28 February 2008 - By 2010, public officers will enjoy an agile infocomm environment that promotes innovation and enhances productivity at work, with the establishment of a Standard ICT Operating Environment (SOEasy) for the public sector. The S$1.3 billion SOEasy (Public Sector) tender was awarded to oneMeridian, the consortium led by EDS International.
Singapore, 28 February 2008 | For Immediate Release
By 2010, public officers will enjoy an agile infocomm environment that promotes innovation and enhances productivity at work, with the establishment of a Standard ICT Operating Environment (SOEasy) for the public sector. The S$1.3 billion SOEasy (Public Sector) tender was awarded to oneMeridian, the consortium led by EDS International. The other key members in the consortium include Alcatel-Lucent, Avanade, Cisco Systems, Frontline, Microsoft, Singapore Computer Systems and SingTel.
The SOEasy will enable public officers to work together as One Government and improve overall operational efficiency in the public sector. Emphasising this outcome, Mr Lim Hup Seng, Deputy Secretary (Performance) of the MOF said, “SOEasy will allow more than 60,000 public officers to enjoy a robust, connected, innovative and agile infocomm environment.”
Greater Efficiency, Cost Savings, Collaboration, Mobility and Agility
SOEasy will consolidate infocomm services into a single environment which will allow government agencies to achieve greater efficiency in infocomm usage and cost savings. This involves harmonising desktop, messaging and network environments across all government agencies.
Agencies can then fully utilise and benefit from integrated infocomm services and allocate resources optimally resulting in operational efficiency that will bring about S$500 million cost savings to the Government. This translates to an average of 28% over current infocomm expenditure for equivalent services.
SOEasy will introduce collaborative tools such as instant messaging, desktop video conferencing services and whiteboard sharing that will enable public officers to easily connect and collaborate within and across multiple agencies.
Individual public officers can also look forward to greater mobility at work as they can seamlessly access government resources from anywhere and anytime. All users will enjoy smooth and swift delivery of infocomm services, such as more regular and non-intrusive security updates. This will enable the government to respond faster to the changing infocomm environment.
SOEasy Tender Evaluation & the Awarded Bid - oneMeridian
Commenting on the tender bids, RADM(NS) Ronnie Tay, Chief Executive Officer of the IDA said, “We are pleased with the quality of the proposals submitted. The proposal submitted by oneMeridian offered the most compelling infocomm solutions that fits our purpose and is the best value for money.”
With SOEasy being the biggest government infocomm project in terms of scope, scale and value, a rigorous and thorough tender evaluation was conducted throughout the 2-stage Selective Tendering process. The 2-stage Selective Tendering consists of a Pre-Tender Qualification Stage and Tender Cum Qualification Notice Stage. In the Pre-Tender Qualification Stage, consortia were qualified based on financial strength; expertise and deployment track record; programme management; and technical competencies to deliver SOEasy. Subsequently, the qualified consortia were consulted on the draft SOEasy specifications to enable the Singapore Government to fully exploit emerging infocomm technologies and leverage on industry best practices. In the Tender Cum Qualification Notice Stage, companies that were not qualified during the Pre-Tender Qualification Stage could be considered for qualification. However, no new submissions were received.
At the close of the Tender Cum Qualification Notice Stage, four bids were submitted by the qualified consortia1. All tender bids were evaluated on technical merits before price to ensure that technical evaluation was conducted without price influence. The bids were rigorously and carefully evaluated by a multi-agency evaluation committee comprising 53 members.
SOEasy Implementation Timeline
SOEasy will be implemented in phases for a total of 74 government agencies, excluding the Ministry of Defence which has developed their own system, and Ministry of Education (Schools) which will be building a separate system. By July 2009, the first batch of government agencies such as MOF, MICA and IDA will enjoy the full benefits of SOEasy.
The tender was earlier scheduled to be awarded in October 2007. The evaluation took more time given its complexity. The SOEasy will be fully implemented on schedule by 2010. Major SOEasy implementation milestones have remained unchanged. Some adjustments to the timeline have been made to take into account the delay in the tender award. In particular, the transition schedule of government agencies has been adjusted to even out the implementation workload.
JOINTLY ISSUED BY INFOCOMM DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF SINGAPORE AND MINISTRY OF FINANCE
Note to Editor:
About Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore
The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) is committed to growing Singapore into a dynamic global infocomm hub. IDA uses an integrated approach to developing infocommunications in Singapore. This involves nurturing a competitive telecoms market as well as a conducive business environment with programmes and schemes for both local and international companies. For more information, visit https://www.imda.gov.sg/.
For media clarification, please contact:
Jennifer Toh (Ms)
Senior Manager, Corporate and Marketing Communication Division
Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore
Tel: +65 6211 0508
Fax: +65 6211 2226
Email: jennifer_toh@imda.gov.sg
Jerome Lee (Mr)
Head, Public Affairs
Ministry of Finance
Tel: +65 6332 7407
Fax: +65 6337 4134
Email: jerome_lee@mof.gov.sg
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