Configuration Standards
Standard configuration categories
Configuration Standards provide an opportunity for state agencies and local government to achieve significant savings by following best purchasing practices -- such as taking advantage of bulk discounts, and making quality purchases that meet minimum standards to avoid rapid replacement.
What's the value in purchasing Configuration Standards Purchasing?
By purchasing any of the standard configurations, state agencies:
- get quality equipment that meets the personal computing needs of most general government employees
- take advantage of value pricing offered by IT master contracts
- experience flexibility - using these configurations as a baseline, agencies can research options that provide greater value or more closely meet their needs
Configuration Standards Purchasing isn't about centralizing and dictating. If your agency finds a less expensive product that meets the computer equipment configurations, you should take advantage of it and share that information with the Configuration Standards IT Sourcing Team.
When will the configurations change?
The Configuration Standards IT Sourcing Team will review the configurations on a quarterly basis to make sure they are the best fit and price for agency purchases. They will consider technology advances, current agency business needs, and platform stability when establishing future computer equipment configurations. The team will also continually review the need for configurations for additional hardware and software categories.
The IT Sourcing Team
The interagency Configuration Standards IT Sourcing Team, in cooperation with the manufacturing community, defined standard hardware features for the equipment, offering master contracts through which agencies can make purchases. Agencies that purchase from the Configuration Contracting computer equipment master contracts can expect a 10-15 percent savings off the already low priced Western States Contracting Alliance (WSCA) master contracts.
Who participates in the IT Sourcing Team?
- Attorney General
- Department of Corrections
- Department of Ecology
- Department of Enterprise Services
- Department of Labor and Industries
- Department of Licensing
- Department of Natural Resources
- Secretary of State
- Department of Social and Health Services
- State Patrol
- Department of Transportation
The customer service agents at the Department of Enterprise Services work closely and cooperatively with a wide variety of vendors to provide the best value for your organization at the lowest cost, continuing to save taxpayer dollars.
If you have more questions, email the Service Desk for answers.