The action being requested of the City Council is to review and consider the approval of the attached proposal for the purchase of next-generation Fortinet firewalls and Fortinet switches. This is a budgeted item proposed in the 24/25 Capital Infrastructure budget of Technology Solutions. The estimated amount is not to exceed $108,068.40. The purchase would be made through a third-party vendor, vTECH iO DBA Computers At Work! Inc, who provided the lowest bid out of three competitive quotes for this equipment.

The purpose of this purchase is to continue modernizing and securing the city’s network infrastructure by replacing aging firewall and network switching equipment with Fortinet’s next-generation firewall and switch solutions. These upgrades will provide enhanced security, improved performance, and greater reliability for the city’s network, aligning with our goals of bolstering cybersecurity and infrastructure resilience.

The Fortinet firewalls offer advanced threat protection, including deep packet inspection, intrusion prevention, and anti-malware capabilities, while the Fortinet switches will increase bandwidth capacity and offer security features designed for modern network demands. Additionally, these solutions will improve network segmentation, application visibility, and control, reducing the risk of security breaches.

This upgrade builds on our previous network security improvements and will replace older equipment that no longer meets the city’s growing needs. The selection of vTECH iO DBA Computers At Work! Inc is based on their submission of the lowest bid among three qualified bidders, ensuring both cost-effectiveness and high-quality, industry-leading equipment.

Fortinet is recognized for its leadership in cybersecurity, offering integrated security fabric that provides streamlined management and enhanced protection across the city’s entire network. This purchase represents a significant investment in the future security and functionality of the city’s IT infrastructure, positioning the city to handle increasing network traffic and emerging cybersecurity threats.