Howard University
A well-known Historically Black Research University sought to transition to a managed services contract with service providers that could offer cost-effective, high-quality service delivery using top-notch technologies. We collected pertinent technical, organizational, and resource unit (RU) information to establish a baseline for spending and to develop pricing proposals based on resource units for network services. We developed an IT infrastructure sourcing strategy and financial business case to define the future needs for IT infrastructure, including network, data, and voice support. We then created a comprehensive Request for Proposal (RFP) Bid Package, which included various components such as Infrastructure Management, Voice Communications, and Mobility Services Statements of Work (SOWs) and Service Level Agreements (SLAs), a Pricing Structure, a Relationship Management Schedule, and a Transition Plan. This resulted in a zero-cost transformation of the entire legacy network infrastructure including a USD 25 million infrastructure upgrade and an overall operating cost reduction of 18% over the base case.