The Steamship Authority’s new information technology working group unanimously approved issuing a request for proposals for consultation on information technology services on Wednesday, Feb. 15. The group will issue the request for proposal (RFP) after amending the language in the draft version.
Proposals are planned to be due on Tuesday, April 4, at 2 pm; potential bidders will be able to ask questions until mid-March.
The RFP is aimed at making a comprehensive assessment of the SSA’s current information technology infrastructure, and recommendations on how to improve it.
This working group was approved last month by the SSA board to craft an RFP, in response to the online issues customers experienced when summer ferry reservations opened in January.
For public safety and security reasons, working group member Steve Sayers asked members to use vague cybersecurity terms like “firewall,” and to avoid mentioning specific vendors or equipment while discussing the RFP on Wednesday.
After receiving feedback from members, such as additional parts the consultant should look into, Sayers said the amended version can be posted and advertised by next week. SSA bid invitations are available at bit.ly/3XColwz.
Meanwhile, Falmouth SSA representative Peter Jeffrey was unanimously elected as the chair of the working group.
