TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Jon Gjestvang - Chief Financial Officer - Information Technology Services
REPORT BY: Elena Guzman - Staff Services Analyst
SUBJECT: Sole Source Award to AMS.NET for Cisco Core Switch, Hardware, Labor and Software
RECOMMENDATION
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Chief Information Officer requests the following actions:
1. A waiver of competitive bidding requirement and sole source award to AMS.NET (pursuant to Napa County Code Section 2.36.090) for the purchase of (4) Cisco core switches, software, and labor; and
2. Approval and authorization for the Chair to sign an agreement with AMS.NET, for a maximum of $163,886 for the term of October 20, 2021 through June 30, 2022 for the purchase of (4) Cisco core switches, software and labor.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
AMS.NET is the authorized Cisco vendor for the North Bay region and is Napa County’s source of hardware and licensing purchases for all Cisco related products, including Cisco core switches. The core switches are the main switching infrastructure for the network, which are located in the County’s main data center. The Cisco core switches function as the main hub for the network and direct data traffic to department sites, Internet, data servers and firewalls.
Approval of today’s requested action will allow for a waiver of competitive bidding requirement and sole source award to AMS.NET for the purchase of (4) Cisco core switches, software, and labor. Since the Cisco core switch units exceed $10,000 for a single unit, board approval is required. Cisco core switches are included in the FY21-22 Schedule of Capital Assets.
AMS is not a local vendor.
FISCAL & STRATEGIC PLAN IMPACT
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Is there a Fiscal Impact? |
Yes |
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Is it currently budgeted? |
Yes |
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Where is it budgeted? |
Information Technology Services (ITS) |
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Is it Mandatory or Discretionary? |
Mandatory |
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Is the general fund affected? |
No |
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Future fiscal impact: |
There is no fiscal impact beyond the current fiscal year. |
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Consequences if not approved: |
If not approved, ITS Network Operations will be unable to replace the current core switches that are end of life and no longer viable or supported. The core switches are critical components of Napa County’s main data center. Replacement is imperative as the data will not flow and use of the network will cease in their absence. |
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County Strategic Plan pillar addressed: |
Effective and Open Government |
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: The proposed action is not a project as defined by 14 California Code of Regulations 15378 (State of CEQA Guidelines) and therefore CEQA is not applicable.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
AMS.NET, Inc. (AMS.NET) is the vendor the County uses for its telephony software licenses, annual technical support, and Cisco Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone system.
In addition to procuring software licenses through AMS.NET, the County has previously entered into a number of professional services agreements with AMS.NET over the past 4 years. On August 15, 2017, the Board of Supervisors approved Agreement 180085B for a total of $74,460 with AMS.NET for custom configuration, purchase of equipment, installation, and training services needed to upgrade the County’s VoIP telephone system. The Network Operations and Telephony subdivisions of ITS worked with AMS.NET to complete the VoIP system upgrade. This agreement expired on June 30, 2018.
On October 1, 2017, the Board of Supervisors approved Agreement 180141B for a total of $35,000 with AMS.NET in order to provide the County with professional technical support and maintenance for the VoIP system and core network infrastructure. Due to the highly technical nature of the VoIP system, the Telephony staff occasionally needed assistance from AMS.NET with troubleshooting, repairs, and reconfigurations.
On September 25, 2018, the Board of Supervisors approved Agreement 190127B for a total of $13,800 with AMS.NET for security camera integration services related to the Sheriff’s Facility Security Camera Project, PW17-17. This project allowed for the integration of the security camera equipment’s management software into the County’s system, the migration of existing Milestone Enterprise servers, the building of a new server, and the addition of existing Enterprise cameras to the new server. This agreement expired on June 30, 2019.
On April 21, 2020, the Board of Supervisors approved Amendment No. 1 to Agreement 180141B with AMS.NET for annual technical support hours, planned project, and software licenses related to the County’s Cisco Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP), the expansion of the Health and Human Services Administration’s operations call center, and the upgrade of ITS Network Operations’ Border Gateway Protocol (BGP). This agreement expires on June 30, 2022.
On June 23, 2020, the Board of Supervisors approved a sole source award to AMS.NET for the purchase of software licenses for the Cisco Flex Plan Subscription and the Cisco Flex Contract Center Subscriptions. AMS.NET is a Cisco authorized vendor of the Cisco software licenses. The Cisco Flex Plan Subscription are the licenses the County uses for its telephone system, including phones, voicemail, and active directory. Cisco Flex Contact Center Subscription licenses allow County employees to manage incoming calls for service, including placing holds, transfers, and the tracking of both call and wait times.
On March 16, 2021 the Board of Supervisors approved a sole source award to AMS.NET for the purchase of equipment, labor, and licensing for the wireless internet services project at 650 Imperial Way, for a maximum of $22,984. The software subscriptions are for the term of March 9, 2021 to June 30, 2024.
Approval of today’s requested action will allow for a waiver of competitive bidding requirement and sole source award of up to a maximum of $163,886 to AMS.NET for the purchase of (4) Cisco core switch units, software, and labor. The current core switches are at end of life and no longer supported. With very few exceptions, data traveling across the network traverse the core switches, and therefore, it is imperative they are replaced since they are critical components of the County’s main data center.
AMS.NET, Inc., is located in Livermore, CA, and is not a local vendor. AMS.NET implemented the County’s VoIP system using the company’s extensive knowledge of the County’s network infrastructure. Additionally, they are an authorized vendor of Cisco software systems, giving them detailed understanding of the software licenses and hardware.