As noted above, former GSA CIO Sonny Hashmi has been named Commissioner of GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service.  Hashmi’s LinkedIn profile lists an extensive background in all things IT-related.  Balancing and prioritizing FAS’ $30 billion IT portfolio – from the acquisition perspective – will definitely be one challenge, but Hashmi will face other pressing issues, as well.  One will be how to work with FAS service portfolio leaders on transitioning the very popular OASIS contract vehicle to the next generation.  One key here is to ensure that major OASIS customer agencies are on-board with whatever approach the agency takes.  Another area to watch will be Hashmi’s views on the Multiple Award Schedule program.  While previous FAS and GSA leadership was supportive of that program, that has certainly not always been the case.  Will Hashmi view the Schedules as an important FAS asset, or as an uninteresting polyglot of contracts, only from which about half of the revenue is IT-related?  How to manage the commercial E-Marketplace pilot will likely garner some early attention.  This pilot, mandated by Congress, is starting slowly and is likely facing competition for resources and support inside FAS from other acquisition channels.  Within IT, there is the need to ensure that the ASTRO and POLARIS contracts are properly launched, that other socio-economic contracts are awarded on a timely basis, and a push for customer agencies that are slow to update their telecom networks via the EIS contract.  Internally, he will have to continue to oversee the implementation of FAS IT assets used to support all of these programs.  Each organization inside FAS is led by strong personalities, each with their own constituencies.  Hashmi will have to balance an ability to synthesize input from all of these sources while still keeping a firm hand on the FAS helm.  We look forward to working with him again in his new role.