For City Council Meeting [January 26, 2021]
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
APPROVAL: Sean Grayson, Acting City Manager
FROM: Stephen Erlandson, Deputy City Manager
Title
Request City Council to Authorize a Purchase Order with Lenovo for a Not-To-Exceed Amount of $218,891.56 for the Purchase of Laptops, Desktops, and Monitors.
(ACTION)
Body
BACKGROUND
Eighty-one percent of the City’s computers in production are at end of life and out of warranty. The equipment in question is currently being utilized by the City of Rialto employees. In addition, we do not have any stock of computers to replace this malfunctioning equipment or to provide equipment for additional staff in City departments.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION
Many department computers have exceeded their useful life and become inefficient in performing normal functions. Over time, these resources wear, age, and/or become obsolete, resulting in loss of reliability, loss of productivity for staff, and increased labor and equipment costs to maintain the environment at an acceptable level. In addition, new software requirements will not be compatible with the aging computers. The outdated equipment is making it difficult to provide adequate computing resources for employees to continue serving the public efficiently and is also creating security vulnerabilities which can impact the entire organization.
As such, the IT Division is recommending a computer refresh project. This will be a two-phase project allowing the city to spread the cost of replacing 295 desktop and laptop computers over a two (2) year period with the intention of minimizing the fiscal impact of this program. There are approximately 230 desktop computers and 65 laptops with docking stations. These devices are considered outdated and at end of life based on industry standards with over 65% of these computers running Windows 7, which is an end of life operating system that’s no longer supported by Microsoft. (Support for Windows 7 ended on January 14, 2020).
After a thorough assessment, the Information Technology Manager recommends replacing all out of warranty/end-of-life equipment with Lenovo brand computers as reflected in the quotes (Attachments 1, 2, and 3). Lenovo computers continue to receive excellent reviews and are used by many government agencies. In summary, the Lenovo laptops are considered to be the best laptop for enterprise users and one of the best laptops on the market today, while the Lenovo desktops deliver enhanced productivity, better manageability, and class-leading security with a small footprint that limits desk space intrusion. In addition, the new equipment will provide the ability to apply security patches, hardware driver updates, compatibility with current technology, and strengthen our overall security posture. Furthermore, the new hardware will improve the user experience and provide reliable hardware with a three-year warranty.
The total cost to replace the end-of-life equipment is $218,891.56, which is based on previously competitively bid pricing in the NASPO Government Cooperative Agreement of which Lenovo is a participant. In addition, the costs to maintain the equipment will be reduced versus current experience today as parts and labor to address any issues with the hardware are covered under the three-year warranty and IT Division time associated with addressing issues related to the end-of-life equipment will be substantially reduced, allowing the IT staff time to focus on special projects and maintenance of the overall network environment.
The proposed phasing for the project is as follows:
• Phase 1
o Replace 120 desktops with Lenovo M70 desktops
o Replace 35 laptops (including docking stations) with Lenovo X1 Carbon laptops
o Replace 240 monitors (dual screen setup for workstations) with 120 Lenovo ThinkCentre TIO 24" monitors and 120 Lenovo ThinkVision T24i 24" Monitors
• Phase 2: Replace the remaining desktop and laptop computers in FY 2021-22.
Once the computers are replaced, Information Technology recommends placing all of the City’s computers on a 3 to 4-year refresh schedule.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
The request is not a Project as defined by Section 15378 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY
Complies with the following Rialto General Plan Guiding Principle:
Our Government will lead by example, and will operate in an open, transparent, and responsive manner that meets the needs of the citizens and is a good place to do business.
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney has reviewed and supports this staff report.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Operating Budget Impact
$218,891.56 of funding is available in account #780-500-2152-3030 for the purchase of the Lenovo equipment in the FY 2020-21 City Operating Budget.
Capital Improvement Budget Impact
There is no financial impact to the capital improvement budget.
Licensing
This action does not trigger a requirement for a business license.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council authorize a Purchase Order with Lenovo for a not-to-exceed amount of $218,891.56 for the purchase of laptops, desktops, and monitors.