Local government proves lucrative

Brisbane City Council has awarded a $78 million, six-year contract for the supply of desktop and server software to Compaq and integrator Data#3.

It is the biggest local government contract announced to date and also it allows the two parties to manage a panel of preferred tier-one suppliers, including Cisco, Lexmark, Toshiba, Hitachi, Fuji Xerox, Tech Pacific, Hypertec, Hewlett-Packard and The Computer Market.

There were more than a dozen bidders for the tender but Compaq and Data#3 also offered an on-site satellite service centre and vendor park within the council, which will be the first of its kind in Australia.

Data#3's new online procurement system, CustomerNet, has been customised for the Brisbane City Council.

The win is an example of the new focus by IT vendors on the local government market which is undergoing fierce competition, particularly in the area of procurement.