Verizon and Unisys are teaming to offer Verizon enterprise-class cloud computing solutions through Unisys’ Public Cloud Hosting contract for state and local government. The contract will go through the Western States Contracting Alliance-National Association of State Procurement Officers (WSCA-NASPO) cooperative purchasing organization.
WSCA-NASPO provides cooperative purchasing contracts for use by all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the five U.S. territories to help spur innovation and competition in the marketplace. Under terms of the agreement, Unisys and Verizon will collaborate to offer cloud computing solutions for IT streamlining efforts. Public offices and institutions from the state through municipal level will be eligible to use the WSCA-NASPO contract.
Since 1993, WSCA has served as the primary cooperative purchasing arm of NASPO. WSCA-NASPO was created in early 2013 as a cooperative-purchasing organization which allows states to realize cost efficiencies buying through a single, larger group. CivSource has previously reported on cooperative purchasing efforts through sites like BidNet.
“A recent survey conducted by the Center for Digital Government found that nearly half of state and local governments have either started or plan to start cloud computing projects,” said Ryan Hughes, cloud portfolio executive – North America, Unisys. States have been working through cloud implementations over recent years, although procurement challenges remain as contracting vehicles work to catch up. Verizon previously launched an on-demand style cloud deployment service for contract customers.
