A contract has been signed for the supply and installation of an integrated computer system for resource planning, which should be operational in 2015.
From a press release by the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Panama:
A contract for the supply and installation of the Integrated System for Planning Resources of the Public Sector Government of the Republic of Panama: Stage I Central Government signed the Ministry of Economy and Finance with the Spanish companies AYESA Advanced Technologies SA and the Consortium Informático El Corte Inglés Latinoamérica y el Caribe.
The state telecoms company says it can not adapt its systems to number portability by March 2014.
The ICE has set up every possible legal and administrative resource in order to prevent the entry into operation of number portability, so that it can perpetuate its business advantage (captive customers) in the light of newcomers. Now it is simply reporting that it is technically unprepared to join the system by which mobile phone users can retain their telephone identification when moving from one operator to another.
The decision had become log jammed in the Number Portability Committee because of the vote of the state telecommunications company, which it is assumed will be harmed by the portability.
Nacion.com reports that "The Board of the Telecommunications (Sutel) selected the Spanish firm Informatica El Corte Ingles as the one to offer the service of number portability in the country." ...
The governmental acquisition to select a provider for supplying and maintaining the system technology was declared deserted.
The evaluation committee ruled that none of the two proposals, submitted by Porting Access Teletech and “Informática El Corte Inglés”, complied with the requisites.
Authorities also declared deserted another related acquisition, the one intended to rent the physical space to install a data center.
Two of the three companies participating in the bidding have contested the process.
Companies “El Corte Inglés” and “Teletech Doo” complained that “Porting Access B.V.”, the third participant, was given three additional days to correct some of the requisites.
The Acquisitions Directorate has accepted their complaint and will take a decision within five business days.
The Dutch company proposed to install and operate the system in Panama for $2.67 million.
Two other companies participated in the bidding: “Informática El Corte Inglés” ($4.8 million), and Teletech D.O.O. ($2.75 million).
Dennis Moreno, head of the Panamanian Public Services Authority (ASEP), explained that the proposals will be reviewed by an evaluation committee composed by officials from several entities, who will decide which company will be awarded with the contract.