I.T. by Design was recently awarded the Tier One vendor status as part of the Consulting and Support Services Agreement (CSSA) by the State of Louisiana. This is the first step toward gaining the designation of Louisiana State-Approved Vendor.

I.T. by Design’s selection as a Tier One Contractor signifies that the organization was successfully assessed by an evaluation team designated by the Louisiana Office of Information or OIT. The evaluation team awards organizations points based on criteria listed in the Request for Proposal (RFP). Each organization must acquire a minimum of 50 points (out of 70 possible) in the technical category to achieve this designation.

The OIT appointed evaluation team also evaluates each organization’s project approach, corporate experience, past performance, and financial stability (among other factors). I.T. by Design was selected as a Tier One vendor by excelling in each of these factors. This designation is also a testament to the company’s legitimacy and merit.

According to the Office of Information Technology website, “The CSSA is to be used by State Agencies desiring assistance from pre-approved Consultants on Information Technology projects. The CSSA offers a flexible means of obtaining IT resources quickly, efficiently and cost effectively.”

Mike Thrower, the President and Chief Architect of I.T. by Design states, “We’re very happy as an organization to be one step closer to achieving our goal of being a State Approved Vendor.” He goes on to say, “We already do a lot of work with state agencies and this will make our contract negotiations with them much easier.”

I.T. by Design is a custom software and networking company located in Baton Rouge, LA. The company was formed in 2003 and to date, has over 20 employees. I.T. by Design specializes in the analysis, design, and delivery of custom software solutions and also provides networking services.

Currently, the CSSA contracts are in review by the Louisiana Office of Contractual Review. Once this process is completed, the Office of Information Technology (OIT) will post each state-approved vendor on the OIT website. At this time, I.T. by Design may compete for several special development projects for various Louisiana governmental entities.

For more information about I.T. by Design, visit www.ITbyDesign.us or call 225.753.4823. To learn more about the CSSA process, visit doa.louisiana.gov/oit.