Wyoming will be streamlining its communications technology services through Google within the next year according to an announcement from the state CIO. Wyoming will be utilizing Google apps for all communications and communication security. The switch is notable as one of the fastest procurement processes the state has ever experienced.
Currently, Wyoming has two separate communication systems managed internally by 14 separate agencies as well as by the central Information Technology Division which manages email systems for an additional 47 state agencies. The existing system made it nearly impossible to find contacts across agencies and also increased the amount of administrative work for agencies as well as the IT division.
The change is expected to save the state $1 million dollars annually.
The state set out to change the system two years ago through 30 state agencies, but a general fund appropriation in March of this year moved the project along significantly. Wyoming was able to send out the RFP, take bids and evaluate them on an accelerated timetable. “This is one of the fastest turnarounds from receipt of funding, to RFP, bid, evaluation and scoring of projects that I’ve ever seen,” CIO Bob von Wolffradt said.
Under a contract with Tempus Nova, the State of Wyoming will pay $5 million dollars to migrate e-mail systems to Google’s hosted email, security, e-discovery, encryption, and archive services and transition some 10,000 email accounts to the new services over the coming year. Another benefit of the new system is that cities, towns and counties will be able to use the State’s contract pricing and eliminate costly procurement processes and time if they choose, von Wolffradt said.
