Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Browse through our Frequently Asked Questions for more information on our services. If you have additional questions that are not listed, please contact us and we will be happy to assist you.

What is meant by the term "franchise fund" and do Austin Automation Center (AAC) customers benefit from receiving IT-related services from AAC, a franchise fund?

Franchise Funds were established in Government to promote competition and to reduce the cost of providing common administrative support services. Authorized under the Government Management Reform Act of 1994, the AAC is one of six VA Enterprise Centers offering common administrative services on a fee-for-service basis. No appropriated funding is provided franchise fund organizations, so the success of the AAC depends on our ability to fully recover costs from customer revenue, satisfy customer requirements, and to expand our customer base.

The AAC has been very successful in the VA Franchise Fund. Our unit costs have been reduced each year due to increased workloads, new technology, expert contract negotiations, and improved processes. We have also expanded our business with VA and other Federal agencies. All AAC customers have benefited from this success.

How can AAC customers be certain they receive "best-value" IT solutions from AAC?

AAC management believes that its customers should expect no less from AAC than the highest quality products and services at the most economical costs. Because of this commitment, AAC contracts with an industry professional performance measurement firm (usually every other year) to compare the cost efficiency and performance of AAC with similar data centers, public and private. Results of the FY 1998 performance measurement assessment placed AAC’s competitive posture within the top third of commercial data centers with similar profiles. Comments from previous benchmarking studies are offered below…

• Quality is exemplary in terms of service levels provided to end users.
• Performance was notably better at the AAC.
• AAC is more cost efficient than the commercial peer group averages and significantly more cost efficient than other government data centers.

We provide multiple platform options – from stand alone workstations to large-capacity, redundant, clustered servers.

I’m interested in finding out more about AAC products and services. How can I get additional information?

For more information about the AAC, please contact us at 512.326.6005 or via email at dvac@va.gov.

With the current emphasis on government data security, how can I be sure that my data will be securely housed at the AAC?

The AAC offers its customers "Total Information Assurance." All our data and applications are stored on secure servers in a secure environment using the market’s number one intrusion-detection software. Certified security staff run our operations and security is regularly reviewed by a variety of recognized commercial and Federal information security specialists.

How long has the AAC been in operation?

The AAC has been the VA’s corporate data center for over 30 years. Since entering the franchise fund pilot program in FY 1996, the AAC has expanded its business within the VA and other Federal agencies, including General Accounting Office and the National Archives and Records Administration.

I work for a state/local government organization. Can we take advantage of the AAC’s services?

Unfortunately, the AAC only services other Federal clients.

What is the VA’s Information Technology Conference (ITC)? When is it held and am I eligible to attend?

The ITC is the VA’s premier information technology conference. It is held in Austin, Texas in August. The conference is open to all VA employees and Austin Automation Center customers. Detailed information is also available on AAC's intranet at vaww.va.gov/itc. General questions may be directed to vaitc@mail.va.gov . 

I am a current customer of the AAC. I have forgotten/misplaced my Austin user id and/or password. Where can I get help?

Please call the AAC customer support center (help desk) for assistance. They are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 512.326.6780.

I am a current customer of the AAC. Where can I find specific information regarding an application run at the Center?

The AAC maintains a large number of application intranet Web sites at vaww.aac.va.gov. Click on "site map" then "application sites" to find the application you are looking for. The AAC also offers comprehensive technical support at 512.326.6780.

What kind of training does the AAC offer for new users?

Through the AAC’s intranet, AAC customers can access online training for S/390 tools, including signing on to timesharing, job control language, and performing file transfers (FTP). This training is available at vaww.aac.va.gov/operations/austin_info.asp. The AAC occasionally offers SAS training. Please visit vaww.aac.va.gov/sastraining/ for more information. The AAC customer support center (help desk) is also a great source of information. They are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 512.326.6780.

How can I find out about employment opportunities at the AAC?

For employment and benefit information, please visit the Human Resources section of this site. In addition to traditional job openings, the site explains the AAC’s student career program, where college and graduate students can work part time at the AAC while completing their degrees.

Reviewed/Updated: July 28, 2004