01 Feb 2012
The government has outlined a framework for software systems and services that it says will help it meet the goals of its Government ICT Strategy.
An online tender indicates that the framework could be worth up to £1.5bn.
The government is seeking suppliers to provide it with: software services that include systems implementation for ERP, customer relationship management, business intelligence, data warehouse and management systems, big data and case management; service implementation including support and maintenance for enterprise applications; application development; consultancy and delivery for security requirements; and software asset management.
The government is reassessing its current IT frameworks following the release of its Government ICT Strategy in March of last year.
The strategy should see the government procuring more from SMEs, use open-source software where possible and carry out projects that deliver value for money.
A strategic implementation plan was released in Octoober, which indicated that through adopting these approaches the government should save £1.4bn by 2015.
Interested parties have until 16 February to request information from the government on how to participate in the tender.
We are pleased to see the government embracing software asset management as part of its new £1.5bn software framework. We have said before that the procurement and management of software is an area in need of significant improvement in the public sector. We estimate fixing it could save an estimated £50m a year.
I have found there to be a real disconnect between software stakeholders in both central and local government bodies – between those that want the software, those that deploy it, and those that pay for it. This inevitably leads to departments over-spending on software as they have no idea how many licenses they actually have, so they either fail to re-deploy the licenses they already own or fail to get the best price when new licenses are actually required.
By taking a joined-up approach to their software procurement, the government could make significant savings in the short and long-term.
Posted by: Sean Robinson, License Dashboard 01 Feb 2012
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