SSC – the newly formed federal agency tasked with consolidating the government’s IT portfolio – now has the authority to procure hardware and software to 106 federal departments and agencies.
“(This initiative) is part of the government’s overall strategy to achieve better value for money with respect to IT and builds on SSC’s mandate to modernize and transform the government’s email systems, data centres and networks,” SSC executives stated in a release issued April 9.
A memo published by the Privy Council Office explains that as of April 1, the federal government has transferred to SSC the control and supervision of the End User Devices Procurement Unit, previously controlled by Public Works.
Examples of items that will now be procured via SSC include personal workstations, laptops and tablets as well as accessories such as monitors, keyboards, audio devices and storage devices. It also includes software that assists with office productivity, including word processing, spreadsheets, security software, presentations graphics and Internet browser software.
The government – which spends about $138 million on software purchases each year – estimates that the consolidation will save approximately $8.7 million annually beginning in 2014-15.
Over the next few months, SSC will work with federal departments and agencies to establish procurement processes and strategies for consolidation, according to the release. The initiative will be discussed in further detail at SSC’s next meeting in June.
In the federal budget tabled last month, the government announced its plans to consolidate end-user IT device procurement, but said it had not yet decided whether it would be part of SSC’s mandate or if it would be handled by another department.
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Quelle/Source: Ottawa Business Journal, 15.04.2013
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