Posting Language
Title
Authorize a contract for phone system products and services for Communications and Technology Management with ConvergeOne, Inc., for an initial term of one year with up to four one-year extension options, in an amount not to exceed $8,400,000. Funding: $911,750 is available in the Communications and Technology Management’s 2024-2025 Operating Budget.
Body
Lead Department
Financial Services Department.
Client Department(s)
Communications and Technology Management.
Fiscal Note
Funding in the amount of $911,750 is available in the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Operating Budget of Communication and Technology Management. Funding for the remaining contract term is contingent upon available funding in future budgets.
Purchasing Language:
Multiple contractors within this cooperative purchasing program were reviewed for these goods and services. The Financial Services Department has determined this contractor best meets the needs of the Communication and Technology Management to provide these goods and services required for the City.
MBE/WBE:
Cooperative Agreement contracts are exempt from the City Code Chapter 2-9B (Minority-Owned and Women-Owned Business Enterprise Procurement Program); therefore, no subcontracting goals were established.
For More Information:
Direct questions regarding this Recommendation for Council Action to the Financial Services Department - Central Procurement at FSDCentralProcurementRCAs@austintexas.gov or 512-974-2500.
Additional Backup Information:
This contract will provide continued maintenance and support for the Avaya phone system and allows for the purchase of new products and services to provide a comprehensive solution for the City’s ongoing needs. Avaya is the City's call management system consisting of servers, software, and physical phones. The system manages inbound and outbound phone calls routing them to individuals as well as departmental contact centers and the service desk, in addition to integrating with the paging systems. Avaya is a unified system that allows for remote communication via computers and mobile phones, with a voicemail system that transcribes voicemail and routes the contents and recordings to email. The City currently has over 13,000 phone numbers programmed in the system and over 100 call queues and/or auto attendants programmed.
Continuing the services with ConvergeOne is in the City's best interest as it minimizes potential disruptions and leverages their advanced understanding of the City’s unique setup. \Executing this contract is strategic for the reliability and effectiveness of this critical communication system.
The State of Texas Department of Information Resources 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.
If the contract is not approved, the City's critical network infrastructure could experience significant downtime and security vulnerabilities, potentially disrupting essential City services and operations due to the inability to maintain, update, or replace vital voice hardware and software components.