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TO: Mayor Richard C. Irvin
FROM: Michael R Pegues, Chief Information Officer
Jeff Anderson, Deputy Chief Information Officer
Tracy Van Hook, Telecommunications Engineer
Tony Ferrell, Radio Communications Specialist
DATE: September 12, 2024
SUBJECT:
A Resolution authorizing the Director of Purchasing to purchase a 60-month subscription for telephony services and equipment from Avaya LLC, Morristown, NJ for $775,748.40 plus a 3% contingency.
PURPOSE:
This contract will move the City's telephony services from traditional T-1 circuits to more cost-effective and resilient Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) services.
BACKGROUND:
Currently City telephony services are provided by two T-1 circuits from AT&T that terminate at APD, City Hall and two AT&T locations within the Aurora city limits. These circuits provide access to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). T-1 circuits continue to rise in cost and are capable of handling only 24 concurrent calls per circuit. With two T-1 lines, the City can accept a maximum of 48 concurrent calls at any one time. As the City continues to increase and improve resident services and moves more services to Interactive voice response (IVR) systems, additional inbound calls are expected. Scaling up the existing legacy T-1 lines will require significant infrastructure changes and additional installations of physical circuits.
Additionally city staff utilize legacy handsets and voice mail systems provided by Cisco that are expensive to maintain and face steep upgrade costs.
DISCUSSION:
Nationwide, cities have moved to VOIP solutions for several compelling reasons, including:
1. Cost Savings: VoIP often reduces communication costs compared to traditional phone lines. This is particularly beneficial for cities with extensive communication needs, as VoIP can offer lower per-minute rates, reduced long-distance charges, and lower infrastructure costs.
2. Unified Communication: VoIP can integra...
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