Intended Single Source Purchase of Maintenance, Purchasing and Support Services of Solacom suite of products and services

The Alachua County Board of County Commissioners is seeking to purchase maintenance, purchasing, and support services for the Solacom suite of products, including the Guardian emergency 911 telephone system, Guardian Messenger, Managed Services, Cybersecurity services, and the Guardian Map system. The county intends to utilize the Single Source Procurement method to contract with Kraus Associates dba AK ASSOCIATES for supplying these services. The justification for single source acquisition is that all Guardian products operate as an integrated suite, and any additions or modifications must be procured and supported through AK Associates to ensure full compatibility and continuity of operations. • The Solacom emergency telephone system was originally acquired under RFP 18-802 through AK Associates in partnership with the manufacturer. • The Guardian Map system is the only known mapping solution fully compatible with and capable of being embedded within the existing Guardian Call Handling system. • Previous attempts to implement third-party solutions were unsuccessful due to system incompatibility and operational challenges. • The existing support agreement requires all Guardian system components, upgrades, and services to be procured through AK Associates, the sole authorized provider for purchasing and direct support with the manufacturer.