Managed Technology Services Addendum 7

City of Isle of Palms
Request for Proposals (RFP 2026-09)
"Managed Technology Services"
Requirement. The City of Isle of Palms ("City") is requesting proposals from qualified firms to
provide comprehensive managed technology services that support the City's municipal day-to-
day and crisis response operations, enhance cybersecurity, improve organizational resilience,
and assist City leadership in making informed technology decisions.
The City seeks a long-term technology partner rather than a traditional managed services
provider. While dependable technical support remains essential, the City also seeks a partner
that understands municipal government, assists executive leadership with planning, budgeting,
procurement, cybersecurity, and technology decision-making. Moreover, this partner
participates in operational and emergency planning as needed and provides proactive
recommendations that improve organizational effectiveness and resilience.
The City is seeking a right-sized approach in which it pays a predictable fee for routine
operational support while retaining the flexibility to procure additional professional services,
when needed, through clearly defined and transparent pricing and service level agreements.
The successful proposer shall demonstrate the ability to deliver reliable technical support,
proactive technology management, sound strategic guidance and roadmaps that continuously
improve the City's technology environment while balancing operational effectiveness,
cybersecurity, fiscal responsibility, optimization and long-term sustainability.
Background. The City of Isle of Palms is a full-service coastal municipality serving
approximately 4,500 residents and a substantially larger seasonal population. City operations
include Police, Fire, Public Works, Recreation, Building, Administration, Finance, Municipal
Court, and other municipal services. As a coastal community, the City is subject to natural
disasters such as hurricanes which create operational challenges in planning for and executing
continuity of operations of which IT is essential.
Technology plays a critical role in nearly every City function, including public safety
communications, financial management, permitting, public works operations, citizen services,
emergency response, and continuity of government.
The City currently operates multiple municipal facilities connected through a managed network
environment utilizing Microsoft technologies, virtualization, cloud services, public safety
applications, and numerous third-party business systems.
The City's objective is not simply to maintain this environment but to continually improve and
optimize it through thoughtful planning, sound fiscal stewardship, disciplined cybersecurity
practices, and dependable but right-sized operational support.
Desired Relationship. The City desires a technology partner that becomes familiar with its
organization, understands departmental operations, anticipates technology needs, and
participates in planning rather than simply responding to service requests. The City values firms

that communicate candidly, identify opportunities for improvement, and provide
recommendations that support informed executive decision-making.
Current Technology Environment
The following information is provided solely to assist proposers in preparing realistic proposals.
The City's primary legacy technology environment includes Microsoft 365, Hyper-V
virtualization, public safety systems, enterprise financial software, cloud services, and multiple
third-party municipal applications.
* 103 full-time employees
* Approximately 125 Microsoft 365 users
* Mix of Exchange Online Plans 1 and 2 with 137 total licenses
* 90 workstations
* 9 servers (2 being virtual)
* 8 multi-function networked printers
* Multiple additional items classified as network "gear"
* 1 business class backup device
* 2 firewalls
* Fiber/ internet provided by Segra
* Payroll, permitting, and accounting provided by BS&A Software
* Myriad additional software and services such as: Axon, Diverse (NCIC access),
Geothinq, iWorks, Image Trend, Power DMS, and others
The successful proposer should assume responsibility for supporting the City's existing
technology environment while recommending thoughtful modernization where appropriate.
SCOPE OF WORK AND SERVICES
The following descriptions identify minimum service expectations. Proposers should clearly
identify services included within the base monthly fee and distinguish those requiring additional
authorization or project pricing.
Base Monthly Support
* Unlimited help desk support (remote, phone, and onsite as required) for approximately
50 managed users and 82 email-only users
* Business-hours support with emergency after-hours response for critical incidents
* Network operations including monitoring, maintenance, firmware updates, configuration
backup, and administration of switches, routers, firewalls, wireless infrastructure, Internet
connectivity, and patch management
* Following initial procurement, conduct maintenance and management of all Microsoft
licensing
* Server administration including preventative maintenance, configuration management,
monitoring, operating system patching, storage management, virtualization support, and
backup monitoring

* Maintain an accurate and current inventory of the City's technology assets, including
identification of active and inactive assets
* Cybersecurity operations including endpoint detection and response (EDR), security
monitoring, vulnerability detection and remediation, MFA administration, email
protection, phishing response, and security event monitoring
* Microsoft 365 administration including Exchange Online, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive,
license management, and Entra ID routine administration
* Backup and disaster recovery monitoring, including periodic restore testing and an
annual disaster recovery exercise
* Routine vendor coordination with third-party software, internet, telecommunications, and
hardware providers for incident resolution
* Develop and maintain current documentation of the City's technology environment,
including network diagrams, system configurations, administrative credentials, backup
procedures, and recovery documentation
* Software and hardware recommendations with immediate operational impacts
* Provide operational support before, during, and after significant events such as
hurricanes
* Standard monthly reporting:
Open and closed ticket summary
o
Average response and resolution times
o
Patch compliance status
o
Backup success/failure status
o
Critical vulnerabilities and remediation actions
o
Major incidents and root causes
o
Asset inventory updates
o
Recommendations for operational improvements
o
* Quarterly Operational Review at the executive level covering trends, recurring
operational issues, infrastructure health, cybersecurity events, asset lifecycle concerns
Professional Services (Outside Base Monthly Support)
* Annual Strategic Planning:
Technology roadmap development / "Greenfield" look
o
Network redesign or architecture changes
o
Budget planning/ forecasting
o
Capital planning and replacement planning recommendations
o
Asset portfolio assessments to ensure City is right-sized, based on usage
o
* Major projects, implementations, migrations, and new system deployments
* Extended on-site operational support during declared emergencies, prolonged
Emergency Operations Center activations, or multi-day disaster response operations
beyond the base support services
* Server replacements or infrastructure refresh projects, as needed
* Wireless redesign or expansion projects
* ERP or enterprise application implementations
* Enterprise level security assessments, penetration testing, or vCISO services

* SharePoint development, workflow automation, and data conversions
* Procurement consulting and preparation of specifications unless specifically requested
by the City
Modular Options/ Features
The City recognizes that technology needs evolve rapidly. Accordingly, a successful proposer
will have the ability to scale technology services, including adding, modifying, or removing
technology services, without requiring replacement of the entire agreement.
Potential add on services include but are not limited to:
* All services in the preceding section above
* Telecommunications
* GIS support
* Website management
* Cloud services
* Public safety technology
* Additional facilities
* Additional users
* Other mutually agreed technology services
PROPOSAL CONTENTS AND SUBMITTAL INSTRUCTIONS
Consistent with Chapter 10 Purchasing Procedures, Section 1-10-5 Methods of Source
Selection, of the city code, the City is requesting information that speaks to a firm's track record
of "professional and technical qualifications" and "demonstrated competence and qualification."
By 10:00 AM on Friday August 28, 2026 please provide a hard copy proposal by courier or
mail to:
Physical Address Instructions (Delivery by Courier, Mail Service (FEDEX, etc)):
C/o Douglas Kerr
City Administrator
City of Isle of Palms
1207 Palm Boulevard
Isle of Palms, South Carolina 29451
Mailing Instructions (US Mail):
C/o Douglas Kerr
City Administrator
City of Isle of Palms
Post Office Box 508
Isle of Palms, South Carolina 29451
PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS
The proposal should demonstrate the firm's understanding of municipal government and clearly
explain how the proposed services satisfy the City's objectives.

The narrative portion of the Proposals should not be more than ten pages.
At a minimum, proposals shall include/ address the following areas:
1. Cover Letter
Introduce the firm, summarize the firm's understanding of the City's objectives, and identify the
individual authorized to negotiate on behalf of the proposer.
2. Firm Qualifications
Describe:
* Years in business
* Office locations
* Number of employees
* Municipal experience
* South Carolina experience
* Experience supporting organizations of similar size and complexity
3. Understanding of the City's Needs
Rather than simply describing services, proposers should explain their understanding of the
City's operating environment and philosophy as described in this RFP.
The City is particularly interested in understanding how the proposer approaches long-term
client relationships, strategic planning, operational support, cybersecurity, and technology
leadership.
4. Proposed Service Delivery
Describe how services will be delivered including:
* Transition of current services/ data and new service implementation
* Help Desk operations
* On-site support
* Remote support
* Assigned personnel
* Escalation procedures
* After-hours support
* Emergency response
* Cybersecurity services
* Strategic advisory services
5. Strategic Advisory Approach
Describe how your firm assists executive leadership with:
* Technology planning
* Budget preparation
* Lifecycle and capital planning
* Cybersecurity governance
* Risk management
* Cost optimization
6. Emergency Operations Support

Describe how your firm supports clients during:
* Hurricanes/ severe weather events
* Cyber incidents
* Significant outages
* Emergency Operations Center activation
Include expected response capabilities and availability of senior technical personnel.
7. References
Provide at least five references from organizations of similar size.
8. Detailed Pricing Proposal.
* Base managed services fee
* Per managed user fee
* Per email only user fee
* Hourly rates for projects, engineering, consulting, project management, travel, after-
hours support, and security consulting
* Pricing assumptions and any annual escalation provisions
* Identify any assumptions that materially affect the proposed pricing
EVALUATION PROCESS AND CRITERIA
The City's objective is to select the firm that provides the greatest overall value to the
organization while demonstrating technical competence, operational understanding, financial
responsibility, and a commitment to long-term partnership.
The City reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, waive minor irregularities, request
additional information, interview proposers, negotiate modifications, or cancel this solicitation if
determined to be in the City's best interest.
Proposals will be evaluated using, at minimum, the following criteria.
A. Understanding of the City's Needs
The proposer's understanding of the City's operational environment, organizational objectives,
and philosophy of services.
The City will evaluate the extent to which the proposal demonstrates an understanding of
municipal government operations rather than merely describing generic managed technology
services.
B. Qualifications and Experience
The firm's experience supporting organizations of similar size and complexity, particularly
municipalities and public safety agencies.
Consideration may include:
* Years in business
* Technical certifications
* Relevant experience

* Staff qualifications
* Organizational stability
C. Technical Approach
The quality and completeness of the proposed technical solution including:
* Infrastructure support
* Cybersecurity
* Help Desk
* Network administration
* Disaster recovery
* Documentation
* Technology planning
* Ability to scale and make any future contract vehicle "modular"
D. Strategic Advisory Services
The City places significant value on a firm's ability to assist executive leadership through high
level strategic planning from inception to at least three years out, technology planning,
budgeting, lifecycle management, procurement assistance, executive reporting, operational
planning, and organizational improvement.
E. Operational Support
The City's technology partner should understand that technology supports municipal operations.
The proposal should demonstrate an ability to support the City during routine operations as well
as major incidents, emergency response, continuity of government activities, and significant
community events.
F. Pricing
Cost savings is a major factor in this RFP and the City will preference proposers with dedicated
processes that illustrate a bias toward cost optimization.
Additional consideration may include:
* Overall value
* Pricing transparency and clarity
* Long-term affordability
* Cost predictability
* Optional service pricing
G. References
The City may contact references and consider prior performance, responsiveness,
professionalism, communication, and overall client satisfaction.
Deadline for Submissions: The deadline for submission is 10:00 AM Friday August, 28 2026.
Proposals will be received by mail or courier (see above) in a sealed envelope. Sealed
envelopes must be clearly marked "RFP 2026-09 - Managed Technology Services" and
include one (1) hard copy.

The deadline for questions is 5:00 PM, Friday August, 14 2026. Questions will be answered in
addendum format and posted on the City's RFP tab on the City's webpage.
Site visits are encouraged. To coordinate a visit please contact the Deputy City Administrator,
Sean Kuester at skuester@isleofpalms.gov or at 843-886-6428. All visits must be complete
no later than Friday August 14, 2026.
It will be the responsibility of the proposers to verify receipt by the City. Proposals may be
delivered by hand or by mail, but no proposal shall be considered which is not actually received
by the City at the place, date and time appointed by the City and the City shall not be
responsible for any failure, misdirection, delay or error resulting from the selection by any
proposer of any means of delivery. All proposals submitted shall include a current e-mail
address.
Proprietary and/or Confidential Information: Your proposal is a public document under the South
Carolina Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), except as to information that may be treated as
confidential as an exception to disclosure under the FOIA as determined by the City. If you
cannot agree to this standard, please do not submit your proposal. All information that is to be
treated as confidential and/or proprietary must be clearly identified, and each page containing
confidential and/or proprietary information, in whole or in part, must be stamped and/or denoted
as CONFIDENTIAL, in bold, in a font of at least 12-point type, in the upper right-hand corner of
the page. All information not so denoted and identified will be subject to disclosure by the City.
Proposers acknowledge and agree that the City will not be liable for any costs, expenses,
losses, damages (including damages for loss of anticipated profit) or liabilities incurred by the
respondent or any member of the respondent's organization as a result of, or arising out of,
submitting a proposal, negotiating changes, or due to the City's acceptance or non-acceptance
of the proposal or the rejection of any and all proposals.
Proposers are responsible for submission of accurate, adequate and clear descriptions of the
information requests. Neither issuance of the RFP, preparation and submission of a response,
nor the subsequent receipt and evaluation of any response by the City of Isle of Palms will
commit the City to award a contract to any respondent even if all the requirements in the RFP
have been met. Proposers must have or be able to procure an Isle of Palms Business License.