New York Comptroller wants to scrap $2 billion network
THE STATE of New York should cancel a $2 billion emergency wireless network contract, its comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said on Thursday.
The wireless network was proposed following the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center 'demolitions' in order to improve communications between emergency first responders such as police and firefighters.
But the state's largest technology project is 18 months behind schedule and has encountered technical problems since the contract was given to Tyco Electronics unit M/A-COM in 2005.
Jennifer Freeman, a spokeswoman for DiNapoli's office, said "It's very likely this contract is not going to go ahead unless the issues are fixed."
Contractor Tyco Electronics and the state's Office for Technology (OFT) seem determined to press forward with the project, though.
Tyco Electronics told Reuters that a recent audit cited by the comptroller's office "includes a number of inaccuracies" and promised to " correct any remaining outstanding issues related to the first phase of this program."
The state agency overseeing the project will decide whether to accept the first phase of the network in two counties by August 29. It said it would consider the audit findings. "OFT will continue to work with the Comptroller's Office and all stakeholders to ensure New York has an interoperable public safety grade radio network for first responders."
However, it sounds like DiNapoli isn't willing to put up with excuses and delays. He said the state should cut its losses unless M/A-COM can fix the problems.
"After three rounds of failed testing, it is apparent that this system is not ready to move forward," DiNapoli said. "M/A-COM has not met its contractual obligations and New York can't afford to spend $2 billion on a system that doesn't work right." He added, "It's time to fish or cut bait. M/A-COM has to deliver what it promised."
Or else, he clearly implied. ยต
L'Inq
Reuters
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Tyco Electronics' web server runs Microsoft Windows software. Visitors of that web site who have not installed Adobe Macromedia Flash software get the advice to do so. I would not pick Tyco Electronics for a 2 billion dollar project.
How can the state lose out on these deals if they only pay if the project is a success?

Simple, only pay if it works, don't if it doesn't. To go further, have regular dates for completion of goals with payments made based on achieving these goals. If the dates are missed, there is a penalty. If the project slips too much, there is a penalty and the work is put out for tender again.

Long term projects need proper managing, if the city are saying it's slipping then I don't think the city have the right management team in place. I would be looking at firing the management team and having a monetary penalty against the contractor.

Speaking as someone who has never managed a poject as large and difficult and politically spiked as this one, it's just my tuppence worth, literally.
Sure hope they didn't give any large amounts of money to the company doing the work yet. Would be typical though, probably already paid them a couple million, and I'm sure they get to keep it when they get the boot.
This is typical how our pathetic government waists taxpayer dollars. First off what's wrong with phones? Not a damn thing but they have to waste billions on some so called state of the art crap. Then they wonder why everyone hates the government except for the hacks that are in the government sucking on the tit of the taxpayers.
Fun fact time: 
- 2 billion dollars could buy 2.5 million miles of cat5 cable. That is about 8 times to the moon and back. Or 100 times around the planet earth.
- 2.5 million miles of cat5 cable would weigh 140000 tons. That is a quarter of what the world trade center weighed.
- In China such an epic failure would surely mean the death penalty for everyone involved.

I personally think this money would have been better spent BUILDING A FEW NEW WORLD TRADE CENTERS.