DoD ESI awards Nutanix a BPA to support IT operations across the DoD enterprise

Nutanix recently received a Blanket Purchasing Agreement (BPA) from the DoD Enterprise Software Initiative (ESI). This will streamline the process for federal government agencies to acquire and use Nutanix Hybrid Cloud Software Platforms. DoD ESI centralizes acquisitions of IT products and services across the DoD, Coast Guard, and intelligence communities. It lowers the TCO for agencies, saving time and money on commercial IT software, hardware, and services. The recent BPA reduces the contracting and open market costs associated with the traditional procurement process.

Allowing government agencies to streamline their asset management, Nutanix’s Hybrid Cloud solutions offer one platform and one cloud while permitting the use of any application. With Nutanix Hybrid Cloud, users can build their clouds the way they want in a few clicks—instantly completing all their IT tasks on a unified cloud platform.

• Hybrid Cloud Simplified: Nutanix solutions unify management across clouds while enabling seamless mobility of applications and data between disparate environments. Deliver each application from the right cloud, but without added complexity.
• Seamless App Mobility: Eliminate the operational complexity of a hybrid cloud and gain the ability to extend, burst, or migrate your applications and data into the cloud of your choice.
• One Skill Set on Any Cloud: Manage your applications and IT resources across clouds, utilizing the same operational practices and existing third-party integrations for a common experience.
• Software Portability: Avoid vendor and cloud lock-in with portable software that can move with your applications and data across clouds.

DoD ESI is a program to centralize sourcing and acquisitions of IT products and services across the DoD, Coast Guard, and intelligence communities. It lowers the total cost of ownership for agencies, saving time and money on the acquisition and management of commercial IT software, hardware, and services.

Through ESI, DoD purchasers leverage the combined buying power of DoD and may receive additional discounts. The DoD ESI BPA’s top advantages include:

• Pricing: This is a big benefit for members of the DoD and intelligence communities. Pricing is reviewed in a separate process, ensuring pre-negotiated discounts on the contract and allowing ESI to offer additional discounts compared to the GSA prices.
• ESI Standards: ESI technology vendors are carefully evaluated. They agree to additional terms and conditions—including stringent security requirements—that make them more advantageous partners for agencies across the DoD.
• DFARS Clause: The DFARS 20874 Clause is referenced on every participating technology vendors’ ordering guide, and mandates that all DoD purchasers look at available inventory on ESI before purchasing technologies from any other contract vehicle. Since purchasers seek available inventory on this contract first, the policy benefits anybody who is using the contract to centrally locate acquisitions.
• Software License Agreement: Having to review vendor specific terms can be burdensome, but ESI contracts require SLAs ensuring that all vendors on the contract meet heightened standards as well as DoD-specific terms, making for a more effective contract.
• DoD Acceptance: ESI incorporates not only the relevant aspects of federal procurement law but also specific provisions like DFARS which benefit both the purchaser and the industry. ESI contractors do business with DoD regularly; and have proven to be responsive and responsible to the DoD.
• Path to Procurement: Agencies know they can have a path to procurement that will take into account the terms and conditions regarding the purchase. This allows:
• Pre-negotiated T&Cs that DoD purchasers can leverage, ultimately reducing risk.
• A ceiling price negotiated lower than the base contract price.
• An expedited ordering process, which can reduce budget cycle time.

DoD purchasers who are seeking a particular technology solution can scan the available catalogs of everything that has been approved to the ESI and make their purchases from that catalog.

ESI has resulted in:

• ESI purchasing agreements, representing over 30 OEM software publishers
• More than $6 billion in cost avoidance since inception
• Improved IT asset visibility of DoD ESI suppliers
• More efficient acquisition processes for ESI users

The recent BPA supports the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement and is intended to reduce the contracting and open market costs associated with the traditional procurement process, including searching for sources, developing technical documents and solicitations, negotiating contractual terms, and evaluating offers.