The annual EDUCAUSE conference highlighted higher education technology trends, goals, challenges, and how to identify a way ahead for higher education institutions to be successful in today’s modern world.

Over the last few months, there have been several recent cybersecurity initiatives at the federal level, aimed at bridging gaps in K-12 cybersecurity policy and strategy.

TD SYNNEX Public Sector Receives a $342 Million U.S. Department of the Navy Enterprise Agreement
for Oracle Software and Services

Doing business with federal agencies has unique opportunities and challenges, particularly when it comes to procuring IT solutions.

On one hand, the U.S. federal government is the world’s largest buyer of IT products and services, so there’s a tremendous need. But acquiring those solutions can be arduous, and managing the intricacies of licensing and pricing can be an ongoing burden.

Government agencies strive to lower the cost of products and services to save taxpayers money. They also aim to shorten “procurement administrative lead time,” or PALT—the time from identification of need to delivery of value—to expedite their missions without delay. 

The Market Insights team is closely monitoring the immediate and long-term effects of the debt ceiling agreement, and we'll keep you informed of any updates. Here are our initial observations:

Immediate Impact:

The good news is that we’ve officially moved into the next phase of the pandemic, where the White House expects the threat of serious illness to be considerably diminished. But the bad news? Nearly 18 million Americans stand to lose the Medicaid benefits granted to them during the public health crisis as eligibility determinations return to pre-pandemic guidelines.

Edge computing is transforming the public sector, providing increased efficiency, better decision-making, and improved services. The use of AI and machine learning is driving the adoption of edge computing in both federal and state/local government sectors. We will be examining what edge computing means for the public sector, explore recent developments and specific federal contracts, and discuss opportunities for information technology (IT) vendors and partners in this growing field.

This is part of a podcast series where the TD SYNNEX Public Sector Market Insights team provides insights and analysis on IT opportunities across the public sector. This episode features Kevin Shaker, Senior Manager of Lead Gen & Market Intelligence where he discusses the opportunities around, and how to navigate, the federal government’s fiscal year-end. Listen to the full podcast here.

In successful federal government acquisitions, an agency’s needs are met in the most effective, economical, and timely manner. The key to meeting your acquisition objectives? Proper acquisition planning—which begins well before you write your plan document. In other words, plan first, document later.

Whether deploying a ship or a software application, a new acquisition is only as good as its requirements.

Clearly defining your requirements in the RFP results in a less risky contract opportunity, leading to more competition and lower pricing from vendors. All the nuts and bolts of the opportunity—the many small requirements that make up the larger project—need to be captured in a deliberate, methodical fashion. And for transparency into the scope of the acquisition, the complete set of requirements should be shared with all stakeholders.