The Amtower B2G Market Report

The Amtower B2G Market Report
Volume 3, #30, August 9, 2004

(Sign up for your free subscription at http://www.FederalDirect.net and if you like this, please pass this along to your colleagues. To unsubscribe, email me at amtower@erols.com). Past issues available at http://www.federaldirect.net/newsletterarchives.html)

In this issue…
1) Amtower Off-Center Observations
2) The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: The Feeding Frenzy
3) Events

AMTOWER OFF-CENTER OBSERVATIONS

OK, there is a newsletter this week. Two reasons. First the “50 End of FY Tips” was not posted where I said it was, so it is now at www.FederalDirect.net. Second, there is a “publication” saying things that would encourage Diogenes to keep walking. See “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”.

Item: August 19 marks the second anniversary of The Amtower B2G Market Report, 86 issues in all. Thanks to everyone who has written, called or otherwise commented on this publication during the first two years.

Repeat Item: Most of those I work with in the DC area know that I am a member of the Tower Club. Most do not know that I am on the membership committee. The membership at the Tower Club represents many of the top integrators and resellers, and is an unparalleled networking venue on any given day for breakfast or lunch. It is not expensive, and it is a great venue for meetings. There are also sister clubs across the country and around the world. I have hosted seminars at several – Seattle, Denver, Austin, San Antonio, Atlanta and others. If you are interested in membership, give me a call at 301-924-0058 or email me. Or call Ardell Fleeson at 703-761-4250 and tell her I told you to call. This item was worth repeating – so I did!

Item: Government sales for Apple made the BusinessWeek web site August 3rd, with quotes from Max Peterson (CDWG), Alan Bechara (PC Mall) and Valerie Perlowitz (Reliable Integration). Kudos to their PR advisors for a good piece in a great publication.

Item: From a Federal Sources press release – a new direction? (Ray) “Bjorklund emphasizes that Federal Sources does not help land specific contracts but instead helps vendors find the agencies that can best benefit from their expertise. ‘We are an information broker, not a business developer,’ Bjorklund said.”

Does this mean there is no value-add to the process from FSI any more?

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY: CERTIFIED ANGUS

In a scene from “Guys and Dolls”, Nathan Detroit tries to get Sky Masterson to bet on a sure thing, but it is something Nathan already knows. Sky offers a counter-bet, which Nathan doesn’t accept. Sky explains: if a guy comes up to you and says he can make the Jack of Spades jump out of a deck and spit cider in your ear, don’t take the bet, because you will get cider in your ear. A set-up is a set-up, and you cannot win.

By now you have probably seen the “certified angus” commercials. You may have also seen a promotion from, or received a call from, GDS International pushing a Homeland Security publication. It is allegedly “in alliance with the Department of Homeland Security, GAO, GSA and the Department of Defense” in the production of this exclusive offer.

Certified angus?

GDS further claims the CIO Council has requested advanced distribution at the CIO Summit in Florida. Federal Computer Week produces this Summit and knows nothing about GDS, and FCW has not been approached by the CIO Council about this.

Certified angus?
.
GCD also lists several companies including CDWG, CICSO, GTSI, and several others as already “in” this program. I have spoken to several and they laughed at the notion of being in any GDS publication.

Certified angus?

One publisher at GovSec told vendors they were the “official show guide”. They were not. Needless to say, the producers of GovSec were not happy. GDS seems to be in the same boat, selling certified angus and delivering certified angus droppings.

Don’t get cider in your ear.

Not that I have an opinion.

EVENTS

ITS GOV: Technology Buying at Year End, August 25, Ronald Reagan Building
www.itsgov.com

Third Annual B2G CATALOG SUMMIT, Doubletree O’Hare (Chicago), November 11, 2004

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As always, your comments, questions and suggestions are welcome.

Thanks
Mark Amtower


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