Posting Language
Title
Authorize negotiation and execution of various contracts during Fiscal Year 2023-2024 for the purchase of computer, network, and other technology hardware, software, and related maintenance and technology services, in an amount not to exceed $25,000,000, divided among the contractors.
[Note: These procurements were reviewed for subcontracting opportunities in accordance with City Code Chapters 2-9C and 2-9D (Minority Owned and Women Owned Business Enterprise Procurement Program). For the goods and services required for these procurements, there were no subcontracting opportunities; therefore, no subcontracting goals were established].
Body
Lead Department
Financial Services Department.
Client Department(s)
All City Departments.
Fiscal Note
Funding in the amount of $17,531,200 is available in the Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Operating Budgets of various City departments. Funding in the amount of $5,868,800 is available in Capital Budgets of various City departments. Funding in the amount of $600,000 is available from other funding sources.
Purchasing Language:
The State of Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) contracts are cooperative contracts solicited by the State of Texas specific to information technology items and services. The Financial Services Department staff review multiple contractors with DIR contracts to ensure those chosen best to meet the needs of the City.
For More Information:
Direct questions regarding this Recommendation for Council Action to the Financial Services Department - Central Procurement at: FSDCentralProcurementRCAs@austintexas.gov <mailto:FSDCentralProcurementRCAs@austintexas.gov> or 512-974-2500.
Additional Backup Information:
The authorization will enable City departments to purchase the following information technology (IT) and services items through cooperative contracts solicited by DIR :
• Various computer, network and other technology hardware products and hardware maintenance, including but not limited to servers, data storage systems, and storage area networks. This authorization also includes networking products and maintenance services for the City’s local and wide area networks and networking devices such as switches, routers and other equipment used to interconnect desktop computers, servers, and printers throughout the City, and to transmit and receive information via the internet.
• Software and software maintenance and support.
• Technology consulting, technical training, information resources technology services, and technology staffing.
This annual aggregated request for authorization is submitted to Council before the end of each fiscal year. The spending authority does not carry over from year to year. The current DIR authority will expire September 30, 2023. Without new authorization in place, it will be difficult for departments to purchase technology goods and services in an efficient manner potentially leading to delays in the ability to provide needed services to citizens. Bringing forward all the requests for authorization at one time greatly reduces the number of individual Recommendations for Council Action, and significantly reduces the workloads of all staff involved. This authorization allows for departments to purchase technology goods and services in an efficient manner.
The DIR continues to provide information technology products and services through its cooperative purchasing program at competitively bid prices. The purchasing power of the State is used to leverage purchasing effectiveness. DIR contracts have historically underutilized business (HUB) requirements for subcontracting. This authorization request includes specifically identified technology needs, as well as anticipated technology purchases that have been budgeted.
Some of the significant planned purchases (greater than $150,000) for Fiscal Year 2024 through this cooperative contract include:
• Austin Convention Center: Critical network and power infrastructure replacements.
• Austin Energy: System enhancements, local and long-distance communication services and devices, database management, training and issue resolution services, capital for planning tools, network secondary tools, system administrative tools, security audits, spare servers, hardware/peripherals, and a Security Identity management solution to meet the North American Electric Reliability Corporation requirements.
• Austin Water: Hardware, software, and technical services to execute key projects, including mobile workforce management, business continuity upgrades, security assessments and enhancements, and professional services to execute enterprise applications projects, upgrades, and enhancements.
• Department of Aviation: Replacement of end-of-life network switches and other network equipment, upgrade of airport instance of Maximo Asset Management Software and migrate to cloud, consulting and technical support services for Airport SharePoint and Azure applications, network security appliances and services to upgrade and expand airport cyber-security defenses, and services and tools to evaluate Department of Aviation data protection, privacy policy, and practices to bring in line with City and Federal Aviation Administration requirements.
• Communications and Technology Management: Citywide maintenance and support for critical hardware and software, and critical replacement for end-of-life hardware, data center infrastructure and storage, information technology and telecommunications implementation and deployment services and equipment, and information technology professional services.
• Developmental Services Department: Updating permitting, technology, equipment, and software for new, more digitized facilities and services, AMANDA, and other application development support.
• Information Security Office: Growth and inflation costs of Anomali Threatstream platform to support the City's security operations and threat intelligence program, growth and inflation costs of ValiMail Enforce used to authenticate email and block phishing attacks, and continuance of CrowdStrike until other security tools are implemented citywide.
• Transportation and Public Works: Consulting services to support ongoing data and security, data quality and visualization, application and workflow development, and other coding services, network consulting for signal security, project implementation, connected and autonomous vehicle infrastructure, and infrastructure communication and network services.
All items represented in this request have been or will be approved through the Fiscal Year 2023-2024 budgeting process or through prior approved capital improvement program project budgets. In addition, all technology purchases are reviewed for compliance with the City's technical and security standards.
The State of Texas DIR cooperative is a cooperative purchasing association recognized under Texas procurement statutes. Cooperative associations, themselves or using a lead government, competitively solicit and award contracts that are eligible for use by other qualified state and local governments. Due to their substantial volumes, larger than any one government could achieve independently, cooperative contracts routinely include superior terms, conditions, and pricing. Use of cooperative contracts also results in lower administrative costs and time savings.