Agencies join forces in large 'hub' procurements

Contractors that want to pursue large information technology projects in the state of New York should consider multiagency initiatives, said Chief Information Officer Jim Dillon.

"Contractors and vendors are becoming aware of collaborative approaches that do not have to include the whole enterprise, but that are made up of hub-type agencies," he said. "It's an opportunity to do business in a different way in the state."

In this approach, a single agency is the coordinator, or hub, for a group of agencies. New York is using the hub approach for criminal justice, human services and transportation, he said.

For example, the New York Criminal Justice Services Division will serve as the hub for an integrated criminal justice project involving agencies responsible for corrections, justice and law enforcement, he said.

In transportation, the hub approach will help coordinate IT initiatives across the New York Transportation Department, New York Thruway Authority and the New York Bridge and Tunnel Authority, he said. The same approach will be used for three or four large human services agencies.

The state of New York annually spends between $1.5 billion and $2 billion on IT hardware, software and services, according to state officials. But the state also is also about to embark on major enterprisewide initiatives, such as a financial management system, Dillon said.

"That's a huge opportunity down the road for the big companies," he said, referring to the financial management system.