Background

In March 2006, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) identified the Information Technology Infrastructure (ITI) as an E-Gov Line of Business (LoB). OMB selected infrastructure optimization after preliminary analyses demonstrated that consolidation and optimization (C&O) of Information Technology (IT) infrastructure represented a significant opportunity to realize cost savings through a coordinated approach to spending for commodity IT infrastructure. IT infrastructure C&O case studies also demonstrate departments/agencies could improve IT service levels and, when relieved of the burden of managing these non-core functions, could concentrate more on mission priorities and results.

The General Services Administration (GSA) was selected as the managing partner for this LoB. A government-wide ITI Task Force was created to develop “Common Solutions” to realize the goals and objectives of the LoB. The Task Force solicited information about potential solutions from the public and private sector through a formal Request for Information (RFI) . GSA held an industry day to give potential responders an opportunity to better understand the initiative. The Task Force analyzed the RFI responses and conducted analyses of other available information. As a result of these efforts, the Task Force proposed the Common Solutions for IT Infrastructure Optimization.