The Amtower B2G Market Report

The Amtower B2G Market Report
Volume 3, #36, September 20, 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: More on End of FY
3) Events
4) SmartPay Update: First Three Quarters of FY 2004 Reporting
5) One-Minute Marketing Clinic: DOD Procurement Stats

AMTOWER OFF-CENTER OBSERVATIONS

Item: Please check out the new section at FederalDirect.net – Amtower Recommended Reading. I have started posting books, with Amazon links, at the site and will include book reviews occasionally in this newsletter. Go to http://www.federaldirect.net/recommendedreading.html and check it out. Feedback is always welcome. Guy Kawasaki’s new book, “The Art of the Start” is a ‘must read’.

Item: Government Computer News has a new Editor. This is from PostNewsweekTech; “WASHINGTON—Wyatt Kash, an award-winning, 25-year veteran of business-to-business journalism, will join Government Computer News as editor Oct. 4. Kash will be the fourth editor in the magazine’s 21-year history.

Kash is currently editor of Big Builder magazine at Hanley-Wood LLC of Washington, a highly successful magazine serving executives of in the home building industry. Also at Hanley-Wood, Kash was publisher of a group of eight on-line publications in the building, remodeling and building plans fields. Before joining Hanley-Wood in 2000, Kash spent 20 years at Lebhar-Friedman Inc. of New York, where he held a series of increasingly responsible editorial jobs leading to publisher of National Home Center News. Under his direction, the bi-weekly magazine became number one in its field in readership and advertising sales.”

“Kash has won numerous awards from the American Society of Business Press Editors and the American Business Media.”

While Mr Kash does not have experience in our industry, he certainly has editorial credentials. I look forward to meeting him.

Item: This is from the Department of Defense: National Guard and Reserve Mobilized as of September 15, 2004

“This week, the Army, Navy and Marine Corps announced an increase in the number of reservists on active duty in support of the partial mobilization, while the Air Force and Coast Guard had a decrease. The net collective result is 2,403 more reservists mobilized than last week.”

“At any given time, services may mobilize some units and individuals while demobilizing others, making it possible for these figures to either increase or decrease. Total number currently on active duty in support of the partial mobilization for the Army National Guard and Army Reserve is 139,224; Naval Reserve, 3,930; Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, 11,168; Marine Corps Reserve, 11,519; and the Coast Guard Reserve, 1,515. This brings the total National Guard and Reserve personnel, who have been mobilized, to 167,356 including both units and individual augmentees.”

“A cumulative roster of all National Guard and Reserve personnel, who are currently mobilized can be found at http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Sep2004/d20040915ngr2.pdf.”

This is posted as a reminder that as we close in on end of FY, to please remember these people and all the uniformed service members serving by contributing to the USO. www.uso.org.

The Red Cross could use contributions to help with the hurricane relief. Please consider a contribution to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund: https://www.redcross.org/donate/donation-form.asp

We contribute to the USO every month and are cutting a check to the Red Cross today. How about you?

Not that I have an opinion.

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY: MORE ON END OF FY

Some fast observations on what is happening at the end of FY.

From several reports, spending seems flat. Brian Alexander of Raymond James said in a recent release on then IT Supply Chain: “IT shipments through distribution advanced at a double-digit pace for the fourth consecutive quarter. However, growth versus the prior year slowed for the second consecutive quarter. We estimate a 10.3% increase in shipments from distributors (sell-through) versus last year and 1.8% versus last quarter.”

“Slower growth is believed to be coming from the consumer and federal government sectors and from international markets. SMB and large corporate account sales in the U.S. are believed to be reasonably stable at a mid-single-digit pace of growth.”

If you are not familiar with Brian Alexander’s work, he is one of the few analysts who understands the government market. He monitors the government market as part of the IT supply chain, but it is refreshing to find an analyst who understands the role of B2G.

The PeopleSoft insert I referenced in Government Executive makes the rounds. Last week it showed up in Government Computer News, so I looked back at Federal Computer Week, and it was there first. I found out from FCW publisher Anne Armstrong that FCW produced the piece for PeopleSoft, who then took it on the road. It is a well-written piece, and with placement in each of the major Federal publications, it will get great exposure.

Lots of radio spots, including some actually offering price reductions from Schedule prices. CDW-G, PC Mall, GTSI and others are plying the DC radio airwaves. Generally solid stuff, but nothing exciting.

Things seem much quieter this year, possibly in part to the election, but also due to the Iraq and Afghanistan (yes, we ARE still there, too) situations.

EVENTS

FBI ITEC 2004, September 21-22, 2004, Wyndham Palace Resort & Spa/Events Center, Lake Buena Vista, FL www.fbcinc.com

Knowledge Management Boot Camp- An Effective KM Environment: Making It Happen
Sept. 27-28Cafritz Conference Center, GW University, Washington, DC (Foggy Bottom Metro Stop) www.digitalgovernment.com

Citizen Services: How to Develop and Integrated Approach to Service Citizens Better
October 12-13 Cafritz Conference Center, GW University, Washington, DC (Foggy Bottom Metro Stop) www.digitalgovernment.com

Federal Information Assurance Conference (FIAC) 2004, October 26-28. 2004, University of Maryland University College Inn and Conference Center, Adelphi, MD Keynote is Karen Evans, Administrator of the Office of Electronic Government and Information Technology (IT) www.fbcinc.com/fiac

THIRD ANNUAL B2G CATALOG SUMMIT, Doubletree O’Hare (Chicago), November 11, 2004
www.FederalDirect.net. Our speakers include web diva Amy Africa on the latest web innovations, Richard Mackey on GSA, Mark Del Franco of Catalog Age leading a town hall style session with three catalog veterans, and Bill Singleton of Singleton Marketing on profitably mining your data. I will be doing the keynote and the wrap-up session, which will provide catalog “best B2G practices”. For those who use direct mail, especially catalogs, as a primary marketing tool, the third annual B2G Catalog Summit is a “must attend”. It is a one-day event filled with ideas you can take back to the office for immediate use. The event is in a hotel less than 10 minutes from O’Hare, and there will be limited seating (maximum of 75 attenders), so sign up now at www.FederalDirect.net/b2gsummit.html.

2 NSA events coming up in early December, on site at NSA. www.fbcinc.com

INTELCON National Intelligence Conference and Exposition, February 8-10, 2005 Hyatt Regency Crystal City, Alexandria, VA www.fbcinc.com

SMARTPAY UPDATE: FIRST THREE QUARTERS OF FY 2004

Sales figures for the small purchase card through June, 2004 are here. With the first three-quarters in, total sales are $12.154 billion, with 19,348,868 transactions. The transaction level is about the same as last year. There are 312 543 cardholders, about 12,000 fewer than the same time last year. remain flat for the balance If we stay at approximately 10% growth, it will be around $17.5 billion. Note this is a different total than last week.

ONE MINUTE MARKETING CLINIC: DOD PROCUREMENT STATS

The DoD Directorate for Information Operations and Reports has lots of information posted at http://www.dior.whs.mil. This includes procurement and personnel statistics, much of which can be useful for market research, such as number of military personnel state by state, number of prime contracts awarded by state ranking, and much more.

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

Thanks
Mark Amtower


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