Technology Services proposes purchasing Nutanix hardware and software for the City of Plano’s hyper-converged server refresh from Freeit Data Solutions listed on DIR contract DIR-TSO-4288. This purchase will replace the aging Nutanix Dell hardware and physical servers with new Nutanix hardware as well as provide software upgrades, failed hardware replacements, and technical support for five (5) years. The refresh will allow for growth of our environment as well as provide continuity of all Enterprise and Public Safety systems and applications that support City day-to-day operations.
In 2016, the City released an RFP for server modernization and received four (4) proposals. A committee consisting of four (4) members reviewed the proposals and chose the Nutanix Platform to replace the legacy 3-tier compute and storage environment to modernize technology, increase productivity, and leverage redundancy. By moving to Nutanix, Technology Services has been able to increase uptime and performance as well as reduce system complexity, power consumption, administrative burden, physical rack space, and HVAC expenses.
The best and final offer received from Freeit Data Solutions is $3,249,001 which includes hardware infrastructure, maintenance, and support for five (5) years. This proposal supports current infrastructure requirements with additional capacity for growth.
Technology Services recommends a full hardware refresh due to the age of existing hardware and the need to grow our environment to accommodate upcoming projects. As the current hardware ages, it will begin to experience additional hardware failures. It is important to note this project was not identified prior to the compilation of the FY 2020-2021 budget process and requires a supplemental appropriation as detailed below in the financial summary. After much analysis it is staff’s recommendation the replacement of this critical technology infrastructure should not wait for the next budget cycle.
If the City of Plano does not award this contract, the City's critical infrastructure may experience significant unexpected outages due to hardware failure. These failures increase the risk of unplanned-unexpected outages resulting in a non-predictable and unstable platform.
The City is authorized to purchase from the State Contract list pursuant to Chapter 271 Subchapter D of the Texas Local Government Code and by doing so satisfies any State Law requiring local governments to seek competitive bids for items. (DIR Contract No. DIR-TSO-4288 / City of Plano Internal Contract No. 2021-0140-OA)