Renaissance joins Gen-i, Cyclone on all-of-government Apple supplier panel

UPDATE March 12, 2011: In a statement to the NZX today, Renaissance said it had been appointed as a supplier of Apple products to the All-of-Government desktop and laptop computer procurement panel.

The company - which enjoyed a long-time monopoly on the distribution of Apple products in New Zealand before the appoint of Ingram Micro as a second distributor, and Apple's entry into direct sales via its website - joins Telecom's Gen-i division and Cyclone on the Apple panel.

Renaissance has struggled financially since losing its Apple exclusivity.

UPDATE October 11, 2010:  Cyclone has been confirmed as the second supplier of Apple products to the All-of-Government desktop and laptop computer procurement panel.

Cyclone Computers is already an All-of-Government supplier of PCs, which are Cyclone branded and locally assembeled.

Last year the company became an Apple Authorised Education Reseller, and now will provide for the the education sector customers, including tertiary and schools, as well as the government funded agencies.
 

October 10, 2011: Telecom's Gen-i division is one of two suppliers of Apple products to the All-of-Government computer procurement panel.

NBR understands the second supplier is Cyclone Computers, an authorised Apple reseller that is already an All-of-Government PC supplier.

The Department of Internal Affairs, which administers the All-of-Government contract, said it could not release the name of the second supplier as the contract had not been finalised.

Cyclone computers general manager David Bird said the company would not be commenting.

The laptop and desktop computer procurement panel will eventually cover 219 government agencies, 78 councils and 2500 schools across New Zealand and is intended to save the government costs by streamlining the purchasing process for agencies and removing the need to review multiple tenders, a release from Gen-i said.

Apple products available for procurement are the iPad, the iMac, the Mac Mini, the MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air range, with the agreement coming into effect on October 1.

Procurement for telephony products, such as iPhones, would come under a different contract and category, a Department of Internal Affairs spokeswoman said.  There was a tender for mobile data on GETS but there was no All-of-Government procurement for handsets, she said.

Gen-i has an existing contract with the panel for the supply of Lenovo computers and Phillips monitors, and a Tahi mobile contract.

Gen-i general manager  enterprise clients Greg Mikkelsen said the iPad had seen wide interest in the government sector, particularly in education.

“Our extensive procurement skills and in-depth knowledge of the government sector, combined with Apple’s outstanding product range, means that the government can reduce the costs of procuring these Apple products.”