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MANAGEMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT <br /> MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS DIVISION <br /> Memorandum No. 94-12 <br /> September 29, 1994 <br /> MEMORANDiJM FOR: The Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers <br /> FROM: James C. Bacon, Jr., City Manager , , � <br /> Daniel R Sommerfeldt,Assistant City Manager � <br /> David S. Johnston, Manager, MIS Division <br /> SUBJECT: Purchase of Wide Area Network Equipment <br /> In support of the City Council FY 94-95 Budget objective to improve service delivery <br /> through enhanced information systems, the MIS division is implementing a strategy to re-size the ' <br /> City's computer applications to migrate from the relatively more costly and less flexible mainframe <br /> environment to the relatively less costly and much more fle�cible network environment. The , <br /> fundamental approach involves replacing the mainframe computer by interconnecting the large ' <br /> number of personal computers already in use in the City in such a way that the total computing ' <br /> power of the PC's will be harnessed in combination to substitute for the large-scale processing ', <br /> power of the mainframe. The goal is to maintain and improve the city's existing computing <br /> capabilities without the necessity to replace the existing mainframe, which at six years old is <br /> nearing the end of its useful life. Such a replacement would cost between $500,000 and $750,000, <br /> and carry with it annual software and hardware support expenses in excess of$100,000.00. <br /> MIS Division solicited proposals from 6 firms to provide this infrastructure suite. Tab A <br /> provides a comparison of the various cost proposals. From a technical standpoint, all proposals <br /> were acceptable, with only minor variations in approaches to maximizing ef�icient use of available <br /> bandwidth (thus minimizing recurring line costs), providing adequate robustness and redundancy, <br /> and providing adequate growth potential (to prevent premature obsolescence). <br /> Given the minor differences in technical merit, staff recommends purchase from the lowest <br /> bidder, Network Concepts, Incorporated. Their references include work satisfactorily completed <br /> for Carle Clinic and underway for the City of Champaign, as well as e�ensive experience in <br /> implementing WAN's nation-wide. City staff recommends approval of the attached resolution <br /> regarding purchase of equipment and professional services, to include installation, training, and <br /> service support, in the amount of$59,559.00. <br /> Staff will be available at the meeting to answer any questions that you may have. <br /> Enclosure <br />