To: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
From: CHRISTOPHER BENSON, INFORMATION TECH DIRECTOR
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APPROVE AGREEMENT WITH COM-STRAT, LLC FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING AND PHONE SYSTEM REPLACEMENT SERVICES FOR THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $55,750 FOR THE TERM MAY 18, 2021 - MAY 17, 2022.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City's phone system is reaching end of life and needs to be replaced. In August, 2019 the City Council approved the Information Technology Department's recommendation to use Com-Strat, LLC (Com-Strat) to help guide us through the vetting and selection process of a new Unified Communications System (UCS). They were to provide service and guidance in three critical areas in the selection of a new UCS: Requirements Documentation, Vendor Evaluation & Technology Selection through a Request for Proposal (RFP) process and Implementation Support.
The project, originally under way with Com-Strat in FY19-20 was paused due to budget uncertainty during the COVID pandemic. The original agreement for telecommunications consulting services with Com-Strat expired at the end of 2020, however the requirements documentation and RFP development were previously completed. This project continuation will pick up where we left off with minimal overlapping services other than minor updates to the requirements documentation due to the constantly changing technological landscape. Project funding was carried over from FY19-20 to FY 20-21.
Com-Strat, as a technology consulting company, has extensive municipal experience and does not sell, nor are they aligned with, any vendor's equipment or services.
BACKGROUND
The City's use of a centralized phone system goes back to the 1970's. Since 1989, there have been several major upgrades to the City's telecommunications system. Analog to digital in 1989, digital upgrade in 1996, digital to hybrid VoIP in 2003, then the last major upgrade in 2008 when we moved to a 100% Voice-over-IP (VoIP) infrastructure. There have been minor upg...
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