News
Press Releases: E-Authentication
March 6, 2007
GSA eOffer, E-Authentication Expand Business Opportunities
Washington, D.C. - The U.S. General Services Administration’s (GSA) Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) announced today that small and medium-sized business customers of WellsSecure, a business unit of Wells Fargo Bank, will now have access to FAS’ premier online proposal submission program-eOffer-using WellsSecure digital certificates. This is the latest successful public-private partnership under the U.S. E-Authentication Identity Federation managed by GSA’s E-Authentication Initiative. eOffer’s acceptance of WellsSecure digital certificates represents a significant milestone for increasing the ability of small and medium-sized businesses to interact electronically with the federal government.
”The eOffer program provides an interactive, secure electronic environment for businesses to submit contract proposals under five GSA multiple award schedules,” said FAS Commissioner James A. Williams. “This simplifies the contracting process from start to finish, reducing the paperwork burden for businesses and contracting officers-which translates into substantial savings for the American taxpayer.” Williams added, “As GSA’s primary procurement and acquisition office, FAS is making great strides to expand and make possible business and citizen access to web-based government programs and services.”
As an E-Authentication Identity Federation member, Wells Fargo offers its WellsSecure digital certificates to be used to access other Federation member online applications. WellsSecure complies with federal government policies and standards, as well as Federation governance and operational standards.
The E-Authentication Initiative provides the framework and managed services for a secure, consistent and standardized approach for verifying the online identity of citizens, businesses and other governments accessing federal government applications and services. Through membership in the Federation, federal agencies can rely on identity credentials such as PINs, user IDs, passwords and digital certificates issued and managed by other organizations within and outside the federal government.
Members of the Federation include relying parties (federal agencies and applications) and credential service providers that have adopted a set of agreements, standards and technologies-based upon approved policy and technology standards established by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Office of Management and Budget-to make identity portable and secure across multiple domains.
E-Authentication was approved as the Authentication Service Component of the Federal Enterprise Architecture in August 2005. For more information on eOffer, E-Authentication and WellsSecure, visit http://eoffer.gsa.gov, http://www.cio.gov/eauthentication and http://www.wellssecure.com.
