COVID Influences Mobility Spend under GSA MAS

Published: November 17, 2021

Federal Market AnalysisMobilitySpending Trends

Spending under the Wireless Mobility Solutions SIN with GSA’s Multiple Award Schedule totals $2.3B since its inception in FY 2019, with spending peaks at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduced in FY 2019, then under GSA Schedule 70, Mobility Special Item Number (SIN) 132-53 serves federal agencies as a solution to attain mobile goods and services. For reference, the Mobility SIN was preceded by the Best-in-Class Federal Strategic Souring Initiative (FSSI) which existed between FY 2013 to FY2018. Mobile IT under GSA’s new consolidated program, the Multiple Award Schedule (MAS), is now listed as Special Item Number 517312.

According to Allen Hill, Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Category Management at GSA, during a webinar in February, mobile technology is quickly evolving and in demand. The Mobility Solutions SIN is at the crux of this, as a Best-in-Class vehicle covering four key areas: Wireless Services, Enterprise Mobility Management, Mobility Application Security, and Internet of Things and Other Mobile Services

Upon its inception, the Mobility Solutions SIN has gained momentum among agencies, ticking up in spending through FY 2021. Naturally, the demand for mobile products and services grew to support increased remote work and services such as telehealth and telemedicine in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Source: GSA SSQ+

Observations:

  • The largest increase in spending is 6%, from Q1 to Q2 FY 2020, at the height of the pandemic. Spending continued to tick up throughout the rest of FY 2020 and into FY 2021
  • The largest drop in spending is -31% from Q1 to Q2 FY 2021, this may be due to a delay in reported spending
  • Of the $2.3B total, 97% was spent on mobile-related services, leaving $73M spent on mobile-related products
  • GSA reports that 40 contracts were awarded under the Mobility Solutions SIN in this three-year period

Source: GSA SSQ+

Observations:

  • The top three contractors represent 97% of total spending under the Mobility Solution SIN from FY 2019- 2021
  • Contractors rounding out the top 10 under the SIN include: Widepoint Integrated ($20M), Satcom Direct Communications ($16M), Vodafone Global Enterprise ($10M), Manhattan Telecommunications ($5M), Spok, Inc. ($5M), Sprint Communications ($3M) and Newbridge Wireless ($2M)
  • Current number of contractors on the SIN according to GSA eLibrary is 29, 17 of which are labeled as small businesses
  • Of the three-year spending total, $2.29B was awarded to contractors labeled “Other than Small Business,” while $34M was awarded to small businesses

With mobile technologies such as 5G promising enhancements in areas such as cyber and citizen experience, industry can expect mobility-related federal investments to remain steady. In addition to 5G’s promises, continued telework throughout federal agencies, standardization of mobile security, and federal expansion into areas such as device-as-a-service all bode well for spending under the Mobility SIN in the coming years.