Aragonesa deServicios Telemáticos (AST) - Spain 

Aragonesa de Servicios Telemáticos, a public institution under the Spanish Law for the Public Administration, was created by Gobierno de Aragón with the decree 7/2001 that states that Aragonesa de Servicios Telemáticos is the single responsible entity for the management of the IT systems and services of the Regional Government.
On November 28, 2002 Aragonesa de Servicios Telemáticos entered into an agreement with Gobierno de Aragón which defines the procedures and the methodology that govern the provision of services.
Article #3 of the 7/2001 decree states that:
"The public institution Aragonesa de Servicios Telemáticos has as main objectives:
a) the implementation and the execution of the Gobierno de Aragón?s strategic plans for Telecommunications and IT Corporate Systems and Services, as well as the guidelines in the same matters issued by the Departamento de Presidencia y Relaciones Institucionales to which Aragonesa de Servicios Telemáticos reports;
b) to act as the main supplier for the Regional Government of Aragón on Telecommunications and IT services, systems and applications;
c) the Coordination of any and all Telecommunications and IT-related initiatives and activities with other Public Administrations and public or private entities on behalf of the Regional Government of Aragón;
d) to promote and implement the supply and demand of Telecommunications and IT Systems and Services across Aragón, as well as to participate in the building of infrastructures and in the provision services that are considered as critical for supporting the social and economical development of the Comunidad Autónoma de Aragón.
The public institution Aragonesa de Servicios Telemáticos is fully responsible for the following functions: "
b) ... The execution of projects and activities arisen from the strategic plans approved by Gobierno de Aragón in infrastructures, systems, services and applications in the area of Information Technologies and Telecommunications, as well as the execution of the guidelines that for the same matters are issued by the Departamento de Presidencia y Relaciones Institucionales.
c) The proposal, deployment and coordination of the technical resources required to guarantee the security, the integrity, the quality and the confidentiality of any IT or Telecommunications system (used by Gobierno de Aragon).
d) The integrated management of all systems and services in the area of Information Technologies and Telecommunications that, according to the Law, are the responsibility of the regional administration of Comunidad Autónoma de Aragón.
e) The technical planning, design, acquisition, deployment, management, operation and maintenance of all infrastructures, equipment, systems, services and applications in the area of Information Technologies and Telecommunications that can be required by the regional administration of Comunidad Autónoma de Aragón or any public entity or body which belongs to the latter, as well as the design and the deployment of the rules and procedures for the service delivery;
f) the definition of technical requirements to be meet by the equipment, systems, services and applications in the area of Information Technologies and Telecommunication to be deployed within the regional administration of Comunidad Autónoma de Aragón, taking specially in consideration the unification, standardization and compatibility of the applied solutions;
g) the procurement of the equipment, systems, services and corporate applications that are required by the regional administration of Comunidad Autónoma de Aragón and the development of rules and procedures for its utilization;
h) the training and education of end-users as well as giving advice, coordination and technical support to the different Departments of Diputación General de Aragón;
i) the promotion of the offer and of the demand of services and applications in the area of Information Technologies and Telecommunication;
j) the technical co-ordination and the execution of the agreements signed between Gobierno de Aragón and any other public administrations or public or private entities regarding system and services in the area of Information Technologies and Telecommunication;
k) management on behalf of Comunidad Autónoma de Aragón of any equity participation in public or private Information Technologies and Telecommunication service providers.
For more information on AST, see:
http://benasque.aragob.es:443/cgi-bin/BRSCGI?CMD=VEROBJ&MLKOB=32303020827