To: Board of Supervisors
From: Marc Shorr, Information Technology Director
Report Title: Purchase Order with IBM
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Purchasing Agent, on behalf of the Chief Information Officer, to execute a purchase order with IBM in an amount not to exceed $6,000 for the renewal of IBM’s IDSZ subscription and support software, subject to the terms of IBM’s Customer Agreement, for the period of October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026, and for annual periods thereafter in the absence of termination by either the County or IBM.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The cost of this product is included in the Department’s FY 25-26 budget. 100% User Departments.
BACKGROUND:
The IDSZ software provides the County with a modern, Eclipse-based development environment designed to improve developer productivity and code quality on mainframe systems. Its core features include intelligent code editing, graphical debugging, real-time error detection, and seamless integration with version control tools such as Git. This solution streamlines application development and maintenance while reducing reliance on outdated, text-based interfaces. The included Subscription and Support package ensures continued access to software updates, security enhancements, and IBM technical support.
IBM’s Customer Agreement (ICA) limits liability to the greater of $100,000 or the fees paid for the specific product or service involved in the claim (up to 12 months of charges for recurring services). Similarly, the International Program License Agreement (IPLA) caps IBM’s liability at the amount paid for the program in question, with a maximum of twelve months’ charges if fees are recurring.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If not approved, the County may experience reduced efficiency for developers, increased reliance on legacy expertise, slower system debugging and maintenance, limited vendor support, and potentially higher operational costs.