Who Owns Unisys US Federal?

Unisys US Federal's history begins with Unisys Corporation, a major American IT company formed in 1986 through the merger of Burroughs Corporation and Sperry Corporation. Unisys built a significant federal government IT services business over subsequent decades, providing enterprise IT infrastructure, systems integration, and managed services to U.S. federal agencies.

Unisys Corporation's federal business developed expertise in large-scale IT infrastructure management, end-user computing services, and enterprise application support for federal civilian agencies. The federal division served agencies including the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of State, the Department of Transportation, and other major federal civilian departments.

The federal IT services market is characterized by long-term contracts, high switching costs, and the need for deep expertise in federal security requirements, compliance frameworks, and procurement processes. Unisys's federal division built a substantial contract portfolio and workforce with these specialized capabilities over many years.

By the late 2010s, Unisys Corporation was evaluating strategic options for its federal business, which had grown to approximately $600 million in annual revenue. The federal division was a strong performer within Unisys but operated in a market where scale and specialized government services capabilities were increasingly important competitive factors.

In January 2020, SAIC announced the acquisition of Unisys US Federal for $1.2 billion in cash. The transaction closed in February 2020. SAIC's rationale for the acquisition was to significantly expand its federal civilian agency business, which had been smaller relative to its defense and intelligence work. Unisys US Federal's customer relationships with major civilian agencies, combined with its enterprise IT and digital workplace capabilities, complemented SAIC's existing defense and intelligence-focused portfolio.

The acquisition added approximately 2,000 employees to SAIC's workforce and brought a substantial contract backlog of federal civilian agency work. Following the acquisition, Unisys US Federal's operations were integrated into SAIC's federal civilian segment, with the Unisys US Federal brand maintained for continuity with existing customers and contracts.

SAIC's subsequent acquisitions, including Halfaker and Associates (2021) and Koverse (2024), continued the expansion of its federal services portfolio that the Unisys US Federal acquisition helped accelerate.