The Pecos City Council on Jan. 9 approved a three-year agreement and purchase not to exceed $100,000 for networking and security hardware and services from Alen Corp under Resolution 25-01-01R.

IT Director Gomez told the council this is a budgeted item to replace equipment that has been in service for roughly seven years. He said the package includes wireless access points, upgraded capacity for increased internal traffic, and security features licensed with the vendor. "The reason we went with 3 years instead of 1 year is just a huge cost savings. It was about $20,000 cost savings to do the 3 year agreement upfront," Gomez said.

Why it matters: The upgrade will replace aging access points and security hardware that the IT director said had been in place since moving from the old city hall; the included licensing and support provide next-day support and replacement service, Gomez said.

Council action: Councilman Arona moved to approve the resolution; Councilwoman Seals seconded. The motion carried by voice vote.

Contracting details: Gomez said the equipment is a Cisco product purchased through a cooperative contract and includes support, licensing and security features. He also said the procurement follows a co-op purchasing vehicle ("my board contract" as he described it) to obtain vendor pricing. Gomez and council members discussed licensing costs and the inclusion of support and next-day replacement in the package.