Four suppliers have been short-listed to provide datacentre housing and utility computing and storage services to government agencies under the Infrastructure-as-a-service contract announced last year.
They are: Datacom, Gen-i, IBM and Revera. At the completion of the tender a panel of at least two suppliers will be selected to provide these services to agencies.
Brendan Boyle, chief executive of the Internal Affairs department and Government chief information officer, says in a a statement announcing the tender is the beginning of the process of developing a system of shared information and communications technology infrastructure for government. “It is a significant step in ensuring the success of the Directions and Priorities for Government ICT adopted by the Government in October 2010. “The Government Infrastructure as a Service tender will support a cross-government approach to delivering common ICT capabilities.”
Brent Chalmers, general manager Government ICT Supply Management Office, says this tender is expected to deliver significant benefits for government and taxpayers. “This includes better cost-performance, higher-quality ICT infrastructure services, improved public services through service delivery transformation, reduced capital expenditure across the government sector, better security of infrastructure and increased innovation from ICT infrastructure suppliers," Chalmers says.
Several agencies are participating in the procurement of these services including Internal Affairs, Inland Revenue, Ministry of Economic Development, Ministry of Social Development, New Zealand Defence Force, New Zealand Police, New Zealand Transport Agency, Department of Conservation and Land Information New Zealand. Brent Chalmers says other agencies are expected to adopt these services over time.
The Request for Proposal was issued on 20 December 2010 with the contract award expected in the September timeframe and services available towards the end of this calendar year or early 2012.