DTA launches RFP for GovDesk project

The Digital Transformation Agency has revived a proposal to build a whole-of-government, cloud-based email and desktop environment, and has launched a request for proposals on the Digital Marketplace.

The listing on the Digital Marketplace portal calls for sellers interested in partnering with the agency and Microsoft to build a solution based on Microsoft 365 that will be named GovDesk.

The planned GovDesk solution must be robust, maintainable and scalable, and “deliver transition pathways with standardised approaches to support line of business applications”, the listing states.

GovDesk will meet government Protected security requirements due to Microsoft’s receipt of Protected-level certification for Office 365 and the Azure Cloud from the Australian Signals Directorate last year. The DTA last year became the first government agency to adopt Office 365 for Protected-level email and collaboration.

The project has an estimated start date of 2 September.

The GovDesk project was first proposed by the Department of Finance in September 2014 as a way to give agencies the option of sourcing standardised email and desktop applications at volume subscription pricing. But the project has been dormant for several years.

Deloitte was last month awarded a $588,000 contract to develop a business case for the revived GovDesk project through an open tender process.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/morganka

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