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Home My WebLink About18 - Telecommunications EquipmentApril 26, 1990 Agenda Item So. r8 CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH • ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DEPARTMENT Resource Management • Human Resources • Fiscal Services • M.I.S. • Revenue • Accounting April 26, 1999 TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL From: Dick Kurth, Administrative Services Director (acting� SUBJECT: TELECOMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT Executive Summary This staff report identifies four interrelated and time - sensitive issues regarding telecommunications. Actions are proposed to deal with each. Three of the issues fall in the area of equipment problems which need to be addressed. The fourth represents an upgrade which would improve efficiency and service levels. These projects do not have to be done together. However, for efficiency and cost savings reasons, staff recommends that they be addressed collectively, rather than piecemeal. 1. The City's voice mail system is outdated and not Y2K compliant. It is no longer supported by the original vendor. Further work- around fixes may still be feasible for the time being, but these temporary remedies to a system that receives such heavy use are no longer recommended. The current generation of replacement systems contain notable advancements. Prices are not out of line. • 2. The PBX switchboard at Lifeguard Headquarters is not Y2K compliant. There are local procedures which could be undertaken to get around the problem, but the equipment itself is becoming increasingly problematic. It is the only equipment of its type left in service in the City. 3. The E -911 capability of City phones is inadequate, primarily because it does not provide location specific information for emergency dispatch. This is a public safety issue of some significance. The solution requires switchboard upgrades in four locations, as well as new software. 4. The City's limited Interactive Voice Response (IVR) capability is already being expanded by adding a new system to improve certain Building Department services. This new system affords the flexibility for expansion by adding relatively inexpensive modules to serve other functional areas as well. The long -term plan is to get the basic system on board and functioning before other modules are added. However, for several reasons staff recommends expanding the initial acquisition to include the module for Revenue functions (mostly for utility billing and related services) at this time. The total cost of the above improvements is $228,500. Of that, $50,000 has already been appropriated and staff has identified a combination of $115,500 from savings elsewhere in General Fund projects or programs and four non - General Fund sources. That leaves $63,000 of previously unappropriated General Fund money needed to accomplish the changes. Approval of the equipment and software changes is recommended, along with approval of Budget Amendments accomplishing the funding realignments and new appropriations as specified below. Background As part of the Year 2000 (Y2K) awareness and assessment phases, City MIS staff members have closely examined and evaluated all City owned, operated and maintained telecommunications components. Hardware and software including: PBX/Switching gear, voice mail, telephones, fax machines, pay telephones, WAN multi - plexers, etc. have been evaluated for Y2K compliance. The timing of this assessment coincided with requests from City Departments to further upgrade and enhance the existing April 26, 1999 Page 2 telecommunications system. These requests included Enhanced E -911 public safety and Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems. Discussion Of the major telecommunication components evaluated, two critical systems fell short of achieving Y2K compliance. Neither the centralized City voice -mail nor the Fire & Marine Lifeguard Headquarters PBX systems are Year 2000 compliant. There are procedures that can be performed to circumvent potential associated Y2K problems, however, these measures are not recommended or supported by hardware/software suppliers and vendors. The existing Compass voice mail system was purchased and installed in 1994. Octel purchased Compass in 1997 and Octel has since been purchased by Lucent Technologies. Lucent does not support the Compass product. Enhancements to the system are not available and in the event of a system failure, replacement components would be extremely difficult to acquire. Voice mail systems have undergone significant changes in the past five years and are making use of new technological advances. Unified messaging, fairly common in current voice mail systems, provide complete integration between voice and e -mail applications. Voice mail system costs are indicated in the table below. Voice Mail Upgrades Basic Voice Mail System Total Equipment $23,406.30 Total Labor $3,000.00 Tax $1,813.99 Shipping $175.00 SubTotal $28,395.29 Less Promotional Trade -in $2,300.00 Basic System Total $26,095.29 Enhancements to Voice Mail Telephony Server Software $1,800.00 ViewMail for Microsoft Messaging (250 users) $5,364.00 Total Equipment $7,164.00 Total Labor $1,800.00 Sales Tax $555.21 Enhanced System Total $9,519.21 Grand Total Voice Mail 5, 74. The NEAX1400 PBX system located at the Fire & Marine Lifeguard Headquarters has been in service since 1990. This system is the only remaining remote PBX that does not meet Y2K compliance standards. PBX's at the City Corp Yard and the Public Works, Utilities Division complex have been upgraded or replaced. Both are NEAX2000 models. This newer NEAX model has provided these sites with added flexibility and offers the ability to take advantage of newer voice applications. Replacement costs are indicated in the table below. FMD PBX Replacement Fire & Marine Lifeguard HeadOuarters PBX Replacement Less Trade4n SubTotal Labor Tax Shipping Grand Total F &M HO $24,226.00 $1,500.00 $22,726.00 $4,100.00 $1,761.27 $300.00 T2_8, MOa�7 Enhanced E -911 is an extremely compelling public safety telecommunications issue. Currently all 911 calls are displayed to emergency dispatchers as having originated from 3300 Newport Boulevard (the J • April 26. 1999 Page 3 • street address of the main City Hall PBX). This is due to fact that the City Hall main PBX switch handles routing of all telephone calls within the City system. This situation, presents a potential public safety problem. There have been several documented cases where emergency personnel have been dispatched to inaccurate locations based on current system inadequacies. Enhanced E -911 systems are able to correctly direct Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP) so that Police and Fire personnel can be dispatched to actual, exact locations to where emergency calls have originated. Implementation of an Enhanced E -911 system requires that the PBX switches at City Hall, the Police Department and Central library be upgraded. This also assumes that the PBX at Fire & Marine Lifeguard headquarters will have been replaced (see above). No upgrades are required for the PBX's at the Corporation Yard or Utilities sites. Additionally, specialized software and hardware components will be necessary. Switch upgrade and Enhanced E -911 costs are indicated on the tables below. Switch Upgrades $75.00 City Hall Switch Upgrade $14,894.83 Total Equipment $14,667.00 Total Labor $1.350.00 Tax $1.136.69 Shipping $75.00 City Hall Total $17,228.69 Police Switch Upgrade $150.00 Total Equipment $25,017.00 Total Labor $1.350.00 Tax $1.938.82 Shipping $75.00 Pollee Total $28,380.82 Library Switch Upgrade Total Equipment $12.501.00 Total Labor $1.350.00 Tax $968.83 Shipping $75.00 Library Total $14,894.83 Grand Total PBX Switch Upgrades E -911 System Total Equipment $30.888.00 Total Labor $4.800.00 Tax $2.393.82 Shipping $150.00 Grand Total E -911 System Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems provide interfaces or links between computer information and telephones. A simple example of IVR would be obtaining bank account information, such as a savings account balance, through the use of a touch tone telephone. An IVR system is capable of providing a number of cost and labor saving benefits to the City. Examples include: access to PERMITS data; plan check, inspection scheduling and status; automated notification of account delinquencies and fines; access to municipal services billing statements (primarily water and wastewater related functions); the ability to pay fees, fines, services and perform a wide variety of transaction processing; obtain city wide information; etc. — all via the telephone. The goal of implementing a centralized IVR system is to provide a foundation for creating applications designed to meet the needs and requirements of a variety of functions in almost all City Departments, (Certain very specific integrated IVR systems, such as ENS and Telecirc in the Library, will not be candidates for conversion to the new IVR system in the foreseeable future.) The intent is to implement the system in two places now (Building and Revenue), then to add modules as staff gets fully comfortable with the operation. The basic system and the Building "module" are already on track. The service is particularly needed in Revenue, which will also serve as a more generic format for how the new system can most effectively be used in other City Departments. Therefore the proposal is to add the module for Revenue at this time. . Costs of the new IVR system are indicated in the table below. (The basic $50,000 has already been appropriated). April 26, 1999 Page 4 IVR (Interactive Voice Response) Primary IVR system & PERMITS interface Add on - Revenue application Grand Total IVR Conclusion r rrr rr rrr rr Pr i rrr The City centralized voice mail system, currently used by all City Departments, is non - supported, has no growth potential, is not Year 2000 compliant and should be replaced. The NEAX1400 PBX located at Fire & Marine Lifeguard headquarters should also be replaced for similar reasons. For reasons of public safety, the City should implement an Enhanced E -911 system. Enhanced E -911 provides a means to determine the exact source of 911 telephone calls. This system will provide 911 dispatchers with more accurate information needed to deploy Police, Fire and medical personnel in emergency situations. In order to implement this system the City Hall, Police Department and Central Library switches will require upgrades. As mentioned above the Fire & Marine Lifeguard Headquarters PBX must be replaced. Additional advantages to upgrading and replacing these voice system components include: increased efficiency, reliability, added flexibility, and decreased maintenance and repair costs. Implementation of an Interactive Voice Response system in association with the Building Department's planned migration to an updated version of the PERMITS tracking system is targeted to begin during this fiscal year. An expansion of this system to add a module capable of handling Revenue functions, and possibly others, is recommended. Telecommunications Upgrades Voice Mail Replacement $35,614.50 Fire & Marine Lifeguard HQ PBX Upgrade $28,887.27 CH, PD, Central Library PBX Switch Upgrades $60,504.34 E -977 System $38,231.82 linteractive Voice Repsponse (IVR) system $65,000.00 Total Telecommunications Upgrades Tarorff Recommended sources of funds are as follows Already appropriated (Interactive Voice Response) $50,000 Building Excise Tax (BET) funds (Fire & Marine and Library Switchboards) 53,000 Narcotic Forfeiture Fund (E -911 software) 38,500 Various General Fund CIP savings @ close out 15,400 Water Fund (Share of Voice Mail, IVR module, & CH Switch) 7,600 Wastewater Fund (Share of Voice Mail, IVR module, & CH Switch) 1,000 New Appropriation (from General Fund Appropriation Reserve) 63.000 Recommended Action Approve the telecommunications upgrades and funding realignments specified above. Also approve Budget Amendment 64 (attached). 0 • City of Newport Beach BUDGET AMENDMENT 1998 -99 EFFECT ON BUDGETARY FUND BALANCE: Increase Revenue Estimates Increase Budget Appropriations AND X X Transfer Budget Appropriations X X from existing budget appropriations from additional estimated revenues X from unappropriated fund balance EXPLANATION: NO. BA- 064 AMOUNT: $180,500.00 Increase in Budgetary Fund Balance Decrease in Budgetary Fund Balance No effect on Budgetary Fund Balance This budget amendment is requested to provide for the following: As described by the attached staff report, this budget amendment provides for several time - sensitive telecommunication improvements throughout the City. These improvements would be funded through $50,000 of existing appropriations which were specifically budgeted for this purpose, 5115,500 from various other sources (as described below) and $63,000 from unappropriated General Fund surplus fund balance. There have been no prior budget amendments for this project. ACCOUNTING ENTRY: BUDGETARY FUND BALANCE Fund General Fund 010 270 120 500 530 &PENDITURE APPROPRIATIONS &ned: Signed: Signed: Division Account Division Account Division Account Division Account Division Account Division Account Division Account Division Account Amount Debit Credit crnu r. t Description 3605 General Fund Unappropiated Fund Balance S83,000.00 3605 Building Excise Tax Unappropiated Fund Balance S53,000.00 3605 Asset Forfeiture Unappropiated Fund Balance S38,500.00 3605 water Unappropiated Fund Balance $7,600.00 3605 Wastewater Unappropiated Fund Balance 51,000.00 Description 7013 General Fund - Street Projects C5100014 Oceanfront St. End Improvements 7013 General Fund - Street Projects C510023 Dahlia St. End Improvements 7015 General Fund - Parks Projects C5100488 Irvine Avenue Median 7017 General Fund - Automation \Communication Proj, C5100493 Telecommunication Equipment Upgrades 7271 Building Excise Tax Fund C5100493 Telecommunication Equipment Upgrades 1250 Asset Forfeitures - State Forfeitures 9010 Computer Equipment 5500 Water Division 9010 Computer Equipment 5600 Wastewater Division 9010 Computer Equipment City Council Approval: City Clerk $2,390.00 $8,090.00 $4,920.00 $78,400.00 $53,000.00 $38,500.00 $7,600.00 $1,000.00 Date Date