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Alamosa council authorizes switch to RingCentral cloud phone system, citing long‑term cost and functionality
Summary
Council unanimously authorized staff to proceed with a RingCentral cloud phone contract after IT presented options: a one‑time on‑prem renewal (~$13,000) vs. RingCentral (estimated $18,000 year one; $19,332 per year thereafter), with staff planning to fund year‑one costs from the IT emergency expense fund.
The Alamosa City Council on July 1 voted unanimously to authorize staff to purchase and deploy a RingCentral cloud phone system to replace the city's aging on‑premises MEL phone infrastructure.
IT staff explained the city's MEL system is at end‑of‑life and presented two paths: a near‑term on‑prem renewal (quoted at $13,000) or migrating to a cloud solution. With vendor discounts and setup, staff estimated RingCentral costs at about $18,000 in year one and $19,332 in subsequent years; over ten years that model projects roughly $190,000 in subscription and lease costs versus an approximate $200,000 capital replacement cycle for an on‑prem system.
"Anywhere that connects to the internet, any employee from the city of Alamosa will be able to respond to their phone," the IT presenter said, listing desk phones, apps and web‑based access as benefits. Staff said leasing phones reduces large capital outlay and simplifies upgrades and replacements.
Council members asked about redundancy and continuity during internet outages. One councilor recommended asking the vendor about a SIM/failover device to preserve calling ability when local internet is down; IT staff said the city maintains three separate ISPs and the vendor operates multiple server regions and agreed to follow up on vendor redundancy options.
Counselor Yan Vhill moved to authorize the purchase and deployment of RingCentral; the motion was seconded and carried unanimously. The council directed staff to confirm redundancy options with the vendor and to fund initial costs from the IT emergency expense fund.
Vote: motion carried unanimously; Councillor Hensley recorded a "Yes" vote during roll call.
