To: Board of Supervisors
From: Marc Shorr, Information Technology Director
Report Title: Purchase Order with Iron Mountain
☒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 Iron Mountain in an amount not to exceed $5,000 for off-site tape vaulting services and storage, subject to the terms of Iron Mountain’s Customer Agreement, for the period of February 1, 2024, through October 31, 2024.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The cost is charged to the user department. 100% User Departments.
BACKGROUND:
Iron Mountain provides a comprehensive range of data storage services, including secure physical records storage, digital data storage, backup and archival solutions, specialized media storage, and data center services. These solutions are designed to protect data, ensure compliance, and provide easy access and retrieval, helping the County manage their information effectively and securely. The Department of Information Technology’s (DOIT) Operations staff utilizes Iron Mountain for Computer Tape (CT) Vaulting (3490), which is a specialized service focused on the secure storage and management of critical computer data stored on 3490 media cartridges. Iron Mountain’s CT Vaulting provides a secure, offsite storage solution for 3490 media cartridges, ensuring County sensitive and critical data is protected against physical damage, theft, and environmental threats.
Iron Mountain’s customer agreement contains a limitation of Iron Mountain’s liability to the amount paid by the County for a discrete project or, if the loss is related to service of an ongoing and continuing nature, six (6) months of fees paid by County for such service.
DoIT ran into delays while replacing the previous purchase order with the new one. The Department worked with County Counsel and Purchasing to ensure that the renewal was done correctly and according to Administrative Bulletin 600. Unfortunately, this led to a delay in final execution, and necessary services rendered from February through June are due for payment upon Board approval. The Department recognizes the delay is not ideal and has taken internal steps to ensure such retroactive actions are avoided in the future. This purchase is being made via sole source justification, for product and service continuity.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
Not using Iron Mountain’s CT Vaulting (3490) service could expose the County to significant risks related to data loss, security breaches, regulatory non-compliance, and operational inefficiencies. Properly managing and protecting computer tape media is essential for ensuring data integrity, security, and compliance, as well as supporting effective disaster recovery and business continuity.