1993 AGN JAN 19 I05 - Laserfiche WebLink

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p KERRY \\ ��CONSSULLTTINNGq� GRRODUPm �ll�R� DATE: January 7, 1993 TO: Executive Technology Review Committee City of Colton FROM: Dennis Vlasich RE: Office Automation Standards At our last ETRC meeting on December 8th, it was decided to make the Microsoft suite of office automation products the standard for the City of Colton, contingent on confirmation that the cost of conversion and re-training of the current 9 WordPerfect users would not substantially affect the cost differential between the WordPerfect and Microsoft packages. It was also determined that since i had obtained three quotes for these products (Jaguar/Microage, Computerland of Upland, and Progressive Solutions) we would not need to duplicate the process again in order to comply with City procurement regulations. Since the Jaguar/Microage prices were competitive, we should be able to award the software purchase for the first copies of the PD office automation software to them, since they would be in the best position to install it on the Novell LAN which they are also installing. Jaguar/Microage is more experienced with WordPerfect products than with Microsoft products, but the do have trained technicians for both. The only area in which they need additional assistance is with the new Microsoft product, Window for Workgroups (WFW), and Microsoft has agreed top rovide a full day of technical assistance to install and train both Jaguar and Colton on staff in its appropriate use at no additional cost to the City. The special training for the 9 WordPerfect users (who are from City Hall, not PD) would cost $68 each from Jaguar at the Riverside County training facility. All of the other training, whether WordPerfect or Microsoft would also be available at $68 per student/day at Riverside County and would be identical for both products. I have computed the total costs for the Police Department configuration on the attached worksheets, and, exclusive of the special WordPerfect to WORD retraining which would cost about $650 (plus release time and/or substitute costs), Microsoft products would cost about $200 less than the WordPerfect solutions for that particular PD configuration ($12,298 vs. $12,475). { The issue of WordPerfect document conversion is still open, but I believe it will be solved shortly. Microsoft is sending me the latest copy of WORD for Windows (version 2.0c) which includes updated conversion utilities. They have supposedly corrected the few problems with the previous WordPerfect file conversions, and I will test it on the copy of the Colton Technology Master PIan in WordPerfect a format which I sent you several months ago. The process of conversion is very simple: Just open the N WordPerfect document from WORD and the conversion takesplace automatically. If the Committee feels that the benefits of operational consistency and single vendor support is worth the nominal investment in retraining the WordPerfect users, I feel that the feature comparison of the two sets of products are close enough to make Microsoft worth the cost differential. This difference will be more than made up with future economies in operational efficiency and product compatibility and support. x 976 West Foothill Boulevard, Suite 392 Claremont, California 97711 714 - 621 - 6469