The Brooks Act: An 8-Bit Act in a 64-Bit World? An Investigation of the Brooks Act and Its Implications to the Department of Defense Information Technology Acquisition Process.

Throughout the sixties and seventies, the Federal Government was the largest single buyer and IBM the largest seller of automated data processing equipment in the world. No natural set of interfaces arnong central processing units CPUs, peripheral equipment, data, or programs existed. Lack of standardization resulted in thousands of hours of unused computer time within the government. In March 1965, the president approved and sent to Congress an OMB report on the management of ADP in Government. The report cited the governments serious ADP management problems. These matters were considered by Congress as the Brooks Act was enacted. The Brooks Act sought improvement in ADPE acquisition processes that would enhance the Governments bargaining position of hardware through volume acquisitions, base rental-versus- purchase evaluations on the value of equipment to the Government as a whole rather than the equipments useful life to the initial user, and select equipment which offered the greatest purchase advantage on a Government-wide basis.