OHSU

Why Buy Standard Computers

Working with preferred vendors, ITG has developed a list of standard computers that allows us to reduce the total cost of ownership (purchase price, installation, and support).

  1. Original cost of purchasing a computer and associated software
  2. Future cost of implementing hardware or software upgrades
  3. Ongoing cost associated with maintaining or repairing hardware
  4. Cost associated with providing technical support for both hardware and software
  5. Training costs associated with implementing hardware or software

1. The original cost of hardware and software

  • ITG negotiated aggressively priced computers from Dell.
  • Prices include hardware, software, and four-year warranty.
  • ITG creates the online AIS purchase requisition for you and tracks the order after it is placed.

Benefit: You can quickly purchase an enterprise-class computer for a very affordable price.


2. Hardware and software upgrades

  • System upgrades are easy to research and complete because our vendors track upgrades to our standard systems and provide that information to us at no additional cost.
  • If necessary, we can configure a standard workstation to meet your specialized needs.
  • Our standard workstation is not the lowest specification computer on the market. Standard computers are selected based on the minimum level we believe will last for four years or more given what we know about the strategic direction for OHSU's computing environment.

Benefit: You can get the machine you need and still reap the additional benefits of buying from the standard vendors.


3. Maintenance

  • We negotiated special RMA agreements that allow us to perform warranty repairs on-site, very quickly.
  • Because we see a lot of these machines, we know how to diagnose hardware problems and how to fix them.
  • If we cannot make the repair on-site, we can bypass much of the support headache when engaging the vendor's tech support.

Benefit: Shorter downtimes for you


4. Technical support

  • ITG is able to evaluate new models in our environment prior to placing them on the standards list. Therefore, we can offer a more comprehensive level of service to customers with standard machines because we understand how the OHSU software build interacts with the hardware and we’re able to customize solutions based on that hardware standard.
  • Build-times are greatly reduced when we can deliver a workstation that takes the OHSU software build.
  • Finally, because we have rolling stock for the most commonly purchased machines ITG can deliver machines to the customer within a week (when a jack heat is not required).

Benefit: This means that you get a standard, predictable workstation delivered to your desk in the shortest time possible – and if something goes wrong, ITG can typically fix it within 24 hours.


5. Training

  • ITG is very familiar with our standard workstations because we trained on them, and we see them all the time.
  • Our vendors offer training to ITG technicians at no charge on the devices we’ve designated as standard.
  • ITG technicians pass on that knowledge to our customers when we replace or upgrade a computer.

Benefit: This means you’ll have a minimal learning curve when you sit down in front of your new computer.


Summary

ITG has established premium support channels with our premium vendors, that include

  • Four-year warrantees
  • Hardware repair and troubleshooting
  • Optimized pricing on the latest stable technologies.


ITG evaluates new equipment within our environment before placing it on the approved list for purchasing. By purchasing a computer designed for enterprise use, OHSU can offer significantly better support through better knowledge of system components, established parts inventory, increased vendor support, and more stable hardware platforms.