RS Information Systems Wins Competition for $65 Million Defense Contract.

Business Editors/Hi-Tech Writers

MCLEAN, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 4, 2001

RS Information Systems (RSIS), a minority-owned, professional services company, has been awarded a $65 million managed seats and services contract to meet the information technology needs of a key research arm of the Department of Defense.

The contract calls for RSIS to provide a full range of high-end, expert IT services and infrastructure systems for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The agency's mission is to maintain U.S. technological superiority by identifying and supporting breakthrough technologies of interest to the military.

"The mission of DARPA is essential to technological advancement within our national defense," said Rodney P. Hunt, RSIS president and CEO.

"RSIS is proud to support DARPA's objective to continue to lead the research necessary for implementing technological advancements in all core areas of its mission. This contract will allow this important and challenging mission to continue under an IT paradigm shift - a seat management approach intended to allow DARPA to more closely focus on core business."

RSIS is a privately held company whose rapid growth in recent years can be traced in large part to its ability to compete effectively with industry giants in the bidding for IT contracts with defense and civilian agencies of the federal government.

The company's performance-based support in all of its core competencies consistently draws high marks from its clients and industry partners. NASA, for example, named RSIS its Minority Contractor of the Year in 2000.

Though still small compared to the giant defense contractors, the company now has 1,000 employees nationwide after only eight years of full-time operations. Sixty percent of its staff are women, minorities, veterans and handicapped individuals. Last year, company revenues doubled to nearly $80 million and are expected to exceed $130 million in 2001.

"The RSIS contract provides DARPA with a wide range of information technology services that will allow the agency to efficiently and effectively accomplish its mission, while also contributing to DOD's small business goals," said Mark Schaeffer, DARPA's deputy director for management operations.

Under the "managed seats" concept, RSIS will provide expert technology assistance and network infrastructure support with various types of workstations, servers and applications to DARPA in Arlington, Va.

This includes providing and managing the full gamut of IT services and systems infrastructure support necessary to implement the DARPA information technology strategic direction and achieve the agency's operational objectives. The information technology services that support DARPA's research responsibilities require state-of-the-art tools and services, and rapid, flexible response to mission-essential and evolving customer requirements.

Hunt said RSIS will provide a team of 75 IT professionals and leading-edge technology to DARPA at both its headquarters and remote locations. Its specialty subcontractors, both minority-owned businesses, are Maden Technologies and McNeil Technologies.

The contract was awarded through full and open competition under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Transportation's ITOP (Information Technology Omnibus Procurement) program. This government-wide acquisition contract allows federal program offices to obtain technology-related services from qualified contractors.

"This strategic partnership between DARPA, ITOP and RSIS sends a clear message that small business participation is valuable and important," Hunt said. " We commend ITOP for their continued support of small and disadvantaged businesses, and we thank DARPA for their demonstrated trust and confidence in RSIS to assist in the advancement of their mission, goals and objectives."

RSIS provides advanced technical and business solutions in information technology, science, engineering and management consulting to government and commercial clients. A new Washington Technology survey places RSIS among the 100 largest federal prime contractors.

The company has been cited by Deloitte & Touche, Inc. magazine, Black Enterprise and others as one of the fastest-growing technology companies in the country. The firm has been listed for five consecutive years on the Washington Techway list of the 50 fastest-growing technology companies in the Washington area.

More information on RSIS is available on the Internet at www.rsis.com.