart of this agreement. We are thrilled that government agencies can now leverage Adobe technology to help secure documents and use the latest Adobe software to reduce paperwork and streamline services,” said Adobe’s vice president and public Sector CTO John Landwehr. “Security threats to government data are persistent and constantly evolving. Adobe solutions enable agencies to encrypt sensitive documents with Digital Rights Management so information is protected no matter where it is stored or transported. This multilayered approach allows agencies to control who sees documents, what information can be viewed as well as where and when documents can be accessed.”

According to the GSA press release, the new agreement will offer $350 million in potential cost savings for the American taxpayer, tiered discounts for agencies, reduced contract duplication, increased security, and the option to transition paper processes into electronic workflows.

“This new governmentwide agreement will help agencies better secure their assets, transform legacy systems, and reduce paperwork for government employees while saving taxpayers money,” said Lesley Field, deputy administrator of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). “Streamlined category management offerings will make it easier for government agencies to obtain the best and most current software that government employees need to get the job done.”

The agreement is designed to help agencies comply with the revised OMB Circular A-130, Cybersecurity National Action Plan (CNAP), Cybersecurity Strategy and Implementation Plan (CSIP), Cybersecurity Act of 2015, the Government Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA), and the E-Sign Act of 2000. It is also intended to help with legislation compliance, such as Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA) and Making Electronic Government Accountable By Yielding Tangible Efficiencies (MEGABYTE) Act.

The software offering is available to all Federal, state, local, and tribal governments through GSA Schedule 70.

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to include Adobe commentary.

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Jessie Bur
Jessie Bur
Jessie Bur is a Staff Reporter for MeriTalk covering Cybersecurity, FedRAMP, GSA, Congress, Treasury, DOJ, NIST and Cloud Computing.
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