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In other government ICT news this week, 10 September 2012

by Intermedium •
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The Department of Health and Ageing is looking into its options for a refresh of its 15 year ICT outsourcing arrangement with IBM, as well as a range of telecommunications deals with Optus, Telstra and Verizon, all of which are due for market testing between 2012 and 2015. The combined value of the ICT contracts concerned is estimated at over $32 million per annum. The Department has approached the market for consultants to devise a sourcing strategy that best suits its needs, however the contracted consultant will not be allowed to tender for the resulting ICT services contract or contracts.

IT News has reported that 140 of the 2,754 jobs being cut from Queensland Health will be ICT roles. Health Minister Lawrence Springborg has blamed the cuts on the cost of repairing the Department’s failed payroll system.

The Campbell Newman Government will hand down its first budget tomorrow. Keep an eye on the Intermedium website to find out what it means for ICT.

The Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism (DRET) has signed a $3.1 million ICT shared services contract with the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science, Research and Tertiary Education (DIISRTE), which will cover its needs for 2012-13. DRET has sourced its ICT services from DIISR since it was initially restructured out of the Department in 2008. Past year-long deals between the two departments have been worth nearly twice as much as the current agreement.

Brian Catto has left the Murray-Darling Basin Authority where he has been Chief Information Officer since September 2008, to take up a cloud computing policy role at the Department of Finance and Deregulation.

The Brisbane City Council will roll-out 218 traffic monitoring devices on its roads by December this year, which will track drivers by their unique blue-tooth identification codes in order to compile valuable data on traffic patterns. According to the Brisbane Times the program is being funded from a $3.6 million Congestion Reduction budget.

Ian Stewart will take over as the chief of the Queensland Police Service in November. He replaces the retiring Commissioner Bob Atkinson.

ComSuper has signed a $3.8 million, 11 year deal with Canberra Data Centres for the relocation of the agency’s data centre.

A six month telehealth pilot is currently underway in southern NSW and ACT hospitals, thanks to a $2.3 million allocation from the Federal Budget. Overbed cameras, microphones and speakers in one resuscitation bed in each of the participating NSW Emergency Departments will transmit images and vital signs to the referral or hub site in the ACT.

Related Articles:

IBM offers Health stability in a time of change

Will IT projects fall foul of Queensland’s tough September Budget?

Resources, Energy and Tourism backs away from IT outsourcing

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