Seven firms win place on Govt telco panel

The Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO) has appointed seven firms to a whole-of-government telecommunications panel.

Smiling man in front of array of coloured cables.

The panel, first proposed in May last year, covered the integration and management of government telecommunications services.

Panellists would be expected to provide services such as managing mobile phone fleets and telecommunications services contracts and advice to agencies.

The first seven companies to be added to the panel included Telstra, Optus, Boeing Defence Australia, Fujitsu Australia and NEC Australia.

Bridge IT Engineering and Consultel IT and T rounded out the first panellists, according to an announcement by AGIMO.

AGIMO first secretary John Sheridan said the panel would help Federal Government agencies procure services to supplement their internal capabilities and achieve savings and efficiencies through “aggregated buying power”.

His announcement gave no indication of estimated savings and efficiencies.

Apart from the Melbourne-based Consultel IT, the panel includes companies that already have a strong sales record with Government agencies.  

Sheridan's announcement anticipated more companies may be added to the panel in the near future, as negotiations and contractual arrangements were finalised.

The panel would be open until 25 May 2014 with further extensions possible to 2016.