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MEMO TO: Cass County Commission FROM: Terry Schmaltz, IT Manager DATE: December 8th, 2005 SUBJECT: Consent Agenda Item 2006 Purchase Orders for Network Software Dear Commissioners, Enclosed is a purchase order for Altiris network management software, previously approved for in the 2006 budget. As previously described in my budget presentation, the IT Department is currently understaffed by at least 2 FTE's to support county users with computer issues and maintain a 24/7 availability of network resources.- Current staffing for the IT Department is 5.5 full time employees. 2.5 of the FTE's are dedicated to and have expertise in AS/400 programming and GIS. The remaining 3.5 FTE's support county computer systems, perform printer maintenance, monitor network application availability, maintain servers, and support phone systems. They also perform limited computer support for State Court offices. Most of these tasks are done manually and workload of the staff is 90% reactive to computer and network problems. Rather than asking for additional staffing, my request is to give the IT department the tools to become more efficient with everyday tasks. The Altiris network management software is a suite of products that will: . Automate many of the tasks of monitoring network server and departmental computer systems. . . It will automate the deployment of replacement computer systems, deployment of software upgrades and new software installations. . Powerful reporting features on computer assets. . Consistency in computer deployments. . Improved customer support.