GSA looks to trim Microsoft product costs
The General Services Administration says a new blanket purchase agreement could save the agencies 15-20 percent annually on commercial software.
In an effort to streamline the purchase of Microsoft products, the General Services Administration has released a request for proposals using standardized terms and conditions that can be used across multiple agencies.
This Federal Strategic Sourcing Initiative, called SmartBUY Large Publisher, is aimed at reducing what government pays the software giant and shaving the amount of time agencies spend on acquisition by relying on pre-set pricing and ready-to-use products and services.
"GSA is committed to working collaboratively with our partners at Microsoft resellers to reduce multiple contracts into a single set of agreements to save money and streamline the purchasing process for government agencies," Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner Tom Sharpe said in a statement.
GSA offered a similar blanket purchase agreement earlier this year for wireless services with four large carriers.
GSA predicts the Microsoft BPA will save 15-20 percent on commercial software, from an annual budget of about $6 billion.