The Victorian government will spend $9.5 million over four years to build a marketplace for technology services that can be purchased by government agencies.
The state government announced in March last year a market consultation for the 'VicConnect' scheme, which will supersede the current Telecommunications Purchasing and Management Strategy (TPAMS).
"TPAMS was established over 10 years ago," Victoria's technology minister, Gordon Rich-Phillips, said in a statement issued today.
"Since then, the telecommunications and broader ICT industry has changed dramatically, as has the size and nature of government demand for ICT."
The aim of the project is to reduce the cost of telco services and "allow Victorian government departments to access new, inexpensive and powerful technologies – including cloud services, mobility devices, and other ICT services – that will enhance government service delivery," the minister said in a statement.
A report from the auditor-general issued in September last year revealed a blowout in spending on mobile voice and data services by government departments.
"VicConnect will create a marketplace for technology services by providing access for multiple suppliers to government ICT spending," Rich-Phillips said.
"This will increase the choice of services available to departments, increase competition between suppliers and drive innovation and better value for money outcomes for government.”
The state government is conducting a three-stage procurement process. A request for proposal to build and operate the procurement platform is expected later this year, according to the minister.
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