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? CASE #3 AUTHO~RIZE SUBMISSION OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR ACQUISITION OF COMPUTER SOFTWARE/HARDWARE By: Jessie Hart, Finance Officer Background: As you may all r~all, there has been a significant amount of discussion regarding the existing data processing capabi~lities currently at the City of Ramsey. This entails not only the capabilities of the financial and wor~ processing systems currently used, but the lack of automated data processing in other areas. We have spent the last several months reviewing the needs of the City as it pertains to automated systems and hav~ found that there are many areas that should or could be automated to a higher degree with favorable effects. Some of these areas, to name just a few, are licenses and permits (including building related permits); police; data retention; networking throughout all departments; and automated crish receipting. The daily activities in some of these high volume areas are still being done by hagd and typewriters. Included in the 1~95 Proposed General Fund Budget is $134,000 toward upgrading our current automated systems. To offset this amount, there is available $100,000 in the equipment replacement fund[ thus, new dollars for 1995 total $34,000. Ideally we would like to accomplish the upgrade with lhe utilization of as much of the current hardware as possible and acquire higher levels of software; At this time, it i~ appropriate to send out requests for proposals (RFP's) to various vendors of software. In conjunction with their response on software, we will detail the types and levels of current hardwarer and software packages we utilize and ask, based on that information, what portions of that h~dware could be maintained with their particular software. Keeping in mind, of course, even if w{ keep the majority of the existing hardware, there will be upgrades necessary in certain areas to run new generation software. If the software they provide cannot utilize all or any of the existing h~dware, the5, will be asked to provide a bid for the purchase and installation of hardware that wottld be appropriate under the circumstances. As I stated before, it is the intent at this time to maintain as much of the hardware currently utilized, with the necessary, upgrades to run new software and add applications that do not currently exist. It is anticipated k~,eping all of the MAC desk top PC's and incorporating them into a network, as well as obtaining ~tdditional PC's for the Police Department, which will also be networked into the entire system. AI{o included will be the acquisition of upgraded hardware for the MAC systems to accommodate datla retention onto CD ROM devices, rather than maintaining all information on a particular hard d~ve or removable disk, and the addition of a lap top computer to assist police officers in the pr°"Paration of reports. The officers would have the ability to prepare information while in the squadg and down load onto a system upon returning to the Municipal Center. I have begun the Preparation of the RFP utilizing a sample obtained from a CPA firm that does this type of work for its clients. This RFP deals mainly with software. Most computer purchases and upgrades are don6 backwards, buy the hardware and then find software that is compatible. We wish to do it th~ correct way and 'acquire software that meets our needs and then find the appropriate hard~are to run it. We are hoping that the software we find will be compatible with at least a portion of !he existing hardware and that we will be able to obtain all of the software and hardware needs within the current proposed budget.