Nothing appears able to change President Bush’s mind about the war, but it seems as though today’s awarding of the multibillion-dollar federal Networx telecom contract will force the chief executive’s hand on another change: The Oval Office should be switching phone providers sometime soon.
That’s because the big loser in today’s announcement is Sprint Nextel, which provided $1.8 million worth of services in fiscal year 2006 to the Executive Office of the President. Others on the Sprint client list – and presumably in line for new carriers – include the Defense Information Systems Agency, Department of the Interior and Department of Veterans Affairs.
“All of these federal agencies will need to either switch carriers – to AT&T, Verizon Business or Qwest – under the new Networx program,” says Carolyn Duffy Marsan, who has been covering this story for Network World, “or they’ll need to find some other contracting vehicle to keep Sprint on as their long-distance provider.”
I suppose there’s always the possibility the president will invoke executive privilege (I’m kidding … I think).
