Computer & Network Services Agreement:

1. AUTHORIZE the Executive Director to execute contract with Alvarez Technology Group in an amount not to exceed $146,865 to provide computer and network services for the period ending December 31, 2024;
2. APPROVE the use of $146,865 for the term of the agreement; and
3. AUTHORIZE the Executive Director to make administrative changes to the contract if such changes do not increase the Agency’s net cost, subject to approval by Agency counsel.

The Transportation Agency’s current agreement for computer and network services with Alvarez Technology Group expires December 31, 2019. On September 25, 2019 the Transportation Agency Board of Directors authorized staff to release a Request for Proposals for Computer & Network Services, for a not-to-exceed amount of $125,000.

On September 26, 2019, staff sent the solicitation to relevant firms listed in the Agency's consultant database. Agency staff received three submittals by the required due date and time of October 31, 2019.  One of the submittals was deemed non-responsive as the included budget did not address all the services included in the request for proposals.  As such, the review committee comprised of Agency staff reviewed the two responsive submittals and agreed that the top firms are as follows, in ranked order:

1. Alvarez Technology Group
2. MBit (non-responsive - incomplete budget)
3. Technology Solutions (non-responsive - incomplete budget)

Based on the scoring criteria in the Request for Proposal, the rationale from the review committee for this recommendation is that:

• Firm Profile and Project Team: Alvarez has worked with the Transportation Agency in the past and is located in Salinas, where they can respond quickly to any issues that require on-site attention.  They also assign a dedicated account manager to our Agency.  The other respondents are located in the Bay Area and Tulsa, Oklahoma.
• Relevant Project Experience: The Transportation Agency has worked with Alvarez for a decade with positive experiences, and as demonstrated in their proposal, is capable of fulfilling the Agency's IT needs.  The other respondents either did not discuss their experience working with public agencies or provide references to public agencies.
• Specific Approach: All three respondents discussed providing remote services to address computer and network issues, but with Alvarez's close proximity to the Agency's office, they were also able to address the issue of on-site support better than the other respondents.
• References: Agency staff checked references for Alvarez Technology Group and found that they have other long-term clients that have been happy with their service, that they provide prompt attention to service tickets, and that they are very responsive to the needs of their clients.
• Cost: While higher than the independent cost estimate, Alvarez provided competitive rates as compared to the other respondents with regards to the required services outlined in the Request for Proposals.  However, MBit and Technology Solutions did not provide full budgets on the optional services included in the Request for Proposals.

The proposed agreement for services with Alvarez Technology Group would be for a five-year time period, terminating on December 31, 2024. The proposed scope of work covers maintenance and security of the agency’s file and email servers, as well as the set up of mobile devices and workstations. Alvarez Technology Group would also be required to install and maintain a network monitoring and management appliance and configure all the covered servers to be monitored twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week. The network monitoring and management appliance will alert the consultant(s) to any significant problem that arises on the servers and they will respond during normal working hours of 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Monday thru Friday, excluding published holidays.

Other tasks in the proposed scope of work cover the Agency's cloud-based email system, set up and maintenance of the wireless network, virus and malware protection, mobile device set up, backups and data loss prevention, annual evaluations, and monthly reporting.

In addition, the proposed scope of work and budget includes optional tasks for the following items:

1. Workstation 5-Year Lease Program: The consultant will lease workstations to the Transportation Agency, with monthly payments over a five-year period. The consultant will be responsible for maintenance of the hardware and software.
2. Server Migration to Cloud-Based Microsoft Azure / SharePoint: The consultant will migrate the Transportation Agency’s current on-site server to a Microsoft Azure virtual machine, with print server capabilities. Consultant will be required to plan the migration, set up and test, schedule a time in coordination with the Transportation Agency to conduct the change-over from the on-site server to the new Azure cloud-based server, and provide staff training.