Legal Definitions - Federal Technology Service

The Federal Technology Service (FTS) was a specialized division within the General Services Administration (GSA). Its primary function was to deliver essential technology and communication services to various other federal government departments and agencies, both domestically and internationally. Essentially, FTS acted as a central provider, ensuring that federal operations had the necessary infrastructure for secure and reliable communication and data exchange across the globe.

Here are a few examples illustrating the role of the Federal Technology Service:

• Setting up secure international communications: Imagine the U.S. Embassy in a foreign country needs to establish a new, highly secure data link to communicate sensitive information directly with the Department of State back in Washington D.C. FTS would have been the entity responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining this secure communication infrastructure, ensuring reliable and protected data transfer across international borders. This illustrates FTS's role in providing worldwide communication services to federal agencies.

• Providing connectivity for a new domestic agency office: When the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decided to open a new regional office in a remote part of the country, they needed reliable internet access, secure network connections to federal databases, and a robust phone system. FTS would have stepped in to procure, install, and manage these critical communication and IT services, allowing the new EPA office to operate efficiently and connect seamlessly with the broader federal network. This demonstrates FTS's function in delivering essential services to federal departments.

• Supporting disaster response efforts: During a major hurricane, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) deploys teams to a devastated area where local communication infrastructure has been destroyed. To coordinate relief efforts, these teams urgently require satellite phones, temporary internet hotspots, and secure radio systems. FTS would have been tasked with rapidly deploying and maintaining these crucial communication tools, enabling FEMA personnel to communicate effectively with each other and with headquarters, even in challenging environments. This highlights FTS's capability to provide communications services in diverse and critical situations worldwide.