In August 2007 the Georgia Technology Authority (GTA) partnered with Technology Partners International, Inc (TPI) to conduct an assessment of the state's IT infrastructure. The consulting group closely examined the state's IT infrastructure services and operations such as data center services, desktop services, telecommunications and support functions. Following a comprehensive evaluation of Georgia's IT services, it was concluded that Georgia has an "aging IT infrastructure and faces challenges in meeting industry standards and providing appropriate levels of security and disaster recovery."

Moreover, GTA's annual technology expenditure report provides that Georgia's executive branch spends about $617 million in information technology. Therefore, in an effort to relieve the state from millions of dollars in additional appropriations and to ultimately increase efficiency of the state's IT infrastructure, Governor Perdue recently announced in a press release his strategy to consolidate and outsource the state's information technology services.

The Governor's plan charges Georgia Technology Authority to manage the bidding of multiple technology services contracts, which are expected to be awarded late 2008. The restructuring will begin by consolidating the IT functions of 11 executive branch agencies, which represent over two-thirds of the executive branch information technology spending.

The consolidation, although expected to affect the jobs of 1,100 state employees, is also an opportunity for the state to eliminate vacancies that will become available as state employees retire. According to the Governor's press release, in GTA alone "more than 20 percent of the workforce will be eligible for retirement within the next year."

GovWin's Take

• Governor Perdue's strategy to restructure the state's IT infrastructure echoes the current and future efforts of all state CIOs to make IT consolidation the number one IT priority issue to tackle in fiscal 2008.

• As anticipated by the state, multiple contracts will be competitively bid and awarded by end of 2008. GovWin has actively tracked TPI's consulting services and sourcing assessment recommendations to GTA. Vendors are strongly encouraged to monitor GovWin's Information Technology Infrastructure Outsourcing Services opportunity report for the release of potential solicitations for outsourcing services.