I think this is great news. Standardisation has got to be a good thing. That of course is irrespective of Vendor. But I see no good reason why this shouldn't be a successful strategy based on the choice of Vendor alone.
Regards Barry Lollo > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Greg Twyford > Sent: Wednesday, 12 April 2006 3:00 PM > To: GPCG_TALK at OzDocIT > Subject: [GPCG_TALK] Rejoice? Rejoice? > > News from NSW Health > > > Microsoft wins biggest health deal > > Karen Dearne > > APRIL 11, 2006 > > NSW Health will standardise its information technology > systems on Microsoft products under a $36 million, three-year > deal to upgrade core infrastructure and provide a platform > for the state's e-health record system. > > > > With an option to extend the agreement to six years, > Microsoft will potentially earn $72 million, making it the > software giant's largest-ever contract in Australia. > > > > NSW's IT shared services agency Health Technology general > manager Frank Cordingley says it is the first time NSW Health > has settled on a single vendor, a move expected to save > millions of dollars. > > > > "Health Technology allows us to pull together statewide > contractual arrangements for a range of products that > historically have been contracted at the area health service > level," Mr Cordingley said. > > > > "While Microsoft has held the lion's share of our business > across the state, we've tended to have different products and > versions in use in different areas, and we haven't had good > connectivity between them." > > > > > > > > ADVERTISEMENT > > > > > > > > Taking a "consolidated approach" meant suppliers could "no > longer play us off one against the other", he said. > > > > "We can use that market power to our advantage." > > > > Microsoft will supply software for more than 90,000 > employees, 40,000 desktops and 2500 servers, based on Windows > and Office 2003 Professional as the desktop standard with > Windows and Exchange servers. > > > > Other technologies include Microsoft's SharePoint Portal, > Active Directory, Systems Management and Microsoft Operations > Manager, MSDN and SQL. > > > > Microsoft's .NET will be adopted as NSW Health's main > development platform. > > > > Mr Cordingley said NSW Health would standardise on the > "latest version of the Microsoft products we use" and from > then on, the software and licensing would be managed centrally. > > > > "There is a cost in managing the myriad Microsoft licences > in the areas, so this arrangement will be much simpler," he said. > > > > "We will save money just on the management side of it, > apart from the savings we'll be getting from using the latest > technology and having better connectivity." > > > > Microsoft's public-sector director Kevin Ackhurst wouldn't > confirm whether discounting had played a part in NSW Health's > decision. > > > > "We've made sure we're happy with the deal, and they're > happy with the deal," he said. > > > > "They're looking for a significant amount of savings, as > well as savings in management costs and infrastructure maintenance." > > > > Mr Ackhurst said the negotiations formed "a basis for a > significant partnership that can deliver better outcomes for > health over the next few years". > > > > "One of the advantages of .NET is its interoperability with > other platforms," he said. > > > > "NSW Health has a variety of platforms in use and, as a > consequence, they need an environment that allows them to > interoperate with existing systems." > > > > Mr Ackhurst said Microsoft had proven its interoperability, > as well as scalability and reliability, in a number of > customer sites across Australia. > > > > The Australian > > > > > > -- > Greg Twyford > Information Management & Technology Program Officer > Canterbury Division of General Practice > E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Ph.: 02 9787 9033 > Fax: 02 9787 9200 > > PRIVATE & CONFIDENTIAL > ************************************************************** > ********* > The information contained in this e-mail and their attached > files, including replies and forwarded copies, are > confidential and intended solely for the addressee(s) and may > be legally privileged or prohibited from disclosure and > unauthorised use. If you are not the intended recipient, any > form of reproduction, dissemination, copying, disclosure, > modification, distribution and/or publication or any action > taken or omitted to be taken in reliance upon this message or > its attachments is prohibited. > > All liability for viruses is excluded to the fullest extent > permitted by law. > ************************************************************** > ********* > > _______________________________________________ > Gpcg_talk mailing list > [email protected] > http://ozdocit.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gpcg_talk > _______________________________________________ Gpcg_talk mailing list [email protected] http://ozdocit.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gpcg_talk
