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TO: Mayor Richard C. Irvin
FROM: Mariuz Gil, Director of Infrastructure & Technology
Jeff Anderson, Deputy CIO
DATE: March 10, 2023
SUBJECT:
A resolution to use Cipher Technology Solutions, Montgomery, IL as the primary low-voltage cabling vendor and NTI National Technologies, Downers Grove, IL, as the secondary vendor for 2023 City of Aurora low-voltage cabling needs for an amount not to exceed $100,000.
PURPOSE:
City IT staff request the ability to quickly react to networking issues city-wide that have been identified as low-voltage cabling (wiring) issues. By establishing primary and secondary vendors, staff can shorten the repair and remediation timeline.
BACKGROUND:
Since 2018, when the City has solicited bids for low voltage cabling, Cipher Technology Solutions ("CTS") and NTI National Technologies ("NTI") have consistently been the low bidders and performed quality work for low-voltage cabling repairs, remediation and extension of existing services.
CTS and NTI have extensive knowledge of the City's network and cabling requirements and both have exceeded expectations of City staff.
In the last four years, repairs totaling $240,000 have been provided by CST and NTI. Based upon recent wiring failures at significant City buildings in 2022, City IT staff are requesting $100,000 annually.
DISCUSSION:
Over the last several years, issues with substandard or improperly connected cabling have been the cause of diminished services at several City buildings. These have resulted in loss of connectivity to city closed circuit cameras, door access controls (card readers) not working properly, disconnected or limited wireless access points and overall degraded access to city on-premises and cloud-based computing services.
City IT staff desires to utilize CTS and NTI once cabling issues have been identified to quickly remediate the issues and provide a high-level of quality service to city staff.
Per Section 2-336 (a) allows the City Council to award co...
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