November 11, 2005

Dear Faculty, Staff and Students:

We are pleased to announce that Dell and Lenovo have been chosen as the primary suppliers of personal computers (desktops and laptops) for the Johns Hopkins Institutions. Pricing agreements with these suppliers will result in substantial savings to all members of the Johns Hopkins community. (Note: We will continue our strong relationship with Apple Computer.)

Earlier this year, a personal computer procurement team that included information technology and procurement personnel from the university and health system identified business and technical requirements that were incorporated into a request for proposals. The RFP was issued to Dell, Hewlett Packard, and IBM (Note: Lenovo has since then purchased IBM’s personal computer business). All of the suppliers were asked to respond to identical requirements, terms and conditions. The goals of the RFP process were to:

* Aggregate personal computer purchases across Johns Hopkins to consolidate our buying power and qualify us for the most competitive pricing possible.

* Establish Johns Hopkins-wide standard system configurations that will facilitate improvements in ordering, deploying, and maintaining personal computers.

* Ensure reliable, high quality support and repair.

* Establish strategic, long-term relationships with businesses that support the mission of Johns Hopkins and offer integration with the HopkinsOne enterprise resource planning initiative.

After analyzing RFP responses, entertaining supplier presentations, and testing supplier products, the procurement team determined that both Dell and Lenovo offered very competitive pricing, strong customer service support, and a commitment to work with Johns Hopkins. In addition, both Dell and Lenovo agreed to offer the same aggressive pricing to all members of the Johns Hopkins community, including for personal purchases by faculty, staff, and students. As a result, a decision was made to negotiate pricing agreements with both suppliers.

Special Johns Hopkins-specific configurations have been created with both Dell and Lenovo. These desktop and laptop configurations offer the best combination of value and performance. For product, pricing, and ordering information, university affiliates should contact Dana Hogan or Suzette Saunders in the Office of Purchasing Services at (410) 516-8383. JHHS affiliates, please contact Michael Lang, Corky Towers, or Jeannette Marousek at (410) 550-3300.

Sincerely,

Betty Gibula
Director of Purchasing
Johns Hopkins Health System

Paul N. Beyer
Director of Purchasing
Johns Hopkins University