DLT Solutions, a government VAR, is reaping the latest round of benefits from its long-term relationship with Autodesk: a $26 million contract to provide computer-aided design software to the Air Force. Here’s the update.

The contract, termed a blanked purchase agreement (BPA), is with the Air Force’s Office of the Civil Engineer. BPAs have been a popular way for agencies to order products and services since the 1990s. The contracts let a particular agency purchase gear from approved vendors. The idea is to consolidate an agency’s requirements, negotiate volume discounts, and streamline the procurement cycle.

The Air Force deal is DLT Solutions’ biggest Autodesk-related BPA, noted Jim Helou, senior vice president of Autodesk Solutions at DLT Solutions. The company had previously secured a BPA for Autodesk software with the Army Corps of Engineers.

Helou called both of those BPA wins “very competitive.” He said the company’s experience driving large, complex BPAs with other vendor partners helped close the Autodesk deals. The company’s Web site lists BPAs with Oracle and Symantec among other vendors. Oracle cites DLT Solutions among its largest government resellers.

Background

DLT Solutions, based in Herndon, Va., has been collaborating with Autodesk for more than 15 years. A decade ago, the company became a master government reseller for Autodesk. In that capacity, DLT Solutions works with Autodesk and its government VARs to provide products and services in such areas as design, energy analysis, and visualization.

The Autodesk BPA is based on DLT Solutions’ General Services Administration schedule contract. GSA handled the contracting process for the BPA on the Air Force’s behalf, Helou said.

The five-year BPA will let the Air Force order Autodesk products including AutoCAD Map 3D, AutoCAD Civil 3D, Autodesk Revit Architecture, Autodesk Navisworks, Autodesk Investor, AutoCAD, and AutoCAD LT.

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