The government will pay 62 million leva for Microsoft software instead of the 90 million leva that was initially planned, Council of Ministers' Chief Secretary Rossen Zhelyazkov told reporters here Monday. The money will be paid in a public procurement deal for purchase of 96,000 software licences for a period of three years. The public procurement procedure started February 22. If the contract was split among the government agencies that would use the licences, the cost would have been between 50 and 100 per cent higher, said Zhelyazkov. A huge part of the information systems used by the Bulgarian administration are based on Microsoft products and the licences are essential for the e-government, commented Deputy Transport, IT and Communications Minister Valeri Borissov.
Source: Class (13.03.2012)

Expectations of increased interest of foreign companies to supply software for the state administration for over BGN 60 million are not justified. Four offers were submitted for the disputed tender, three of which by local companies. Nearly 100,000 permanent licenses for the future operating system of Microsoft Windows 8 wants to deliver also the Polish company APN Promise which enters the Bulgarian market for the first time. The order announced by the Council of Ministers in late February, was criticized by the opposition and companies in the IT sector because of suspicion that was put-up and unnecessary. According to unofficial information about 50% of the technique of the state administration lacks the necessary parameters to implement the new operating system. Offers are submitted by Alliance Pro Com, APN Promise - Poland, Stemo Ltd. and Ai S & T group.
Source: mediapool.bg (10.04.2012)