Lockheed Wins Oklahoma EBT Contract

Lockheed Martin IMS said it has won a contract to deliver welfare payments electronically to 200,000 people in Oklahoma.

The seven-year contract is valued at $30 million.

Lockheed Martin IMS, the Teaneck, N.J.-based data processing unit of Lockheed Martin Corp., has electronic benefits transfer contracts with 26 other states, mainly through its partnership with Citibank.

"With the numerous opportunities in the EBT marketplace, we think this is a significant win." said Lockheed spokesman Terry Lynman.

In the Oklahoma deal, Lockheed is the prime contractor, with Citibank named as a subcontractor.

John Pfeuffer, vice president of Citibank EBT in Chicago, said the deal "fits into our long-term objective of transaction processing and securing as many (electronic benefits transfer) projects as we can."

The contract - originally for a consortium of New Mexico, Kansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma - had been awarded to First Security Services, a Salt Lake City-based company, in April 1995, but Lockheed Martin protested that decision.

During an administrative review, the three other states dropped out of the consortium. New Mexico chose to remain with First Security; Louisiana and Kansas decide to issue their own bids, which have yet to be awarded.

Other failed bidders on the project included Transactive Corp., a subsidiary of G-Tech Corp., and Unisys Corp.

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