Explanation
BACKGROUND:
This legislation authorizes the Director of the Department of Technology (DoT) to enter into an agreement with OARnet/OSU, a non-profit organization, to purchase VMWare ThinApp software. This agreement with OARnet will include software licensing, first year support, and professional services needed to implement the VMWare ThinApp software application. The associated coverage term period is one (1) year from the date of a certified purchase ordered issued by the City of Columbus, City Auditor's Office.
The total cost of this purchase is $128,390.00. This cost includes $75,325 for software licenses, $33,325 for software maintenance and support, and $19,740.00 for professional services needed to implement the VMWare ThinApp software application. Through the State of Ohio Virtualization Program, OARnet offers significant discounts on VMWare that are not available in the market place. So it is in the City's best interests to procure VMWare through OARnet, instead of through another procurement process. The pricing offered the City reflects the agreed upon public sector discounts available to all participants in the State of Ohio Virtualization Program.
The ThinApp application suite allows the Department of Technology to virtualize applications for the sake of extending the life of an application, making older applications compatible until proper funding can be established to replace or upgrade the outdated applications. VMWare ThinApp will also allow for the virtualization of an application and to centrally locate that application on a server to be streamed to all users who are in need of that application. This technology and methodology greatly increases the efficiency, deployment, and support of a citywide application and minimizes the need to install that application on each PC, but rather having each PC stream that single application from a server when needed. This technology in turn, also allows for the ability to update c...
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