To: Board of Supervisors
From: Alison McKee, County Librarian
Report Title: Procurement Card Purchase of 700 Microsoft Office Standard 2024 Licenses through TechSoup Global
Recommendation: Recommendation of the County Administrator
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the County Librarian, or designee, to use the procurement card with TechSoup Global, subject to the terms of their Rules, Eligibility and Restrictions for Microsoft Donated Licenses; Terms of Use: Nonprofit Offers Acquired Through TechSoup; and TechSoup Global Terms of Use, in the amount of $28,000 for 700 Microsoft Office licenses for public branch computers.
FISCAL IMPACT:
100% Library Fund.
BACKGROUND:
The Library will purchase Microsoft Office 2024 licenses for all public computers as part of the public PC software refresh and Windows 11 upgrade. We require approximately 700 licenses system-wide. TechSoup offers these as donated licenses, and the Library pays the administrative fee associated with each license. TechSoup’s administrative fee is $40 per license. The total for 700 licenses is approximately $28,000. The purchase does not include software assurance to upgrade to the next version of the software within an agreement term. There are no vulnerabilities associated with not purchasing the software assurance as the software is supported with security updates for at least 5 years and would not have to be replaced until that support ends.
TechSoup only accepts payment via check or credit card and does not support an invoicing model. Historically, the Library has purchased these licenses using the procurement card due to TechSoup’s restrictions. Because each library location is limited to 50 donated licenses per two-year cycle, multiple transactions have been utilized in the past. Current understanding is that TechSoup can support a consolidated single purchase. To proceed efficiently-and avoid significantly higher pricing from other vendors, the Department is requesting approval to increase the procurement card limit so that the licenses can be purchased through TechSoup in a single transaction if possible, or multiple transactions, if necessary, but with the same purchase date. This will streamline the purchase process internally.
Upgrading the public computers to a supported version of Microsoft Office ensures reliable, secure access to productivity tools for all patrons. The current Microsoft Office version is end-of-life and no longer receives security updates, creating vulnerability. These upgrades support digital equity by providing modern software that patrons rely on for job applications, schoolwork, government forms, and essential daily tasks. This investment improves the security, functionality, and overall quality of the Library’s public computing services.
The terms and conditions include warranty disclaimer, liability release, indemnification, limitation of liability, and limitation of judicial remedies language which were reviewed by County Counsel.
This purchase is entered into under and subject to the following legal authority, California Government Code § 31000.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If this purchase is not approved, the Contra Costa County Library will have to purchase the Microsoft Office Standard 2024 software licenses with software assurance with a significantly higher cost.