To: Board of Supervisors
From: Marc Shorr, Information Technology Director
Report Title: Purchase Order with AMS.NET under the Fast Open Contracts Utilization Services Program
Recommendation: Recommendation of the County Administrator
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Purchasing Agent, or designee, to execute, on behalf of the Chief Information Officer, purchase order(s) with AMS.NET, to enable the County’s use of the Fast Open Contracts Utilization Services Program, established by Merced County, as a cooperative procurement vehicle for the acquisition of technology goods and services, in an amount not to exceed $1,000,000 for the period of September 15, 2026, through July 12, 2031.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The cost of this product is included in the department’s FY 26-27 budget (100% User Departments).
BACKGROUND:
The Fast Open Contracts Utilization Services (FOCUS) Program, established by Merced County through a competitive public solicitation (Request for Proposal No. 7652), provides a pre-qualified, legally compliant cooperative contracting vehicle for California local governments and other eligible public entities. The program was developed in accordance with California Government Code 25330-25338 and public procurement best practices. The FOCUS Program allows participating agencies to acquire a wide range of technology solutions with multiple vendors such as AMS.net.
The FOCUS Program contract will serve as a streamlined and flexible procurement option, enabling the Department of Information Technology to efficiently obtain advanced technology products and services through AMS.net. Planned uses of this contract include potential acquisitions from key providers such as Singlewire Software, VMware, Rubrik, and IBM, supporting critical County initiatives in areas such as communications, virtualization, data protection, and enterprise systems. The contract may also be utilized for ongoing technology modernization and maintenance to ensure secure and reliable County operations. Leveraging this contract allows the County to respond quickly to evolving technology requirements while maintaining compliance and operational continuity. The FOCUS Program Contract No. 2026120 was approved between the County of Merced and AMS.NET, LLC, to provide cost effective and efficient technology solutions.
Legal review by County Counsel has confirmed the eligibility of the County to utilize the FOCUS Program, allowing the County to benefit from pre-competed pricing and terms, reduce procurement timelines, and access a broad portfolio of pre-vetted vendors. Every agreement offered through the FOCUS Program requires the participating public entity to hold harmless Merced County from all claims resulting from that public entity’s use of the agreement.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
Without authorization to use the FOCUS Program, County departments would be required to independently conduct time-consuming and duplicative competitive procurements for routine technology needs, potentially resulting in higher costs, administrative delays, and limited vendor competition.