DHS to save $87 million with license consolidation
DHS announced a fourth round of cost-saving measures, including replacing thousands of software licenses with a single departmentwide license.
The Homeland Security Department has consolidated hundreds of thousands of software licenses with Microsoft into a single license, resulting in a cost savings of $87.5 million over six years.
The department converted more than 487,000 licenses into one, covering software and maintenance, department officials said.
In addition, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement consolidated more than 200 licensing agreements for use of Oracle software and created a single, unlimited license, for an estimated cost avoidance of $1.5 million over the next year.
The cost-saving strategies are part of DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano’s Efficiency Review process announced in February. This was the fourth update on ongoing efficiency measures.
In addition to software consolidations, several agencies are saving on expenses by replacing some services and operations with online services.
For example, U.S Customs and Border Protection is anticipating savings of $640,000 in travel costs this year by hosting Web-based training sessions instead of in-person training. The agency is also posting training materials online.
The Coast Guard said it is saving $95,000 annually on printing and mailing costs for event invitations. It has replaced those invitations with a free e-invitation system managed online, the news release said.