Qld Health signs data comms provider

The department announced a standing offer arrangement with the services provider for the supply of Cisco equipment for network maintenance and support services to over 350 health facilities across the state.

The contract forms part of the five-year plan to create a single view of patients across the state's public health network. The Queensland Health information directorate tendered the upgrade in January 2005, dividing projects into three categories: networking, support and maintenance, and evaluation and optimisation services.

"For some time now, Queensland Health has grappled with the challenge of how best to provide for the support and maintenance of its networks at more than 350 sites across the state, on a 24 hour by 7 day basis," said Bob Bull, acting manager, communications and networks, Queensland Health.

"The combination of a large range of equipment types, remoteness, differing business needs, plus the conflicting demands for high levels of service availability and affordability, presented some unique challenges.

"I am extremely pleased that this opportunity has now been realised and Queensland Health can leverage off the strengths of Getronics to ensure a single point of contact for the provision of high availability services to network users throughout all areas of the state."