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TO: Mayor John Laesch
FROM: Ram Tyagi, CIO
Jeff Anderson, Deputy CIO
DATE: October 13, 2025
SUBJECT:
A resolution requesting approval of a one-year renewal agreement with Absolute Software, Inc., Seattle, for virtual private network software for an amount not to exceed $102,920.00.
PURPOSE:
This resolution requests the renewal of the virtual private network (VPN) software that has been utilized for the last three years to support the City's large number of remote workers requiring access City network services when outside of City buildings.
BACKGROUND:
Resolution R22-062 approved the award of VPN software to NetMotion Software, Inc., after a competitive bidding process. Since that award, city staff have been successfully utilizing the Netmotion VPN solution whenever outside of City buildings. Subsequent to the award, NetMotion Software, Inc., was purchased by Absolute Software, Inc. and the product was renamed Absolute Secure Access (ASA).
DISCUSSION:
For the past three years, the ASA solution and Absolute Software staff have performed admirably. This product is purpose-built for mobile vehicles - especially public safety vehicles.
ASA has provided reliable connectivity in the field including:
-- Vehicles are often moving between coverage zones (urban, rural, tunnels, etc.).
-- ASA ensures seamless session persistence, maintaining secure connections even as the vehicle switches between networks (e.g., LTE, 5G, Wi-Fi).
-- This reduces downtime and reconnect issues, which is vital in emergencies.
ASA is a good fit for public safety vehicles because it provides:
-- Secure, reliable, and optimized connectivity
-- Resilience against device failure or security lapses
-- Real-time performance in mobile, mission-critical settings
-- Public safety apps (CAD systems, video feeds, dispatch software) require low latency and high reliability.
-- Absolute optimizes network traffic to prioritize critical applications, improving performance in bandwidth-const...
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