Strategic Technology Acquisition

Key Functions

Our mission is to enhance UC Berkeley's information technology environment at the enterprise level through the use of professional technology-acquisition practices.

We focus on strategic technologies, products, and vendors, which are those deemed critical to carrying out UC Berkeley's mission of instruction, research, and public service. We provide direct support to campus managerial staff who are responsible for strategic technology implementations, works closely with Procurement Services, and maintain ongoing contacts with major technology vendors.

Services

We provide the following services to acquisition sponsors and campus departments:

  • Conducts projects and analyses to derive better long term value related to IT acquisition investments.
  • Participates in task forces appointed to study and/or select technology solutions.
  • Collaborates in the development of solicitations (RFPs, RFQs, RFIs) for the acquisition of information technology systems.
  • Collaborates in the evaluation of vendor bids arising from solicitations.
  • Reviews and negotiates contracts and pricing for the acquisition of information technologies.
  • Collaborates with campus departments in resolving serious difficulties they may experience with key vendors.
  • Negotiates volume agreements, site licenses, and other technology agreements for the campus that take advantage of economies of scale.
  • Serves as the primary campus representative on UC systemwide Advisory Group on Technology Acquisition Support (TAS).
  • Develops and promotes policies, standards, practices, procedures, templates, and other foundations of an effective technology acquisition process.
  • Hosts the BITS Forum listserv, and ad hoc vendor presentations.

See the Technology Acquisition Toolkit for helpful documents and links.