Google Sues the Gov't Over Microsoft-Only RFQ
Google has sued the U.S. government, specifically, the Department of the Interior, over a Request for Quotation (RFQ) that only considered bidders that offered Microsoft's Business Productivity Online Suite. Google said the requirement was "unduly restrictive of competition."
The complaint (PDF, 37 pages) was filed last Friday by Google and partner Onix Networking Corp. in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. The filing seeks an injunction to prevent the DOI from moving forward with the bidding process unless it opens it up to accept bids from vendors offering differing technologies from Microsoft's.
Google's complaint also cites security and reliability issues with Microsoft's online suite. Meanwhile, the DOI said that Microsoft had two things that other solution providers did not: unified/consolidated email and "enhanced security." Obviously those two points of view are at odds.
However, while Google protested the RFQ when it was released, the GAO dismissed the protest, saying that Google was "not an interested party" as the company did not have a GSA schedule contract until July 2010 (a GSA schedule contract is necessary for Google to get federal business).
The complaint (PDF, 37 pages) was filed last Friday by Google and partner Onix Networking Corp. in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. The filing seeks an injunction to prevent the DOI from moving forward with the bidding process unless it opens it up to accept bids from vendors offering differing technologies from Microsoft's.
Google's complaint also cites security and reliability issues with Microsoft's online suite. Meanwhile, the DOI said that Microsoft had two things that other solution providers did not: unified/consolidated email and "enhanced security." Obviously those two points of view are at odds.
However, while Google protested the RFQ when it was released, the GAO dismissed the protest, saying that Google was "not an interested party" as the company did not have a GSA schedule contract until July 2010 (a GSA schedule contract is necessary for Google to get federal business).
