[Offtopic] Ultranet

[Jim Maunder]

What this thread needs is a little more cynicism. Let me tell you a story.

Some years ago I attended a meeting of those interested in tendering 
for the provision of IT services to schools - the one where school IT 
techs were paid for by the state - is it ITSA or something like that? 
Now, most of the ppl at the meeting were from agencies, and in 
hindsight, they must have seen the ITSA scheme as something they 
could get good money from for not much input. Naive techs like me 
just saw it as a job opportunity.

So, wherever there are governments there are consultants and agencies 
and others who are only too happy to persuade the government to give 
them money for whatever scheme they can think up.

(It's a bit early in the morning and my blood/caffeine ratio is not 
quite optimal yet, so the words are not coming out as smoothly as I 
would hope, but I hope you get the idea.)

Jim

At 08:10 AM 23/05/2007, you wrote:
>Why would you pay $61,000,000 for online collaboration tools when 
>you can already do a lot with the free stuff that Google and 
>numerous others already provide? Must be a you-beaut system!
>Cameron
>
>stephen at melbpc.org.au wrote:
>>Bell rings for $61m net
>>Chris Jenkins
>>MAY 22, 2007
>>
>><http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,21770883%5E15319%5E%> 
>>5Enbv%5E,00.html>
>>
>>VICTORIA will soon announce a renewed IT services supplier panel as 
>>it revs up its $61 million Ultranet schools network project.
>>Speaking in Sydney last week after meeting with representatives of 
>>the NSW IT industry, Victorian IT Minister Tim Holding said the 
>>four-year Ultranet project, designed to deliver a suite of online 
>>collaboration systems for students, teachers and parents, had been 
>>opened to expressions of interest.
>>Industry responses are due by July 11, with a request for tender 
>>expected later in the year.
>>The state would shortly announce the make-up of its new preferred 
>>supplier panel for IT services for government agencies, Mr Holding said.
>>"We're in the process of refreshing the panel," and about 300 
>>submissions had been made to join a panel that would include a 
>>number of new categories, he said.
>>Successful bidders are expected to be named by the end of the month...
>>
>>The Australian
>>
>>
>>
>>Message sent using MelbPC WebMail Server
>>
>>
>>
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Jim Maunder
Ruyton Girls School
Melbourne, Australia