*******************************************************
The Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) today (August 24) gazetted a notice to invite tenders for the provision of services for implementing and operating the Government Cloud Platform (GovCloud).
GovCloud is a cloud computing platform dedicated to government use in data centres operated by a contractor. It provides computing resources, including server, storage and network resources, to support common e-government services for use by bureaux and departments.
The selected contractor will be responsible for the implementation and operation of GovCloud as a total solution, covering project management, IT system integration, operations management and data centre hosting. To ensure information security, the Government requires the contractor to strictly comply with all prevailing government security policies and practices. Thorough assessments and audits on security and privacy will be conducted by an independent third party before the service launch and annually afterwards.
GovCloud is an initiative announced in the 2011-12 Policy Address, with the aim of reaping the benefits of cloud computing technologies for more cost-effective delivery of e-government services and improved responsiveness to meet rising public demand.
"The implementation of GovCloud can bring about benefits of cost saving through economy of scale and resource sharing, time saving through rapid provision of computing resources and enhanced agility in meeting dynamic demands through on-demand service provision. This can help expedite delivery of e-government services. We target to launch the GovCloud service in the latter part of 2013," a spokesman for the OGCIO said.
"The outsourcing approach can leverage on the flexibility of cloud service provision in the market and will also help create synergy and partnership in the local IT industry. It will foster the development of the industry in strengthening relevant skills on implementation and management of cloud services and business models in cloud computing," the spokesman added.
The tender document is available for collection at the reception counter, OGCIO, 15/F, Wanchai Tower, 12 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong. It can also be downloaded from www.ogcio.gov.hk/en/business/tender_eoi_rfp/open_tender_notice.htm . Prospective tenderers are invited to attend a tender briefing session on September 7, 2012. The tender submission deadline is noon on October 19, 2012.
Ends/Friday, August 24, 2012
Issued at HKT 11:01
NNNN
