Calnet Sysytem for Providing Lower Telecom Costs to State & Local Agencies
CALNET SYSYTEM FOR PROVIDING LOWER TELECOM COSTS TO STATE & LOCAL AGENCIES:
What is CALNET?
The State of California Department of Technology Services has contracted with AT&T for a comprehensive collection of integrated enterprise network services. AT&T was awarded two Master Service Agreements (MSAs): MSA 1 - Voice, Data and Video Services and MSA 2 - Long Distance and Network Based Services. The CALNET 2 MSAs are designed to completely meet your existing telecommunication requirements as well as to support the infrastructure needed for your current and future business applications.Who can use CALNET 2?
All State of California government agencies. This includes tax supported non-state local government/public agencies that are entirely tax-supported and non-profit and may require a Joint Powers Agreement.
Each MSA is for five years with the possibility of two one-year extensions. The MSAs were signed January 30, 2007.
Benefits:
· Complete suite of integrated services · Service Level Agreements · Competitive rates
· New billing platform with invoicing and reporting capabilities
· Custom portal program · End to End Solutions
· Competitively bid; no additional RFP processes are necessary.
In addition, there will be ongoing and annual reviews of pricing and service functionality to help ensure rates and services remain cost-effective and technologically competitive throughout the life of the MSAs.
Comments Received:
Ryan Lee, IT Manager at the City of Torrance:
“The City does use CALNET pricing. I'm not involved in the phone area. Check with Jim Caprio to confirm. They did an analysis some years ago and changed over to CALNET. I suspect it is the lowest pricing as it is negotiated at the pooled level.”
Matt Hawkesworth, Assistant City Manager, City of Rosemead
“We are on the Calnet program in Rosemead and we were also on it when I was in El Monte. As an all encompassing service, it is very cost effective. We have had offers a couple of times from small telecommunication companies that essentially lease space on AT&T or Verizon lines, but we have always decided against it as they don’t control the lines or repairs on the lines.Calnet’s prices on data lines such as T1’s are excellent.
Juelle-Ann Boyer,Chief Financial Officer City of Alameda
“We switched to CalNET some time ago (maybe 8 or so, can't remember it’s been so long!) We did see an immediate savings in doing so. We are now switching to CalNET II. We are not anticipating costs savings but greater efficiencies in processing electronic billings.”
Joan Streit, Finance Director Town of Moraga
“When I was at the City of Dixon, we used CalNet. It was overall a savings from AT&T directly.“
Steve Toler, Administrative Services Director,City of Foster City
“We’re on the CalNet 2 program with the State and we have noted significant savings as a result of moving to that. (Actually, we were with the original CalNet program when CalNet 2 came about.)If you want more info, my IT Manager, Joan Schoening, is front-line on that agreement and I’m sure would be happy to answer any other questions you may have on that program.”
Bob Treppa, DSRSD
“DSRSD uses CALNet for its phone lines. I’d be happy to talk to you offline (Bob @ 925-875-2211).CALNet is currently going through a contract change from CALNet I to CALNet II. The gotcha’s include you signing up for the period where you can only order such services from AT&T (or Verizon for different products). It is a complicated system to figure out just what services you need. Prices are competitive (read: cheap), but I have never really done a item-to-item pricing.”
Barbara Pouliot, OCTA
Highly recommended the CALNET program and AT&T account representative team via a telephone conversation.
Jo Barrick, Administrative Services Director, City of Shafter
“The City of Shafter is on the CALNET program. The rates are great.”