Project Overview

Today, state agencies buy and maintain their own desktops, notebooks, and peripherals. This consumes critical energy within the agencies, limits the state’s purchasing power, creates unneeded support complexity, and duplicates services and processes across agencies.

The Desktop Service and Standardization Program will create common statewide hardware standards and configurations (for desktops, notebooks, and other peripherals), consolidate services to reduce duplication, and simplify the order process. State agencies will work together with OIT to procure standard offerings based on accurate forecasts at volume, and leverage vendor services to increase efficiency and speed of delivery to the end users. OIT will manage inventory and work with agencies on replacements and disposals.

This project is a quick win for Alaska. We anticipate that this project will result in approximately 25% annual cost savings when it is fully adopted (>$1.5M annually). OIT will work with procurement to get pricing from multiple vendors in order to maximize competition and value. We will only move forward with this project if we can show hard savings for Alaska.

Project Approach

OIT is collaborating with departments on this project. As prescribed in the new IT governance model, departments are involved in the end user device working group to define standards. OIT is committed to making sure that future hardware standards meet agency needs. Follow the link below for an overview of the project approach.

Overview of approach [PDF]

Benefits to the State of Alaska

By defining common hardware standards and a life-cycle refresh policy, OIT will offer a simpler, more cost-effective way to deliver hardware and common support services. Agencies will see a lower overall cost of ownership by leveraging volume pricing with vendors. OIT will work with OMB and the departments to define the funding model. 

Additional Feedback

If you have questions or feedback about this program, please reach out to Niel Smith or Bill Smith. The project team will provide regular updates to stakeholders as well as our newly forming governance bodies. The team will also keep this page updated as progress is being made.