Page 41 - FCW, Jan/Feb 2018

Why does EIS stress the procurement of integrated solutions?
The commercial market has evolved and there’s no longer
a clear distinction between telecommunications and other IT services, making integration extremely important and the key to successful outcomes for agencies. EIS was designed to provide integrated solutions in recognition of this,
but also because of the buying patterns we saw on Networx, and
the feedback gathered through collaboration with agencies during
the Network Services 2020 (to later become EIS) strategy formulation.
The scope of EIS allows
for suppliers to provide services and solutions in a way that best meets their own business models. What does this mean?
Each EIS supplier bundles service- related enhancements, features, and functionality into its own unique offering. The EIS contract allows for these different approaches from each supplier and doesn’t force customers to do direct apples-to- apples comparisons which could sti e innovation, unnecessarily
alter supplier offerings, or negatively impact pricing ef ciencies for agencies.
“Flexibility” and “agility” are words that come
up frequently in the descriptions of EIS. What advantages does this provide for EIS users?
A combination of features offer suppliers the agility they need to propose solutions unique to their individual business models, and provides agencies greater control and exibility in specifying and managing their speci c requirements.
Suppliers can propose solutions that combine CLINS, or create new CLINS, to satisfy those requirements according to best commercial practices. Unlike previous GSA telecommunications
vehicles that required
any/all agency
speci c
CLINs
be
added to the contract, EIS eliminates the need for those type of contract modi cations.
GSA also developed ve EIS Service Catalogs: Service Related Equipment, Managed Security Services, Cloud Services, Commercial Satellite Service and Wireless. Catalogs allow suppliers to update their individual offerings at any time and a contract modi cation is only required if a new discount class CLIN is required. This further eliminates
the need for contract modi cations that in the past have delayed agency implementations. •
FCW.COM/2018EISGUIDE
Unlike previous
GSA telecommunications vehicles that required any/all agency speci c CLINs be added to the contract, EIS eliminates the need for those type of contract modi cations.