Greg Wells, the NSW Government chief information and digital officer, said the new agreements provide "a framework that agencies can take advantage of to get the best price when dealing with Microsoft, Salesforce and a range of telecommunications providers".
Wells added: “These agreements don’t lock anyone into using these providers, agencies still have flexibility of choice.
"What they do is ensure that if agencies choose to procure through these suppliers they get the best deal which gives the benefits of the purchasing power of one government to small and large agencies alike.
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We're told that "the three-year Microsoft agreement which commenced in June allows for licence portability across agencies and increases consistency in pricing and service delivery".
Meanwhile, "the four-year Salesforce contract, signed in July 2018, gives agencies the opportunity to use leading cloud based applications to manage customer relationships and enable new collaboration models with citizens".
When it comes to the telco side of things, we're informed that "the five-year Telecommunications Purchasing Arrangements with eight initial suppliers came into effect on 1 July and represent a whole-of-government approach to buying landline, mobile, fixed data and internet services".
Wells concluded: “These partnerships are critical to realising the NSW Government’s digital strategy – to deliver smart, simple and seamless services to everyone in NSW."
A Telstra spokesperson told iTWire: "Telstra has a long history working with both the NSW Department of Finance, Services and Innovation and the various departments of the NSW Government.
"The new five-year panel agreement is significant, as it enables us to continue to serve our customers with better access to potential savings and innovative new technology services and solutions."
You can find more info on the contracts at the NSW Goverment's Procurepoint site here.
