Here’s a better way to procure public sector technology

What should a state agency do if it has 7,000 aging end-user devices that need to be replaced?

What about a healthcare provider that experiences overwhelming numbers of help desk calls because it has physicians and nurses – without IT backgrounds – setting up thin clients?

These aren’t hypotheticals, they’re real-life examples. And for public sector organizations like these, finding solutions can be both time-consuming and costly.

They might need multiple vendors for different solutions and contracts. They might face restrictions that govern what products they can purchase.

But both of these organizations found a simpler way.

Cooperative purchasing organizations

OMNIA Partners, Public Sector brought together the nation’s two leading cooperative purchasing organizations – National IPA and U.S. Communities – to form the largest and most trusted purchasing organization for public sector procurement.

OMNIA Partners offers a cost-effective way for public agencies and educational institutions to procure products, services, and solutions by connecting them with world-class supplier partners.

At face value, it’s a contract vehicle. Agencies place cooperative contracts through OMNIA Partners, and those contracts are bid on by vendors. But here’s the differentiator: There are no restrictions in place for what products customers can purchase because it’s a competitively bid cooperative contract.

All contracts in the OMNIA Partners, Public Sector portfolio are awarded by a lead public agency, using a competitive solicitation process to get you the best pricing and discounts available.

Public sector organizations can use a single vendor for everything, rather than needing different vendors for different contracts and solutions. OMNIA Partners, Public Sector is available to the following agencies and institutions:

• City and local governments
• County governments
• State governments
• Public and private education institutions and systems
• Special districts
• Non-profits

How SHI helped the state agency and healthcare provider

SHI’s partnership with OMNIA Partners, Public Sector makes SHI’s entire product catalog, including hardware, software, and services across all manufacturers, available to public sector organizations. Products available through SHI are guaranteed to be discounted at least 4-5% off MSRP and frequently come in much lower.

This partnership has helped countless organizations save time, energy, and money.

For example, SHI guided the state agency we mentioned earlier – the one with 7,000 aging end-user devices – through the entire process from conception to rollout.

SHI pitched a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) solution with VMware. This would allow the customer to repurpose its existing devices into thin clients while providing an approach and migration path to Windows 10.

The state agency chose this Device as a Service (DaaS) proposal, as it was the right fit and the right price. The comprehensive solution included hardware (Dell VxRail), software (VMware and IGEL), and services for standing up the VDI environment across the state in 50 locations, and five years of ongoing managed services by SHI-badged resident VDI support staff.

What about the healthcare provider that used unqualified nurses and physicians to set up thin clients?

The organization’s desire for a plug-and-play solution for its thin clients aligned perfectly with SHI’s capabilities at our Knox Integration Center. There, SHI could safeguard the client’s sensitive medical data while adhering to HIPAA compliance law. We also offered our Zero Touch solution to image the devices. All in all, SHI provided warehousing and imaging services for 1,800 Lenovo ThinkPads, 1,000 Dell PCs, and 350 HP Thin Clients – all procured through OMNIA Partners, Public Sector.

The healthcare provider could rest assured that its sensitive data was safe and secure, thereby giving it more time to focus on patient care.

A simpler, cost-effective solution for procuring technology solutions

Public sector organizations already have enough on their plates. There’s no reason why their jobs should be made any harder when they need new technology.

Cooperative purchasing organizations dedicated to public sector procurement, like OMNIA Partners, Public Sector, are here to alleviate that stress.

There’s an easier way for your public sector institution to gain access to a catalog of solutions at better prices. Contact your SHI account executive to learn more about how our partnership with OMNIA Partners, Public Sector can help your organization.