Skagit County opens bids for F5 BIG-IP hardware; vCloudTech lowest at $213,892.59

Skagit County officials opened sealed bids on Feb. 25 for F5 BIG-IP hardware and support, a procurement Central Services said is intended to be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder.

Greg Camp, procurement and contract coordinator for Skagit County Central Services, told the Board of County Commissioners that four bids were received by the March 7, 2025, 3 p.m. deadline and read the subtotals aloud. "First bid comes from vCloudTech Inc. The bid submitted by vCloudTech is $213,892.59," Camp said. He read the remaining subtotals as $214,304.54 from CompuNet, $224,409.49 from WorldTech IT LLC and $245,020.00 from CDWG.

Camp summarized key bid requirements from the county's call to bid. All hardware must be delivered to Skagit County Central Services, 1700 East College Way, Mount Vernon, Washington 98273, and delivered within two months of purchase. A successful bidder must be an F5-certified reseller and have been in business selling the specified hardware for a minimum of five years, the call to bid states. "The Board of County Commissioners will award the bid to the lowest...from a responsible bidder," Camp said.

County staff will take the bid documents back for technical review with the networking team to confirm part numbers, reseller certifications and other requirements. Camp said staff will post the county's findings on the Skagit County website when the review is complete. No award was announced at the bid opening.

Skagit County did not provide additional financing or contract terms during the opening; those details will be part of the review and any subsequent award package posted by county staff.