AIMSTAR Awarded 8(a) STARS II GWAC Contract

COLUMBIA, MD, Aug. 4, 2011  AIMSTAR Information Solutions, Inc.(AIMSTAR) is pleased to announce that it has been awarded an 8(a) STARS II GWAC contract by the U.S. General Services Administration.  The 8(a) STARS II program is reserved exclusively for qualifying certified 8(a) Small Business concerns as the prime contractors and is designed to promote small business utilization when purchasing information technology (IT) services or IT services-based solutions for the federal government.

GSA 8(a) STARS II is a multiple-award, indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract vehicle with a five-year base with one five-year option. It has a $10 billion program ceiling and allows for directed task orders up to $4 million each for federal civilian and Department of Defense activity.

Dr. Theodore Williams, President of AIMSTAR, states “We were chosen for this contract because we could demonstrate competitive pricing, technical proficiency, and a successful track record. The contract offers simple to complex IT service solutions such as: data architecture and database technology support, data analysis, advanced web technology support, software development, and technology training, which are direct matches for our services.”

AIMSTAR received the award in the following functional areas:

·         FA1: NAICS 541511 - Custom Computer Programming Services

·         FA2: NAICS 541512 - Computer Systems Design Services

·         FA3: NAICS 541513 - Computer Facilities Management Services

·         FA4: NAICS 541519 - Other Computer Related Services

About AIMSTAR:

AIMSTAR is a Small Business Administration (SBA)-certified Section 8(a) Small and Disadvantaged Business providing professional and information technology services to the U.S. Federal Government.  AIMSTAR develops and administers database systems, develops multimedia software, and provides technology training. In addition to traditional business databases, they integrate multimedia and database technology to allow businesses and government agencies to effectively store, index, and retrieve unstructured data, images, text, video, and audio.  They provide information technology consulting and software development services to government, academic, and commercial entities.  Founded in 1997, AIMSTAR is a forward moving company located in Columbia, MD. For more information please call: (888) 232-7827 or visit www.aimstar.com.

Lighting the Path to a Brighter Future

Contact Information
Soo-Tsong Lim, President
Unistar-Sparco Computers, Inc.
Direct: 1.901.872.2272
Toll-Free: 1.800.840.8400

Facsimile:  1.901.872.8482

Email: Lim@sparco.com

URL:  www.sparco.com

Tennessee Company Goes Green and Gets Immense Paybacks

July 27, 2011.  Millington, Tennessee.  Unistar-Sparco Computers, Inc., d/b/a Sparco.com, a fast growing technology company and one of six businesses in the state to receive funds through Tennessee’s Clean Energy Technology Grant Program to fund the installation of 120 solar panels, is already seeing results exceeding energy production expectations.  “We originally planned for an eight year pay-back when the solar panels have generated the energy to cover their installation, but we are happy to revise projections to six years,” according to Sparco.com’s President, Soo-Tsong Lim.

In 2010, Sparco.com’s solar panels saved the Company an equivalent of 1,813 gallons of gasoline, or 37.2 barrels of oil, and reduced its carbon dioxide emissions by 35,261 pounds.  In fact, not only did the solar energy system exceed expectations, but it saved 4% more in gas and oil combined, and 7% in carbon dioxide emissions.  The use of the energy produced by the solar panels has been so successful that Lim is considering other renewable energy solutions. 

In addition to future savings, Lim said that the project is financially viable because most of the cost was covered by state and federal funding and incentives.  Although the initial cost of the project was just shy of $150,000, the Tennessee Clean Energy Technology Grant Program funded 40%, a federal tax credit covered 30%, and the balance was funded directly by Sparco.com.

Besides cutting electricity costs for Sparco.com during the day, the solar panels continue to harvest energy even when the Company is closed, thus allowing the generated electricity to travel back to the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) power grid.  The TVA then buys this electricity back from Sparco.com for $0.12 above the current rate which is roughly $0.09 per kilowatt hour, thereby yielding a credit to Sparco.com’s energy bill.

The utilization of this solar system has proved to be a win-win situation, both for Sparco.com and the federal government.  The Company is participating in the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Climate Leaders Program.  By joining Climate Leaders, Sparco.com is a small business member committed to reducing its impact on the global environment by completing a company-wide inventory of its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and setting and achieving aggressive absolute emission reduction goals.  “We are pleased to be among the government contractors who are taking the lead to satisfy the requirements of the government’s clean energy initiatives,” commented Soo-Tsong Lim.

About Unistar-Sparco Computers, Inc.

Unistar-Sparco Computers, Inc., d/b/a Sparco.com, is a comprehensive Information Technology (IT) Solution Provider. Founded in 1992, Unistar-Sparco started as a two-person local business and has since grown into a financially secure company satisfying the IT hardware, computer, telephone, business supply, electronic equipment, software, and service requirements for school systems, federal, state, and local government agencies, and large and small businesses nationwide. Unistar-Sparco Computers, Inc. is committed to offering cutting-edge technologies with outstanding customer support at a great value and is successful in the government, education, large enterprise, and small-medium business markets. For more information, please visit us online at www.sparco.com or call us toll-free at 1.800.840.8400.

Sparco.com’s solar energy system consists of 120 solar panels, 5 inverters, 5 disconnects, and conduit wiring.  Each panel weighs 34.2 pounds, has a dimension of 62.2” x 31.81” x 1.38” and is tilted 15 degrees toward the south for optimal sunlight absorption.  The entire system provides roughly 1/3 of Sparco.com’s energy usage per year.