Vic Govt signs state purchase deal with AWS

The Victorian Government has signed a new state purchase contract with Amazon Web Services Australia to support its ongoing digital transformation.

The new agreement provides standardised terms and conditions for any Victorian Government department and government-owned entity procuring any of AWS’s more than 200 cloud services.

Beyond the state government, the agreement also extends to administrative offices, local councils and entities under control of one of the eligible entities.

AWS Country Director for Australia Iain Rouse revealed that five out of nine government departments in Victoria are already taking advantage of the new contract.

“AWS has many state and local government agencies among its customers in Victoria, and this new agreement will provide them with streamlined access to cloud services, while also opening access to the cloud for many others,” he said.

“The Victorian Government has released a digital strategy for a future-ready Victoria with three key outcomes for better, fairer, more accessible services, a digital-ready public sector and a thriving digital economy. This agreement helps accelerate delivery of those outcomes by enabling Victorian Government customers to innovate faster on behalf of citizens of Victoria.”

He said AWS works with a vibrant partner community in the state, and works closely with government agencies to help design, build and deploy critical digital services for all Victorians.

“This ranges from permits, rebates and sustainable building services, and helping the transition to cleaner energy. These services need to be highly scalable, available and robust, and AWS provides the core infrastructure that powers these critical services,” he said.

“The agreement facilitates collaboration between nimble local partners such as The Data Foundry and Victorian Government agencies, where they can resell into government via distribution.”

AWS also helps train Victorian workers in highly sought after digital skills through its participation in the Victorian Digital Skills Program, he said. This program enables mid-career Victorians to reskill on technology and gain access to higher paying jobs.

Meanwhile, the AWS SheDares program provides free online training to women who are considering a career in the technology industry, while the AWS re/Start offers people who are unemployed or underemployed access to a free 12-week full time skills training program.

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