Indigo board approves IT licenses, vendor contracts and utility relocations tied to Blue Line project

The Indigo board of directors on Thursday, Feb. 20 authorized a series of contracts and license renewals that agency staff said are needed to maintain day-to-day operations and support construction of the Blue Line bus rapid transit project.

Board action covered technology licensing for Microsoft Office 365, cloud hosting and vehicle-location services, a construction project-management tool renewal, a new three-year contract for Indigo's customer call center and short-term transition services, and four utility relocation agreements with AES Indiana to move streetlights that conflict with Blue Line design.

The approvals affect agency operations and its ongoing Blue Line construction. Mike Roth, Deputy Chief Transportation Officer, described the care center as central to customer service: "The Indigo Care Center ... is a vital component to our customer service," and said the contracted vendor will handle trip bookings for paratransit customers and general traveler assistance for fixed-route and BRT riders.

The board approved the largest single contract in the packet: a three-year agreement with MV Transportation Inc. to provide call-center services for an amount not to exceed $4,758,657, with two option years that, if exercised, would bring the five-year maximum to $8,203,624. Staff said the contract will be funded through Indigo's operating budget and federal formula grant funding and that MV committed to a 10.5% DBE (disadvantaged business enterprise) participation…