(1) Whenever the term “Central Data Processing Authority” or the term “authority,” when referring to the Central Data Processing Authority, is used in any law, rule, regulation, document or elsewhere, it shall be construed to mean the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services.

(2) For the purposes of this chapter the following terms shall have the meanings ascribed in this section unless the context otherwise requires:

(a) “Central Data Processing Authority” and “CDPA” mean “Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services (MDITS)” and the term “authority” means “board of the MDITS.”

(b) “Bureau of Systems Policy and Planning,” “Bureau of Telecommunications,” “Bureau of Central Data Processing” and “bureau” mean “Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services.”

(c) “Computer equipment or services” means any information technology, computer or computer related telecommunications equipment, electronic word processing and office systems, or services utilized in connection therewith, including, but not limited to, all phases of computer software and consulting services, and insurance on all state-owned computer equipment.

(d) “Acquisition” of computer or telecommunications equipment or services means the purchase, lease, rental, or acquisition in any other manner of any such computer or telecommunications equipment or services.

(e) “Agency” means and includes all the various state agencies, officers, departments, boards, commissions, offices and institutions of the state.

(f) “Governing authority” means boards of supervisors, governing boards of all school districts, all boards of directors of public water supply districts, boards of directors of master public water supply districts, municipal public utility commissions, governing authorities of all municipalities, port authorities, commissioners and boards of trustees of any public hospitals and any political subdivision of the state supported wholly or in part by public funds of the state or political subdivisions thereof.

(g) “Bid” means any of the valid source selection techniques and competitive procurement methods appropriate to information technology procurement in the public sector, including, but not limited to, competitive sealed bidding, competitive sealed proposals, simplified small purchase procedures, sole source procurements, and emergency procurements.

(h) “Telecommunications transmission facility” means any transmission medium, switch, instrument, inside wiring system or other facility which is used, in whole or part, to provide any transmission.

(i) “Equipment support contract” means a contract which covers a single, specific class or classes of telecommunications equipment or service and all features associated with that class, through which state agencies may purchase or lease the item of equipment or service specified by issuing a purchase order under the terms of the contract without the necessity of further competitive bidding.

(j) “Inside wiring system” means any wiring which:

(i) Directly or indirectly, interconnects any terminal equipment with any other terminal equipment or with any regulated facility or common carrier services; and

(ii) Is located at the premises of the customer and is not inside any terminal equipment.

(k) “Procurement” means the selling, buying, purchasing, renting, leasing or otherwise obtaining telecommunications equipment, system or related services, as well as activities engaged in, resulting in or expected to result in selling, buying, purchasing, renting, leasing or otherwise obtaining telecommunications equipment.

(l) “Telecommunications equipment, systems, related services” are limited to the equipment and means to provide:

(i) Telecommunications transmission facilities.

(ii) Telephone systems, including voice processing systems.

(iii) Facsimile systems.

(iv) Radio paging services.

(v) Mobile telephone services, including cellular mobile telephone service.

(vi) Intercom and paging systems.

(vii) Video teleconferencing systems.

(viii) Personal communications networks and services.

(ix) Any and all systems based on emerging and future telecommunications technologies relative to (i) through (viii) above.

(m) “Telecommunications system lease contract” means a contract between a supplier of telecommunications systems, including equipment and related services, and the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services through which telecommunications systems, including equipment and related services, may be leased for a term which shall not exceed sixty (60) months for a system lease valued less than One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00) and shall not exceed one hundred twenty (120) months for a system lease valued One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00) or more.

(n) “Tariffed or regulated service” means telecommunications service offered by common carriers and subject to control by the Mississippi Public Service Commission or the Federal Communications Commission.

(o) “State Data Center” means one or more facilities operated by the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services to provide information technology resources requiring enterprise computing resources or any other centrally managed information resources.