Business Services Action Item

DATE:	Tuesday, May 1, 2018
TO:	School Board Members
FROM:	Jeff Eakins, Superintendent
SUBJECT / RECOMMENDATIONS
Approve the Piggyback of the Agreement between SHI, Inc., and Orange County Public Schools - Invitation to Bid (ITB) #1701005 for VMWare ELA (Business Services Division)
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The District’s Digital Classrooms Plan includes implementing a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) to provide a consistent experience across existing devices with modern up-to-date desktops. VDI is software that hosts a desktop operating system on a centralized server located in the district’s data center and/or from a cloud service provider enabling access to virtualized desktops. VDI will be used to extend the functionality of existing older hardware and provide more devices for student use and assessment, as well as improved security, improved reliability, lower costs, and ease of deployment.   The initial plan targeted the 340 high stakes testing labs that are over 7 years old. The cost to upgrade all of those (8,500) computers was over $4.5 million dollars. Using VDI, those computers will offer a virtual desktop perfectly configured for assessment with minimum school technical support. This past year the district was able to replace the high school labs with 1,400 new computers using Digital Classroom categorical funding. This agenda item now addresses the middle and elementary school labs and provides added assessment for those devices.  This solution allows the district to meet the needs of the high schools and provide support to the elementary and middle school sites. An added benefit to using VDI will be that, outside of the testing window, students can be provided with secure district desktops or applications, and administrative desktop computer life expectancy can be extended without the hardware replacement.
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES
• Establish a strong foundation of financial stewardship • Construct and maintain facilities that create an environment conducive to teaching and learning
FINANCIAL IMPACT (Budgeted:  Yes)
Funds from the Florida Department of Education Digital Classrooms categorical allocation will be used for the three-year total cost of $2,091,667.31.  The expense consist of two payments, $230,000 in May, and $1,861,667.31 due July 2018. The project number given to these dollars is 4519.
EVALUATION
Implementing VDI is specified in the District’s Digital Classrooms Plan and recommended by the Gibson report.
SUBMITTED BY:  Corey A. Murphy, General Manager, Procurement Services Scott Gafner, Manager, Information Technology

Rick Laneau		Gretchen Saunders
General Manager, Information Technology 813-272-4230		Chief Business Officer (813) 272-4270
		C 6.19
Hillsborough County Public Schools (Florida) * Mtg.#20180501_871 (Board Meeting followed by Public Hearing) * Section C Item# 6.19