BID FOR CUSTOMS? ACE CONTRACT SET TO MOVE FORWARD

BID FOR CUSTOMSÆ ACE CONTRACT SET TO MOVE FORWARD    With the money near at hand, U.S. Customs is finally ready to start the bidding process for developing its Automated Commercial Environment.
   Congress late Friday passed a $1.8-trillion wrap-up appropriations bill, which includes ACE's first installment of $130 million in funding for fiscal 2001. The bill awaits President Clinton's signature.
   The system is needed to replace the agency’s aging Automated Commercial System, which is subject to “brown outs.” Customs said ACS would eventually shut down under the increasing volumes of data and trade demands.
   ACE is expected to cost more than $1.4 billion and take four to five years to build.
   Custom’s Chief Information Officer S.W. “Woody” Hall Jr. said the agency would likely release a request for proposal Wednesday.
   Four major systems developers are expected to try for the job of “prime contractor” for ACE development: Andersen Consulting, IBM, EDS and Northrop Grumman. The prime contractor is expected to manage up to 15 other systems developers throughout the process.
   The funding bill also contained $123 million for ACS maintenance and $5.4 million for the International Trade Data System, the future front-end system of ACE.