Credit: Rob O'Neill
The government has signed a three-year renewal for the second term of the all of government Microsoft cloud, software and services agreement (MCSSA).
The MCSSA was originally signed in 2018, covering a period of six years made up of two three-year terms.
The renewal means eligible government organisations will continue to have access to volume discounts and preferential terms for Microsoft cloud software and services through Microsoft licensing solution partners (LSPs).
Six LSPs are available: Cyclone Computer, Datacom, Fujitsu NZ, Insight Enterprises, NTT and Spark Digital.
The agreement makes software licence management and compliance easier for agencies so they can focus on delivering core services to New Zealand, said Ann-Marie Cavanagh, deputy chief executive of digital public service at the Department of Internal Affairs.
"We'll continue to look for opportunities to deliver additional value and simplicity to agencies using these services," she said.
The MCSSA is a volume licensing agreement that includes subscription-based, perpetual and cloud services licensing.
It is based on subscriptions of Microsoft enterprise online services, with additional entitlements to cover existing usage.
The agreement covers desktop software licensing for: Microsoft Windows operating systems, Microsoft Office and client access licenses, enterprise software for Microsoft Windows server exchange, SharePoint, SQL Server database, and cloud enterprise solutions such as Office 365 and Azure public cloud.
Agencies can enrol in the agreement through an LSP. Their LSP can then help model the agency's needs and usually charge a fee for their service.
