AGIMO hangs up on mobile phone panel
No value for money on handsets, accessories
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The Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO) has hung up on its own mobile phone procurement panel, declaring it didn't deliver value for money.
A blog post emitted yesterday says a May 2012 review found other methods of acquiring handsets and accessories proved cheaper than using the panel, after “agency purchasing needs did not result in sufficient aggregation of volume to attract significant price discounts.”
The Office has therefore decided it is no longer mandatory for Australia federal government agencies to use the panel and has taken accessories out of its procurement regime. It also wants to get this right next time, stating:
AGIMO will shortly commence a more extensive review of the Panel to consider options for improving the supply arrangements for mobile devices to the Australian Government. AGIMO will consult with industry and agencies to find a suitable solution.
Agencies must still use the panel to buy mobile voice and data services.
The Register has contacted all four companies on the panel – Telstra, Optus, TransACT and Teledesign, seeking comment on the decision.
At the time of writing only TranACT had responded, saying through Chief of Federal Government and the ACT Ivan Slavich that it "... currently provides a range of value for money products and services to federal government agencies and bodies. We’ll continue to support the needs of our federal government customers with handsets as required, providing a tailored and responsive end-to-end service for our clients."
Perhaps worryingly, Teledesign's phone rang out three times when we called on Monday afternoon.®
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