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Thanks to Kevin for posting this to the listserver:

From kjwolf@wheel.dcn.davis.ca.usThu Mar  9 10:17:27 1995
Date: Tue, 28 Feb 1995 12:13:54 -0800
From: Kevin Wolf <kjwolf@wheel.dcn.davis.ca.us>
To: Multiple recipients of list <water-on-line@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu>
Subject: State GSA puts contracts on-line 


The following comes from an article printed in Monday's Sacramento Bee.  
Clearly there will be an advantage to firms with Internet and World Wide 
Web access.  I suspect that this move will be one of the more important 
in enticing business to get on-line.  It is also an excellent example in 
how an agency can increase its outreach as it saves money.  I won't be 
surprised if the GSA acts to not send hard copy via the mail to those 
firms who access this information on-line.  There is an enormous 
potential for cost savings in this area.

 ---
Kevin Wolf
724 N St
Davis, CA 95616
phone and fax: 916-758-4211

On Monday Feb 27 the Sacramento Bee reported that the state 
Department of General Services has made its California State 
Contracts Register available on the Internet. In the Register are the 
State agency contracts available for open bidding.  Now anyone with a 
computer, modem, and Internet connection can  view invitations
to bid on every type of contract open.  Businesses must also have 
access to the World Wide Web (a portion of the Internet that
presents graphics and text in a user friendly format) in order
to view the electronic version.

The register will still advertise about 600 ads through the 
mail to about 6,000 businesses every two weeks.  With the 
information available on the Internet more companies will have 
the chance to compete for the contracts available.  Putting the 
information on-line is one way that the state Department of 
General Services can save money.  

A state official, P.K. Argawal, said "They're thick documents.
We spend a lot of money in copying and mailing...and by making it
electronic we could save tons and tons of money."  Now more businesses 
will be able to have access to the information with less money being 
spent on printing and mailing services.   

The businesses that have access to the Internet may have an 
edge over their competition, because the electronic version 
will be updated on the same day the conventional version goes 
to the printer, so the Internet users will have the opportunity 
to see the register several days before their competitors.

It is possible that in  the future the public will be able to 
download all of the specifications for a project along with 
a draft contract through the simple act of clicking on a mouse 
button. 

General Service Administration's web address is http://ois.dgs.ca.gov