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District to present Ornette consortium contract for virtual‑server licensing after vendor price reset
Summary
Board members were told the district must present a new multi‑year contract with Ornette (statewide consortium) because VMware’s ownership change prompted new pricing; the district will seek to add the contract to the Feb. 18 board meeting.
Board members asked for a contract on next week’s board meeting agenda after IT staff explained a new multi‑year consortium agreement with Ornette is required to continue virtual server licensing.
A district IT representative described Ornette as a statewide consortium that groups school districts to obtain volume pricing. The vendor VMware, which the district uses for virtual servers that host applications such as PeopleWorks, was acquired by another company, triggering a pricing reset. Ornette negotiated new statewide pricing; the district was allowed to continue using existing licenses while price negotiations completed.
The IT staff explained virtual machines let the district simulate physical servers without buying new hardware, delivering cost savings and easier provisioning for services such as HR systems. The new Ornette contract will include expected costs over a multi‑year term; staff said the district has not yet signed the renewal because they were waiting for consortium pricing.
Board members asked whether the consortium would require retroactive lump‑sum payments for use since July; staff said no—new pricing becomes effective on the contract date and the consortium will not demand lump‑sum back charges for interim usage. Staff also said licenses are reaching expiration and the district needs to finalize the agreement to avoid interruption.
Board members requested the contract be placed on the Feb. 18 board meeting for consideration and vote; IT staff apologized for the short notice and said they will provide the agreement and pricing to the board prior to the meeting. No vote occurred during the Feb. 10 work session.
