Information Technology Division

If you are a public agency in Northern California and think you may need help, read on:

Why?

In 2008, the City of Petaluma IT has embarked on the unusual step of augmenting our general fund contribution, pursuit of outside revenue. We also believe in working with others to the betterment of our community and of the State. Our highly seasoned staff is available on limited basis for your benefit. It is not our intention of displacing your existing staff, rather enabling and assisting them.

We do not replace any existing contractors or staff, we help them. We are not in the business of providing any type of response-required work. And we always attempt knowledge transfer, to help your staff function with your expansion or installation.

Our staff connects with your management problems and your environment

This consulting is provided for and intended to be exclusively for client's use, it may not be applicable to other organizations. Clients agree not to release to press or disclose to third parties.

We maintain your privacy and confidentiality.

Read on or for more information, fill out our request form.

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Services

IT Manager Assistance (link) - get regular help and advice on topics specifically intended for IT Managers. Extremely useful for less experienced. And valuable insight for all. Available on subscription basis.

Implementing an ERP / Finance system? Ask us how we can help, we're good at this.

Network Services - Do you have Cisco routers, switches, firewalls?

Computer training (link). We have a whole separate operation for computer training with a certified Microsoft trainer - for your users at our facilities or yours.

Rates

Terms

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IT Manager/supervisor/system admin mentoring package -

$195/month billed monthly includes:

Two hours onsite /month (travel over 20 miles extra); additional hours at $95 vs normal bill rate of $105 for  telephone consultations, offline review of quotes and estimates, proposals, complex questions (with ramifications), designs
emailed opinions, responses to questions - professionally worded to present to management.

• Topics include, not only limited to:
• cost saving topics
• system management practices
• strategic plan – inhouse development
• life cycle costing
• maintenance contracts technical review
• system design
• facility moves/adds/changes
• user issues
• technical staffing
• capacity planning
• budgeting
• project justification, assistance

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Network assistance

Do you have Cisco routers, switches, firewalls or telephone system? Do you know they need to be documented, backed up, patched? Ask us about telephone system inventory methods, integration, and about network diagrams and backups (very handy to put a backup online when you need to !). You should have your network diagrams and backups schemes reviewed and updated quarterly or whenever you make changes (add buildings, systems).

We diagram your whole network, key nodes and operatign parameters. Whenever you have an outside review or audit, whenever you have an expansion project coming.

Once we set you up, your network device backups will enable less experienced staff to replace a failed device quickly - less downtime for your users!

Network expansion - Adding network nodes, MS Exchange migration, malware protection, large application help (finance systems?).

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Finance/ERP and reporting assistance

Data Migration, database interfaces - our highly skilled, experienced database and application programming staff is available to help you. Especially useful when your project places migration duties on your existing staff.

Setup and configuration assistance with most Microsoft products - Windows Server, MS Office (2003 and 2007), Exchange, web server.

Data reports using Crystal Reports, SQL Reporting Services, or Cognos.

Project Specialty Assistance - assist your project manager, save time and frustration, help interface with your vendor. We can also supply a part-time project manager for your needs.

Project peak loading. Technical assistance by our IT staff to get your project moving, to minimize burden on your existing staff and enable them to keep continuity in day to day operations.

System and application integration planning, product research.

Business case analysis, review; feasibility study.

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Rates - vary by actual staff assigned.

$90/hour for technical-level staff, helpdesk and desktop support staff, web programmer, computer trainer;

$95/hour for application programming, database work, dba staff;

$95/hour network analyst level staff;

$105/hour IT Manager, GIS Manager, or project manager;

4 hour minimum for onsite, 1/2 hour minimum for remote work;

No travel time if closer than 15 minutes;

Travel mileage for over 20 miles, rates are the in-place IRS rates;

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Terms

We have our own consulting agreement ready to apply scope and get to work on your problems, fast.

We use Trackit for our workorder system; you become a customer in our system. We invoice monthly and include reports from Trackit. We can email invoices!

Our staff working hours are 7am-6pm, Monday - Thursday in our office. Other hours available by agreement. City Hall is closed on Fridays.