In the Spring of 2023, the Technology department began researching alternatives to Cisco switches due to the cost of the switches increasing significantly.  Staff spoke with several different switch vendors to find a comparable solution. In the process, Brentwood Technology was introduced to Nile, a company that provides Network as a Service.

The Nile solution is a non-traditional way of providing network services to an organization.  The switches and access points required for the network are provided and maintained by Nile. The support to maintain and configure switches is included in our annual subscription. 

The Technology Department has implemented and been testing a proof of concept at the library for the last several months.  The proof-of-concept has been successful and Technology would like to move ahead with purchasing the services.  The Nile solution will be implemented over several months throughout the City to ensure continuity in daily operations.

This solution will replace the cost of purchasing switches every six years.  The solution also reduces the amount of staff time spent on configuring and repairing switches.  There will also be a reduction in contracting outside support to assist with maintaining our network.

The Nile Network as a Service will be purchased from World Wide Technology under the OMNIA purchasing cooperative (R210407).

Please contact the Technology Director with any questions.