TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Jon Gjestvang - Chief Information Officer - Information Technology Services
REPORT BY: Elena Guzman - Staff Services Analyst
SUBJECT: Sole Source Award to AMS.NET for Wireless Project Equipment, Labor and Software
RECOMMENDATION
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Chief Information Officer requests a waiver of competitive bidding requirement and sole source award to AMS.NET (pursuant to Napa County Code Section 2.36.090) for a maximum of $106,147 for the term of March 14, 2023, through June 30, 2026, for the purchase of the following equipment, labor and licensing for the Countywide wireless internet service project:
1. Flood Building:
a. Meraki Cloud Managed Access Points for $4,058 for three-year licensing and three Access Points; including $1,150 labor for a maximum amount of $5,208;
b. Wireless Cabling for $2,740 labor and $824 materials for a maximum of $3,564;
2. Juvenile Hall:
a. Meraki Cloud Managed Access Points for $31,113 for three-year licensing and twenty-three Access Points; including $6,550 labor for a maximum of $37,663;
b. Wireless Cabling for $15,720 labor and $4,933 materials for a maximum of $20,653;
3. Napa Sanitation:
a. Meraki Cloud Managed Access Points for $21,494 for three-year licensing and fifteen Access Points; including $4,550 labor for a maximum $26,044; and
b. Wireless Cabling for $9,960 labor and $3,055 materials for a maximum of $13,015.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
AMS.NET is the authorized Cisco vendor for the North Bay region and is Napa County’s source for hardware and licensing purchases for all Cisco related products, including Cisco Meraki. The Meraki Enterprise license provides cloud-based centralized management, mobility and security across multiple Access Points allowing
for network wide visibility and control. With the Meraki Enterprise licenses, the ITS Network Operations team will be able to continue to fulfill the requirements set forth in the County’s strategic plan to have wireless
access in County buildings.
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 equipment, labor, and licensing for the wireless internet service projects at the County’s Flood building, Juvenile Hall building and Napa Sanitization building. The software subscriptions are for the term of March 14, 2023, to March 14, 2026.
The license costs $1,181 per Access Point per year for a one-year term or $423 per Access Point per year for a three-year term. By committing to the three-year subscription for forty-one Access Points, the County will realize a total savings of $93,234 when compared to the one-year subscription model.
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 |
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Is it Mandatory or Discretionary? |
Discretionary |
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Discretionary Justification: |
The Meraki Enterprise License will allow for a secure wireless network with centralized management and mobility across multiple Access Points. These licenses are integral to the County’s network infrastructure and daily operations. |
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Is the general fund affected? |
No |
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Future fiscal impact: |
The Meraki Enterprise Licenses are expected to be paid under the current fiscal year. Once the three-year licensing term expires, these expenses will be budgeted in Fiscal Year 2026-2027 in the ITS Infrastructure and Operations subdivision. |
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Consequences if not approved: |
If not approved, ITS Network Operations will not be able to continue to fulfill the requirement set forth in the County’s strategic plan to have comprehensive wireless solution in County buildings. |
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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 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 $75,460 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 expired 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. The 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 waiver of competitive bidding and sole source award to AMS.NET for a maximum of $22,984 for the purchase of Meraki Enterprise three-year license and equipment and labor to install seventeen Access Points for the County’s wireless internet services project at 650 Imperial Way.
On September 28, 2021, the Board of Supervisors approved a waiver of competitive bidding and sole source award to AMS.NET for a maximum of $65,786 for the purchase of Meraki Enterprise three-year license and equipment and labor to install thirty-nine Access Points for the County’s wireless internet services project at 1127 First Street and 1195 Third Street. 804 First Street, 212 Walnut Street and 1515 Soscol Ferry Road are a continuation of this project.
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 $106,146 to AMS.NET for the purchase of the Meraki Enterprise three-year license and equipment and labor to install forty-one Access Points for the County’s wireless internet services project at 804 First Street, 212 Walnut Street and 1515 Soscol Ferry Road. The sole source justification is based on compatibility, AMS is a Cisco authorized vendor of the Meraki Enterprise licenses and has provided a custom build for the Meraki system and previous wireless installations. The proposed implementation will also use that County standard and allow all systems to function together. The Meraki Enterprise license provides cloud-based centralized management, mobility and security across multiple Access Points allowing for network wide visibility and control. The County will realize a significant savings by committing to the three-year subscription per Access Point. The one-year subscription costs $1,181 per year and the three-year subscription costs $423 per year. By committing to the three-year subscription for forty-one Access Points and not electing the one-year term, the County will realize a total savings of $93,234 and reduce the renewal process for continued licensing.
AMS.NET, Inc., is located in Livermore, CA, and is not a local vendor. AMS.NET implemented the County’s VoIP system, giving the company extensive knowledge of the County’s network infrastructure.