Central services seeks $9,600 annual subscription to consolidate three IT management tools

Karen Beatty, Central Services director, asked commissioners to note a planned move from three separate endpoint/IT management tools to a single consolidated platform (vendor: NinjaOne noted in staff materials) to simplify patching, software deployment and remote support.

Beatty said the consolidated product would provide a single “pane of glass” for patch management, inventory, scripting automation and remote support, and that Microsoft’s System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) used by the county is being phased out by Microsoft. She reported the vendor’s quoted price is $9,600 per year; the current three systems’ combined cost is roughly $1,500 per year, so the consolidated product would be a substantial recurring increase. Beatty said she believes the county can absorb the first-year cost in her current budget and plans a 30‑day pilot involving county IT staff while still paying one existing vendor renewal if necessary.

Commissioners asked about expected time savings (Beatty cited vendor materials reporting patching time cut in half and large reductions in software deployment labor) and about functionality for remote assistance (the proposed system allows two technicians to remote into a machine simultaneously). Beatty said the county will trial two platforms and return with user feedback and recommendations. She asked commissioners to be aware that she will request the recurring cost in next year’s budget if the trial confirms value.

Beatty also noted one of the incumbent tools (Lansweeper) charges about $800–$900 for renewal and that canceling it could be deferred until the pilot completes to avoid a gap if the new tool does not meet needs.