[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-310531-105":59,"doc-detail-310531-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":123,"head_meta":125,"extra_data":127,"updated_unix":129},105,"en","comptia-letter-to-gsa","CompTIA Letter to GSA","","Letter from CompTIA on October 20, 2021 to GSA’s Cloud Products Manager Skip Jentsch, raising concerns that certain GSA cloud procurement outreach and webinar guidance may weaken federal procurement law and reduce competition. The letter critiques guidance favoring vendor lock-in, brand name justifications, and large single-award blanket purchase agreements (BPAs), citing federal cloud strategy and FAR/CICA/OMB directions. It argues these practices could stifle innovation, limit portability, and prevent competitive pricing and performance improvements.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":40,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/comptia-letter-to-gsa/310531/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/comptia-letter-to-gsa/310531.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Putri","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-21","2026-09-20",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":34},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"What is CompTIA’s main concern about GSA’s cloud procurement outreach?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"CompTIA argues the guidance may undermine federal procurement law and promote anti-competitive practices that stifle innovation and price competition.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"Why does CompTIA object to the “vendor lock-in” rationale mentioned in the webinar?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"CompTIA states vendor lock-in conflicts with federal guidance that urges minimizing lock-in, supporting portability, and encouraging competition among cloud providers.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"How does CompTIA view GSA’s encouragement of single-award BPAs?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"CompTIA argues large single-award BPAs can reduce competition, weaken access to price reductions and performance improvements, and insulate resellers from competitive pressure in a fast-changing cloud market.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},310531,1790476765,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":39,"category_name":40,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":34,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":81,"language":139,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":143,"read_time":39,"preview_page_count":4},962085571259,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_29158cc5080c5b710cf443261637dec0","CompTIA.  \nOctober 20,2021  \nSkip Jentsch  \nCloud Products ManagerGeneral Services Administration  \nDear Mr.Jentsch:  \nOn behalf of the Computing Technology Industry Association“CompTIA”,the largest technologytrade association with over 2,200 members,I would like to bring to your attention certainagency public outreach that may undermine federal procurement law while promoting anti-competitive practices that stifle price competition and innovation.  \nGSA held two webinars last month that focused on how the government procures cloudservices (specifically educating GSA Federal Supply Schedule (FSS)contracting officers abouthow to procure cloud off the GSA FSS).Over the course of the webinars,the GSA made severalcomments that call into question GSA's procurement practices.  \nCloud Service Provider Vendor Lock In  \nDuring the September 15th webinar“How to Buy Cloud for Government”,the GSA speakerstated that“GSA advises contracting officers that the practice of cloud service provider vendorlock-in may be justified or even desirable because of the major operating advantages of CloudService Provider proprietary tools.\"Not only does this practice stifle innovation by pickingwinners but directly conflicts with Congressional and Office of Management and Budgetguidance that agencies should avoid vendor lock-in.  \nThe 2011 Federal Cloud Computing Strategy guidance warns agencies to \"consider theavailability of technical standards for cloud interfaces which reduce the risk of vendor lock-in\"and \"minimize the risk of vendor lock-in,for instance,to ensure portability and encouragecompetition among providers.\"1 More recently,the Office of Management and Budget(\"OMB\")2019 Federal Cloud Computing Strategy directs agencies to \"avoid vendor lock-in\":  \nTo address these challenges,agencies will need to use a variety of approaches thatleverage the strength of the Federal Government's bulk purchasing power,the sharedknowledge of good acquisition principles,as well as relevant risk management practices.As part of the Cloud Smart multidisciplinary approach,agencies will lso need to placesecurity and privacy considerations at the forefront of any procurement effort,and toavoid vendor lock-in,they should evaluate the business process dependencies of anynew solution.They should also update their business continuity and disaster recoveryplans to include contingencies involving the sudden interruption or termination ofservice.Detailed below are additional considerations for Federal procurementprofessionals navigating the IT space and IT professionals seeking guidance on commonpractices to ensure the cost-effective,safeguarded procurement of cloud-basedsolutions.²  \n# Consideration of Brand Name Buys\n\nDuring the same webinar,the GSA speaker suggested that contracting officers should considerbrand name buys as opposed to sole source contracts.This practice would target the CloudService Provider,not the reseller.GSA's guidance to \"Consider a Brand Name Justification\"contradicts CICA,the FAR,the DFARS,and Congressional direction.CICA and FAR Part 6 requireagencies to specify needs and develop specifications in a manner designed to achieve full andopen competition.41 U.S.C.§3301;FAR 6.101.FAR Part 11unequivocally states a preferencefor performance-based specifications instead of brand name requirements,FAR 11.104,andrequires that any brand name requirement be accompanied by a finding that the brand nameproduct is \"essential to the Government's requirements,and market research indicates othercompanies'similar products,or products lacking the particular feature,do not meet,or cannotbe modified to meet,the agency's minimum needs.\"FAR 11.105(a).  \nGSA's suggestion to use brand name justifications that \"Target[]the CSP not the reseller\"seemsto advise that competition among resellers to provide a brand name CSP service qualifies as fulland open competition.But the FAR forecloses such a strategy:\"An acquisition or portion of anacquisition that uses a brand-name descri","cbCaierEOJLvcVph","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaierEOJLvcVph","pdf",868310,"English","# Key Concerns Raised\n## Vendor Lock-In Guidance\n## Brand Name Buys\n## Single Award Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs)","[{\"question\":\"What is CompTIA’s main concern about GSA’s cloud procurement outreach?\",\"answer\":\"CompTIA argues the guidance may undermine federal procurement law and promote anti-competitive practices that stifle innovation and price competition.\"},{\"question\":\"Why does CompTIA object to the “vendor lock-in” rationale mentioned in the webinar?\",\"answer\":\"CompTIA states vendor lock-in conflicts with federal guidance that urges minimizing lock-in, supporting portability, and encouraging competition among cloud providers.\"},{\"question\":\"How does CompTIA view GSA’s encouragement of single-award BPAs?\",\"answer\":\"CompTIA argues large single-award BPAs can reduce competition, weaken access to price reductions and performance improvements, and insulate resellers from competitive pressure in a fast-changing cloud market.\"}]","CompTIA Letter to GSA | PDF",1789883197]