Maryland Department of Health
Information Technology Asset Management

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ITAM Software Purchasing Guide

All software purchase requests must be submitted through the OET Service Desk​​. Below are links to the three software purchase categories; click the link for the appropriate dollar amount for guidance.

Purchase Categories:

  • Smartsheet, Cognito Forms, Acadia, DocuSign and Adobe Pro
  • $5,000 or less
  • Between $5,000 - $50,000
  • Greater ​than $50,000

Smartsheet, Cognito Forms, Acadia, DocuSign​ and Adobe Pro

Smartsheet, Cognito Forms, Acadia and DocuSign​​​​
  • ​Quot​es are not required for Smartsheet, Cognito Forms, Acadia​, Docu​Sign or Adobe Pro​ purchases.
  • Have appropriate fiscal staff complete and sign a chargeback form (use this form for Smartsheet, Cognito Forms and Acadia, this form for DocuSign and this form​ for Adobe Pro).
  • Create and submit a Service Desk ticket​ (Submit a Request | Software - Purchases, Licenses | Under $5,000), attaching the completed and signed chargeback form to the ticket.
    • If all necessary documentation is included with the ticket, OET will provision the requested users.
    • If required information/documentation is not included, the requestor will be notified by email via the Service Desk ticketing system; the ticket's status will be set to "Pending" until OET receives the needed information.
  • OET will charge the program for the licenses by journal entry.
  • Upon completion, OET will change the ticket's status to "Resolved" and the requestor will receive a notification email from the Service Desk ticketing system.

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Process for purchases $5,000 or less

  • Obtain qu​otes​ for desired software licenses, maintenance, etc.
  • Have a requisition​ or other funding authorization signed by appropriate fiscal staff with vendor, product, price noted.
  • Create and submit Service Desk ticket ​(Submit a Request | Software - Purchases, Licenses | Under $5,000), attaching quote(s) and requisition/funding authorization, and completing Custom Fields.
    • If all necessary documentation is included with ticket, OET will make purchase and notify requestor on completion.
    • If information and/or documentation is omitted, OET will notify the requestor via the Service Desk ticket “Note” section and you will receive an email. The status of the ticket will be assigned a status of “Pending” until OET receives the proper documentation.
  • When software licenses, keys or other confirmation is received, attach to the corresponding ticket (Attachments | Add File).  This can be done by OET or the customer, depending on who receives the documentation.
  • OET will charge the program for the purchase by journal entry when the appropriate CPC reconciliation is processed.
  • Upon completion, OET will assign the ticket a status of “Resolved” and the requestor will receive a notification email from the Service Desk ticketing system.
  • If the person receiving the software does not have administrative rights to his/her computer, they must request software installation from their local IT staff.
  • To avoid delays, please be sure to reference the software purchase ticket number on the software installation ticket and/or attach the license information to the ticket so that the software can be properly installed.

Process for purchases between $5,000 - $50,000

  • Solicit quotes through the normal procurement process.
  • Create PO for winning bid using Purchasing Type "CX" (will be routed through OET in approval path).
  • Submit Service Desk ticket (Submit a Request | Software - Purchases, Licenses | Under $5,000), noting PO # in appropriate field in Custom Fields box.
  • OET will approve PO in ADPICS, prior to final approval and posting.
  • Following award, when software licenses, keys or other confirmation received, attach to the ticket (Attachments | Add File).

Process for purchases greater than $50,000​

  • Initiate solicitation for quotes through OPASS.
  • When a PO is created by OPASS, submit Service Desk ticket (Submit a Request | Software - Purchases, Licenses | Under $5,000), noting PO # in appropriate field in Custom Fields box.
  • OET will monitor PO for approval and award, but will not be in the approval path.
  • Following award, when software licenses, keys or other confirmation received, attach to the ticket (Attachments | Add File).



Vendor Information for Quotes (new licenses and license renewals):​


  • Adobe ProductsAdobe Products

    • For non-Education purchases: Contact Software House International (SHI) to obtain quotes at msnortheastgov@shi.com or 800.477.6479 x5886
      • ​Reference the MDH VIP Account #: C9868C80C2401E21B8FA​
    • For Education purchases: Contact Daly Computers to obtain quotes at mdsales@daly.com or 301.670.0381 x455 (VIP account #: 3D90F98C97908249379A)
    • One-time license purchases for Adobe Acrobat are purchased through Adobe TLP Volume License Agreement, Customer ID #53433501
    • Required documents:








DocuSign

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get the software installed after OET has completed the purchase?
If your business unit has its own local IT support team, please request installation from that team and be sure to provide the license information.  For users directly supported by OET, the Service Desk ticket you submitted for the purchase will be routed to appropriate staff for installation after the purchase is complete.

Must everyone within MDH comply with the ITAM Software Purchasing procedures?
No, Local Health Departments, Boards and Commissions that have a Memorandum of Agreement with OET are exempt from the ITAM procedures and should continue to purchase software using their existing procedures.

Is hardware part of ITAM?
No, the ITAM procedures only apply to software purchases, software maintenance/support, and renewals.

Is ITAM only intended for software on personal computers?
No, all software for equipment and devices in operation throughout the Department must follow the ITAM procedures.

Is there a standard for Microsoft Office products?
Microsoft 365 is the MDH standard for office productivity software. Microsoft 365 must be bundled with the Enterprise Mobility Suite (EMS) as negotiated with Microsoft and SHI and available through the State’s Microsoft master contract. The software is subscription-based with an annual cost of $334.01 per user (inclusive of Microsoft 365 and EMS). One subscription may be used on up to five devices per subscriber (e.g., desktop, laptop, smartphone, plus two more). The subscription includes all updates to ensure that users have the most current version. Please note: the subscription must be paid annually, so please be sure to budget for the recurring annual cost.

To obtain quotes, please follow the guidance provided in the Vendor Information for Qu​otes section of this​ page.

Important Note:  Local Health Departments (LHDs), Boards, and Commissions that have executed a Memorandum of Agreement with OET should not reference the MDH Enterprise Agreement number listed above.  LHDs, Boards and Commissions are not covered under the MDH Enterprise Agreement.  

What software applications are included in Microsoft 365 Pro Plus?
The MDH Enterprise Agreement with Microsoft for Microsoft 365 Pro Plus includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher, Skype for Business and Access. Users can obtain a quote from SHI to purchase Project and Visio Pro using the EA, but these are not included in the Microsoft 365 Pro Plus subscription and must be purchased separately.

The cost of Microsoft 365 is high, is there an alternative?
An alternative is the Google Suite which is included with each Gmail account. Users have access to Google Drive, Google Documents, Sheets, Slides, Forms and more at no additional cost. 

My program doesn’t use requisitions that are required to be attached to a ticket when requesting a purchase. What do I do?
Please use this Requisiti​on Form​​.​​
 
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