NSW Govt launches new telco panels

The NSW Government has replaced its five-year telecommunications procurement panel with a two-tier scheme involving more than 80 suppliers.

The new ITS 2573 procurement scheme involves two supplier lists: a registered supplier list for “low-risk” contracts valued up to $150,000 each and a prequalified supplier list for contracts valued above that.

It covers operational telecommunications equipment, infrastructure and services and sits alongside a separate ICT Services procurement scheme that was introduced in March.

NSW Minister for Finance and Services Greg Pearce said yesterday that more than 80 telco suppliers had registered and new suppliers would be added to the scheme regularly.

A spokesman for the NSW Department of Finance and Services highlighted UXC, Tait, Kordia Solutions, Broadcast Australia and Advanced Communications Riverina as members of the prequalified list.

Meanwhile, the registered list included Battery Energy Power Solutions from Fairfield, Countrytell Management from Albury and High Country Communications in Cooma.

“The scheme has been designed to enable a range of suppliers to participate, from small and medium enterprises to large organisations, both local and national,” the spokesman told iTnews.

“The previous State Contract ITS2573 was a closed contract with a fixed supplier list locked for five years.

“The [new scheme] already includes a number of suppliers that were not on the previous contract, from a broader range of disciplines than traditional radio suppliers, such as Logicalis and NEC Australia.

“In addition, the scheme is flexible, allowing for new suppliers to participate based on changes in technology and requirements of user agencies.”

Pearce expected the new procurement arrangements to support the NSW Telco Authority’s ongoing reform of operational telecommunication services across state government.

The authority has sought to improve services and efficiency by taking a holistic approach to mobile radio communications and radio spectrum allocation for the NSW public sector.

NSW's contract reforms are in line with the state government's ICT Strategy 2012, which laid out 17 key initiatives to improve service centricity, openness, information sharing, skills, procurement and infrastructure by the end of 2014.