Decision details

Procurement of professional services days for printer/scanner server migration

Decision Maker: Lead Specialist for ICT

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: No

Is subject to call in?: No

Decision:

Procurement of professional services days for Guildford's current MFD (printing/scanning equipment) support partner to migrate a print/scan server to Guildford's Microsoft cloud tenancy.

Reasons for the decision:

Guildford is currently implementing a new ICT network following the announcement that its current network will be shutdown on 30th August 2024 as part of the termination of a shared service that Surrey County Council own. To improve the resilience of ICT services, the Council intends to reduce its technical dependencies on Millmead House. Centrally managed multi-functional devices (combined printer/scanners) are currently dependant on a Millmead House based server. This manages authentication, queues and device monitoring/reporting.

To prevent remote site multi-functional devices from failing in the event of a Millmead House technical incident, Guildford intends to move the printer management software from this Millmead server into a cloud environment.

As Guildford is currently in a managed service contract for these devices, and is charged based on usage, the printer management software licensing is owned by the managed service provider (Vision Office Technical Services Ltd).

Alternative options considered:

As the printer management software licensing is owned by the Council's current managed service provider (Vision Office Technical Services Ltd), the software needs to be migrated by Vision as the licence holder.

Options to move to the software vendor's cloud service (a SaaS offering) as well as the option to replace the software with Microsoft 365 print management capability were considered but the cost of these options were forecast to be greater than migrating the software to a cloud provisioned server (IaaS).

Source of Authority to take Decision:

Council Constitution dated 13th June 2024, Part 3, Page 3-42, paragraph 2(c):

GENERAL DELEGATION TO ALL JOINT STRATEGIC DIRECTORS, ASSISTANT DIRECTORS, AND SERVICE LEADERS

2. To undertake the day-to-day management and operation of staff reporting to them and of the premises and services for which they are responsible in accordance with the policies and procedures laid down by the Council, including:

(c) entering into contracts (in consultation with the relevant Lead Councillor where the value is above £200,000), memoranda of understanding or other arrangements

Publication date: 03/07/2024

Date of decision: 03/07/2024