Aylesbury Council Invites Bids For Cloud Framework

Aylesbury Vale District Council has invited potential suppliers to submit bids to provide the council with a new integrated enterprise cloud framework.

The council wants to “harness the benefits” of cloud computing as it seeks to integrate its solutions and reduce its costs.

Cloud in Aylesbury

“Aylesbury Vale District Council (AVDC) invites expressions of interest and PQQ (Pre-Qualification Questionnaire) completion for this single supplier framework from suitably experienced and qualified suppliers for the provision of a single integrated enterprise business software solution or service that will fully support the management of its finance, procurement, human resources and payroll operations,” said the tender.

“The software service or solution must be fit for purpose and minimise the overall lifetime management costs (e.g. maintenance and support) as well as being flexible and scalable,” it continued. “AVDC are seeking to harness the benefits which cloud based computing has to offer and as such the Council’s preference is for a cloud based ‘Software as a Service (SaaS)’ solution.”

The contract is expected to last for four years at an estimated cost of £1.5 million, and the council aims to have the framework implemented by 2012.

Four other authorities could have access to the services of the contract, including Dacorum Borough Council, Chiltern District Council, South Bucks District Council and Bucks Fire and Rescue.

Last year Hillingdon Council announced that it was planning to shift its 3.5000 staff to Apps for Business early this year, while in November, Sunderland City Council said that it had selected IBM to provide a city-wide cloud computing platform.

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