NEWARK, Oct. 24, 2018 – Edge, a statewide Research and Education Network, has awarded a contract to SHI Corp (SHI) to provide access to Microsoft’s technology solutions and services for education and public sector organizations, including state and local government, K-12 schools, and higher education institutions.
The partnership aims to leverage cooperative purchasing and keep New Jersey’s technology spend in-state, offering a local, streamlined and cost-effective vehicle for all higher education institutions and public sector entities to purchase Microsoft technologies.
The collaboration between Edge and SHI is the newest addition to Edge’s Cooperative Pricing System, which includes a referenceable Department of Community Affairs (DCA) number. This enables public sector institutions to identify and integrate Microsoft technologies without having to individually navigate the costly and time-consuming bid process.
Through this consortium purchasing approach, Edge can issue Request for Proposals (RFPs) and deliver economies of scale on behalf of all member institutions and the public sector community in New Jersey.
“Edge continually raises the bar for technology in universities, K-12 schools, and government agencies, a mission that blends perfectly with SHI’s ability to serve every organization’s unique IT needs,” said Denise Verdicchio, Senior Director, Public Sector, SHI. “Our aim, as always, is to deliver the tools and solutions that will help each institution fulfill its promise to its students, faculty, and staff every day.”
SHI is Microsoft’s top license solution provider and will provide Edge community members access to a wide range of solutions and services, including:
- Microsoft 365 Education, with Microsoft Office, classroom tools, file and content management, and more
- Microsoft Azure and related cloud-based services over Edge’s high-performance network
- Professional services that help organizations access, design, build and manage a more optimized, secure, and cost-effective environment
“Our goal is to build a unified front for the public sector and our higher education members from all sectors to purchase and implement game-changing technologies and keep up with the pace of innovation,” said Dr. Samuel Conn, President and CEO at Edge. “Our partnership with SHI strengthens our commitment to help our members gain the utmost in efficiency when adopting technology solutions for their organizations. The fact that we can do so via a purchasing vehicle which keeps our state technology spend here in New Jersey, rather than sending administrative fees elsewhere, is an exciting added benefit for the state.”