To: Board of Supervisors
From: Anna Roth, Health Services Director
Report Title: Purchase Order with NTT America, Inc.
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Purchasing Agent, or designee, to execute, on behalf of the Health Services Director (1) a purchase order with NTT America, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $26,582, (2) NTT America, Inc. Subscription Agreement, and (3) Infoblox Master Purchasing Agreement with Infoblox Inc. for the purchase of Infoblox software and hardware maintenance for the period from October 30, 2023, through October 29, 2024.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Approval of this action will result in expenditures of up to $26,582 and will be funded by the Hospital Enterprise Fund I revenues.
BACKGROUND:
Contra Costa Health Services has relied on Infoblox for the distribution of network addresses since 2011. The Infoblox system automates the provisioning and management of IP addresses, DNS records, and DHCP leases, crucial for maintaining a stable and reliable network in healthcare settings. In September 2023, Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS) conducted a solicitation for the Infoblox subscription renewal. Of the three vendors contacted NTT America was selected for the best price.
This request was initiated in early September 2023, however, in December, the vendor submitted additional documentation including a Master Purchasing Agreement that necessitated additional approval from the Board of Supervisors for indemnity and limitation of liability, contributing to delays in the overall processing timeline. Contra Costa Health Information Technology Procurement is actively collaborating with the vendor and stakeholders to submit renewal requests at least 180 days in advance of expiration to prevent future delays.
The Infoblox Master Purchasing Agreement obligates the County to indemnify Infoblox for any third-party claims resulting from the County’s acts or omissions in performing the agreement. The agreement also limits Infoblox’s liability to no more than the total amount paid or payable by the County in the twelve-month period prior to any claim, except for Infoblox’s obligation to indemnify the County for third party intellectual property claims.
The NTT Subscription Agreement obligates the County to indemnify NTT for third party claims related to NTT processing County personal data. The NTT Terms and Conditions limit NTT’s liability to amounts paid by County under the agreement.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
Failure to approve this action will disrupt CCHS's continuity in leveraging Infoblox as a reliable network management tool. Inadequate IP address management can contribute to network instability and security vulnerability, potentially compromising the stability and reliability of our healthcare network.