FTS 2001 Equals Expanded Services

FTS 2001 is more than just a contract for long-distance phone service. It is different in almost every way from its predecessor, FTS 2000. FTS 2001 contractors MCI and Sprint have been winning business from federal agencies that are getting savvier at telecommunications management.

The companies are competing vigorously. In fact, some agencies that haven't transitioned to FTS 2001 are already receiving the discounted pricing on FTS 2001. "Last year Sprint brought pricing on our FTS 2000 contract down to the level of what we offer on FTS 2001," says Brad Bass, a Sprint spokesman.

Some agencies have discovered that they find the best deals when they use both Sprint and MCI. The State Department is using Sprint for data services and MCI for voice. The Education Department gave the nod to Sprint for audio-conferencing services while picking MCI for long distance. Other agencies that are doing business with both contractors include Defense, Energy, Justice and Veterans Affairs.

Another reason this is occurring is the breadth of services the contract offers. Now agencies can contract for international long-distance voice service, toll-free service and one-way paging. FTS 2001 contractors also offer cellular phone service.

Sprint and MCI offer Internet access, wide area networks for data and video, electronic commerce solutions, e-mail and video teleconferencing. Sprint will even be offering Web-hosting services soon.

FTS 2001 gives government agencies a larger set of services, says Bruce Brignull, assistant commissioner for service development at FTS, and has expanded the service area to the entire world.

One service both MCI and Sprint have sought to add to their contracts is network managed services. This essentially amounts to outsourcing the management of an agency's networks. Justice, Treasury and Veterans Affairs are looking into such a service.

The service analyzes network performance and provides fault management, says Sprint's Bass. "We stand on the lookout for potential network problems," he says.

"This is a services-based contract," Brignull says. "It's more economical to buy services than equipment."