Gen-i wins govt Apple contract - Updated

Gen-i has been appointed one of two suppliers of Apple laptops, desktops and tablets for the All-of-Government procurement panel, which is responsible for streamlining the purchasing process for government agencies.

The new appointment adds to Gen-i’s existing contract with the panel for Lenovo computers and Phillips monitors.

Neither Gen-i nor the department responsible for the All-of-Government panel, Internal Affairs, could be reached to tell TechDay who the other supplier is.

The All-of-Government panel will eventually cover 219 government agencies, 78 councils and 2500 schools across New Zealand.

Greg Mikkelsen, general manager – enterprise clients for Gen-i, says the appointment recognises the company’s understanding of government agencies’ unique requirements.

"The iPad in particular has seen wide interest in the government sector, particularly education” Mikkelsen says, "and it’s fantastic to make this product more accessible."

As well as the iPad, other products available include the iMac, Mac Mini, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air range.

Update: TechDay understands that the second Apple supplier for All-of-Government is Cyclone Computers.

Update 2: The Department of Internal Affairs has confirmed Cyclone Computers as the All-of-Government panel's second Apple supplier.

Cyclone's Apple division general manager, Graham Prentice, says the appointment is a significant acknowledgement of Cyclone's expertise with the brand in the education sector.