Florida to negotiate outsourcing with Accenture, BearingPoint

Florida intends to award a contract for technology outsourcing services to Accenture Ltd. and BearingPoint Inc., the Florida State Technology Office announced this week.

The state and contractors will negotiate the final terms of the Leverage and Improve Technology Services contract over the next 60 days, according to media reports. In the event of an impasse, the state reserves the right to reject all offers, the State Technology Office said.

Based on submitted proposals, BearingPoint of McLean, Va., will deliver services related to maintaining and improving services delivered through the State Technology Office's data center, desktop management, and e-government services, the company said.

Accenture of Hamilton, Bermuda, declined to comment.

The issuance of the intent to award announcement marks the second time that Florida has been on the verge of awarding the contract. The state delayed award to BearingPoint Inc. in March when several contractors threatened to protest the contract if awarded.

The other finalists at that time were Accenture Ltd., Hamilton, Bermuda; Affiliated Computer Services Inc., Dallas; NIC Inc., Overland Park, Kan.; and WorldCom Inc., Ashburn, Va.

IT outsourcing is a way for states to centralize authority, reduce costs and improve performance, according to analysts and industry observers.

The contract would outsource key technology operations, including e-government, enterprise resource planning, network and telecom services, seat management, business process outsourcing, applications maintenance and support, computer security, software products and systems integration.