G.  Access to EDA

Comment: A respondent noted that there is a general lag between the time when an order is released in the contract writing system, and the time when it is available in EDA, and that this is a practical downside of not permitting the use of e-mail to issue orders. Two respondents expressed concern that there may be occasions when contractors cannot readily gain access to EDA or that there may be contractors who object to registering in the EDA system.

Response: Historical data shows that, on average, actions are posted to EDA within one to two days. This average compares very favorably with the averages associated with mailing or any other distribution process. There are two EDA sites, one at http://eda.ogden.disa.mil/, and the other at http://eda.cols.disa.mil/, to ensure connectivity. These two sites allow for an overall 99.1% average system availability. EDA is a very reliable means of conducting DoD's business, and the issue of EDA nonavailability is not considered significant.