Each year, Information Technology (IT) renews several annual software licenses for server backup systems, email security, internet security, mobile device management, virtual server management, additional licenses for Microsoft and maintenance contracts for equipment with a longer life than initially covered. Summit Partners, LLC., and CDW-G are used in a contract management capacity to assist city staff in meeting the city’s contractual obligations for each of these support and licensing contracts. Because the overall cost of all contracts with these two vendors can exceed $50,000, despite each renewal often being well below that amount, city staff is seeking City Council approval to make these purchases in advance.

City staff has been working with Summit Partners, LLC. for over nine (9) years to consolidate numerous Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) contracts, VMware contracts and networking licenses in one- or two-year annual contracts. Summit Partners, LLC. has been a Value-Added Reseller for Hewlett-Packard for many years and works with HP, Inc. for personal computers (PC) and printers, as well as HPE for servers, storage and networking, and other vendors on the NASPO contract price list.  Summit Partners also manage renewal dates and getting current quotes.  Their knowledge of our systems, network and programs allows city staff to use their expertise to keep the city’s systems performing as designed. 

City staff is requesting approval to purchase license renewals and maintenance contracts through Summit Partners, LLC. as a purchasing agent, thereby alleviating the large amount of contract management that would otherwise have to be performed by city staff.  These items would include management of our support contracts with HP, Inc., HPE and VMware.

City staff has worked with CDW-G for several years to purchase the equipment for our public safety vehicles, including Panasonic Toughbooks, and for software license contract management.  Last year, city staff worked with CDW-G to renew our Microsoft licensing contract, which amounted to a savings in excess of $30,000 over quotes from our previous vendor, En Pointe Technologies. CDW-G currently manages the city’s license renewals for Proofpoint (email security), CommVault (server backup), MobileIron (mobile device management), Adobe products, and Microsoft products. City staff is requesting approval of the purchase of information technology maintenance contracts and software licensing renewals from Summit Partners, LLC., CDW-G, or other vendors as needed, in an approximate amount of $140,000, for Fiscal Year 2020.

NRS Chapter 332.115(h) exempts computer hardware and software items from competitive bid, and these purchases utilize the joinder provision allowed under NRS 332.195 and NASPO ValuePoint Contract (formerly known as the Western States Contracting Alliance or WSCA). The funds for the purchases described herein were approved by the City Council as part of the FY2020 IT General Fund budget.

Staff recommends that the city authorize purchasing FY20 maintenance contracts and software licenses from Summit Partners, LLC., CDW-G and other vendors as needed through the end of the fiscal year. 

The City Council may choose not to approve purchasing from Summit Partners, LLC., CDW-G or other vendors and provide further direction to the City Manager.

I move to approve the purchase of information technology maintenance contracts and software licensing renewals from Summit Partners, LLC., CDW-G, or other vendors as needed, in an approximate amount of $140,000, for Fiscal Year 2020.