What's Hot in IT Services? New Procurement Opportunties!

Government IT managers and department heads have made it certain in no 'uncertain' terms that they are looking for means of simplifying the process of shared services. With so many different protocols (over 2400 mentioned in Treasury Board alone), the time to integrate them has come. Treasury Board officials responsible for purchasing IT services want to bring their current 64 servers down into the single digits.

They recognize that in a world more centred around service, service managers and service management will be more valued than ever. To reach these objectives, the Treasury Board of Canada is seeking out five requirements from the private sector:

• Open development models
  
• Open Standards
  
• Real IM
  
• IT Security
  
• AND...Reference models
  

If your firm feels up to the challenge of delivering on this, the time to strike is now while the iron is hot! The Treasury Board is actively seeking input from the private sector and comments are welcome. Remember however, that this isn't just a sales opportunity. Selling to government requires an understanding of the political environment. Make certain to lay out your government relations plan in conjunction with a solid solution to your targeted department's needs.
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Mark Buzan is the owner of Action Strategies, a public affairs & marketing communications consultancy. You can subscribe now to his monthly public affairs newsletter by visiting www.action-strategies.ca and dropping down the newsletter menu.