WASHINGTON (Army News Service, July 25, 2008) - CHESS, the Army's "Computer Hardware, Enterprise Software and Solutions" consolidated buy period opens July 28 and will run through Sept. 30, giving Army customers the chance to buy computer hardware and software at significant savings.

CHESS gives Army customers, through their contracting offices, the opportunity to take advantage of nine hardware vendors at discounts on top of already low pre-negotiated prices for state-of-the-art commercial off-the-shelf products.

New to the consolidated buy this period is a category for rugged/semi-rugged notebooks as well as memory and hard-drive upgrades. Two desktop and two notebook configurations are also offered with options and upgrades from leading manufacturers or resellers including: Dell, CDW-G, HP, Lenovo, MPC-G/Gateway, NCS Technologies, Panasonic, Telos and Transource Computers.

"We like to say, 'no Soldier left behind," said Michelina LaForgia, CHESS project manager, adding that the buyer of even one desktop or notebook computer pays the same low prices as the large-volume buyer during the consolidated buy period.

Cost avoidance to the Army since the program's inception three years ago has exceeded $122 million, according to project officials, adding that this translates into a 47 percent savings off already discounted Army Desktop and Mobile Computing-2 contract prices.

Under the auspices of the Army Information Technology, E-Commerce and Commercial Contracting Center, the CHESS Web site can be accessed at https://chess.army.mil where customers can view products, make side-by-side comparisons of specifications and prices and place an order.