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TO: Mayor Thomas J. Weisner
FROM: Andrew Feuerborn, Police Technical Services Director
DATE: Sept. 19, 2015
SUBJECT:
Request resolution authorizing the purchase of Panasonic semi-rugged laptops and related hardware and software for the Aurora Police Department in the amount not to exceed $525,000 from CDS Office Technologies of Itasca, Illinois and related vendors.
PURPOSE:
The Police Department's current fleet of Dell rugged laptops has been in service between three and four years and is in need of an equipment refresh. This project would begin the replacement cycle of two thirds of those devices along with the necessary related hardware accessories and software. The requested resolution would also include the authorization to purchase the remaining third of the Police Department's fleet of squad laptops in 2016.
BACKGROUND:
In 2011, in an effort to reduce both the cost of the replacement cycle and provide a faster technology refresh to the Police Department, it was decided to take a look at other less rugged, less expensive laptop units. The goal was to bring the price point for the laptops down to a level that the devices could be considered as more of a commodity and there for be replaced on a more timely 3-4 year cycle. It was also anticipated that a faster replacement cycle would also reduce the need for highly rugged devices that must survive several years in the field.
To achieve this goal, Police Technical Services moved to the Dell line of semi-rugged laptops. While the decision to move to semi-rugged Dell laptops has proven to be a sound one based on the cost savings, it was also anticipated that the Department would revisit various vendor offerings in the semi-rugged market space from time to time to determine if a better fit to function exists. During this review period, the Panasonic CF-54 semi-rugged device was identified as the best fit to function.
Over the past four years, the Police Department has utilized Del...
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