IRD extends contract with HP for mainframe support
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Inland Revenue evaluating request for tender issued to HP and Unisys
By Randal Jackson | Auckland | Thursday, 17 January, 2013 | 44 Comments
Inland Revenue has extended for a year its FIRST mainframe support contract with Hewlett-Packard. The contract was due to expire early in 2013.
In 2011, IRD sought registrations of interest to identify suppliers who could supply the range of mainframe-related services to meet its business requirements for at least the next five years.
A request for tender was issued to HP and Unisys on October 15, 2012. An IRD spokesman says the tender responses are currently being evaluated.
FIRST is the IRD’s core computer system and is now more than 20 years old. A briefing to Inland Revenue Minister Peter Dunne last year said that over the next 10 years, modernising and partially replacing FIRST could cost between $1 billion and $1.5 billion.
Comments
Politics driving IT is sure to lead to another long-term financial disaster
"The best website I've ever seen" http://novalight.net
- Yeah right!
Looking forward to the TUI billboard
Posted by Anonymous at 8:55:37 on January 24, 2013
- Yeah right!
Looking forward to the TUI billboard
Posted by Anonymous at 8:55:37 on January 24, 2013
Politics driving IT is sure to lead to another long-term financial disaster
Did you mouse-over the circle of 18 gray balls on the Yellow Page? (Program/Project Management). That Page is VERY cool, indeed - and packed with useful information. And how about that Shark link - truly prophetic, considering it was written at the dawn of the e-Age (before Zuckerberg's "facebook" $billions, not to mention Google's).
Posted by PKJ at 12:21:10 on January 24, 2013
Posted by PKJ at 12:21:10 on January 24, 2013
Politics driving IT is sure to lead to another long-term financial disaster
And I thought the cloudy future of IRD's FIRST system and the uninterrupted collection of tax revenue would be of more interest to Kiwis than my FLASH BIO, fascinating and strangely addictive though it is!? Must be the Peter Jackson influence.
Posted by PKJ at 12:02:07 on January 24, 2013
Posted by PKJ at 12:02:07 on January 24, 2013
...
That website is strangely addictive.
Posted by Anonymous at 9:34:47 on January 23, 2013
Posted by Anonymous at 9:34:47 on January 23, 2013
...
That was/is the general idea! Motion, colours, music, user interaction - and the information sinks into the subconscious. It's like playing a game and discovering hidden treasure. You might call it benign mind control. Some unscrupulous governments (USA) use similar techniques for their nefarious purposes! :)
Posted by PKJ at 10:23:56 on January 23, 2013
Posted by PKJ at 10:23:56 on January 23, 2013
...
911 and Sandy Hook TV "doctored" videos, for example. Those are examples of sinister mass mind control of the most diabolical kind!
Posted by PKJ at 10:31:22 on January 23, 2013
Posted by PKJ at 10:31:22 on January 23, 2013
What are the risks of FIRST (catatrophic) failure?
Assuming that Disaster Recovery plans are in place and will be effective for the "routine" disasters (earthquakes, floods, fires, extended power outages, hardware failures, etc.), are there any other significant risks which pose a threat to the effective operation of FIRST and reliable collection of tax revenues? Silent Observer has already alluded to such a risk: FIRST "brain drain" of key personnel, caused by forced redundancies and voluntary turnover of staff with in-depth knowledge of FIRST.
The first warning signs of that risk are prolonged implementation times for scheduled software changes, a growing queue of enhancements/fixes and increased "bug" rates due to inadequate testing, especially regression testing.
Only IRD insiders will be aware of these warning signs but if they exists, the risks of an eventual complete FIRST breakdown are substantial. Redevelopment has far too long a delivery time to avert such a disaster. If a "brain drain" has already occurred and is not reversed, the risks of catastrophic FIRST failure loom large, indeed. Without doubt, the wrong heads will roll if that occurs!
How about a long-term contract extension for FIRST mainframe support?
Posted by PKJ at 5:55:36 on January 22, 2013
The first warning signs of that risk are prolonged implementation times for scheduled software changes, a growing queue of enhancements/fixes and increased "bug" rates due to inadequate testing, especially regression testing.
Only IRD insiders will be aware of these warning signs but if they exists, the risks of an eventual complete FIRST breakdown are substantial. Redevelopment has far too long a delivery time to avert such a disaster. If a "brain drain" has already occurred and is not reversed, the risks of catastrophic FIRST failure loom large, indeed. Without doubt, the wrong heads will roll if that occurs!
How about a long-term contract extension for FIRST mainframe support?
Posted by PKJ at 5:55:36 on January 22, 2013
The merits of FIRST and logical next steps for <$1.5BillionNZD
Whilst MPs Clark and Dunne and just about everyone else (including potential vendors) are jumping on the FIRST mega-bucks "Redevelopment" bandwagon, there is at least one other and better alternative:
The core FIRST suite of applications has done an excellent job in collecting NZ's tax revenue (among some other things) for about 20 years and it can continue to do so for many more years IF:
The core systems are not burdened with add-on functionality for which FIRST was not designed.
FIRST core systems should be stripped of the "bells and whistles" add-ons and restricted to the core functionality for which it was originally designed. Add-ons should be redesigned/re-engineered as separate applications with only mandatory and minimum interfaces to FIRST.
This can be done without endangering core tax revenue collection and having to re-train thousands of IRD employees. As the new add-on systems come on-line, FIRST can be stripped of its extraneous functionality in a low-risk process.
The price tag, risk avoidance and implementation time-line will be much more favourable than the contemplated massive, high-risk, long-term and expensive re-development strategy! But then there's heaps of $$$ to be made here, right?! (and $1.5BillionNZD is just a "drop in the NZ budget bucket", right?!)
Posted by PKJ at 15:38:11 on January 21, 2013
The core FIRST suite of applications has done an excellent job in collecting NZ's tax revenue (among some other things) for about 20 years and it can continue to do so for many more years IF:
The core systems are not burdened with add-on functionality for which FIRST was not designed.
FIRST core systems should be stripped of the "bells and whistles" add-ons and restricted to the core functionality for which it was originally designed. Add-ons should be redesigned/re-engineered as separate applications with only mandatory and minimum interfaces to FIRST.
This can be done without endangering core tax revenue collection and having to re-train thousands of IRD employees. As the new add-on systems come on-line, FIRST can be stripped of its extraneous functionality in a low-risk process.
The price tag, risk avoidance and implementation time-line will be much more favourable than the contemplated massive, high-risk, long-term and expensive re-development strategy! But then there's heaps of $$$ to be made here, right?! (and $1.5BillionNZD is just a "drop in the NZ budget bucket", right?!)
Posted by PKJ at 15:38:11 on January 21, 2013
The merits of FIRST and logical next steps for <$1.5BillionNZD
The suggestion has been made in the past to the Poachers who are now the Gamekeepers.
A clasic failure in governance awaits?
It is good that people ask questions as there should always be some form of public accountability?
Posted by Anonymous at 22:28:36 on January 21, 2013
A clasic failure in governance awaits?
It is good that people ask questions as there should always be some form of public accountability?
Posted by Anonymous at 22:28:36 on January 21, 2013
The merits of FIRST and logical next steps for <$1.5BillionNZD
It's always better to ask questions BEFORE commitments are made and contracts are signed. Considering what's at stake, there cannot be enough questions asked (and answers demanded) of the decision-makers.
Posted by PKJ at 6:07:12 on January 22, 2013
Posted by PKJ at 6:07:12 on January 22, 2013
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