Computerworld

Telcos fight it out as Govt narrows Telecommunications-as-a-Service service

"We expect services to begin to become available later this year."

The Department of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment are working with a shortlist of telecommunications suppliers though a solution refinement phase for Telecommunications-as-a-Service.

Following the closure of a request for proposal at the end of February, the joint initiative is part of the GCIO's ongoing work programme and was signalled in the Government ICT Strategy and Action Plan to 2017.

TaaS will change the way telecommunications services are delivered, managed and used by government agencies.

It will set up a supplier community to deliver a range of cross-government telecommunications and managed security services to easily connect with each other, with customers and with business partners.

Going forward, agencies will choose services and suppliers they require from a catalogue to meet their business requirements.

A DIA spokesperson says it is a complex programme that will take some time with the next steps including the selection of preferred suppliers and development of commercial terms for the contracts.

“We expect services to begin to become available later this year,” the spokesperson says.