Title
Authorize the County Purchasing Agent or designee to execute the non-standard agreement with Armada Systems Inc., incorporating the terms of the National Association of State Procurement Officials Master Contract Number AR2472 with the State of Utah via California Participating Addendum #7-17-70-40-05, to purchase annual subscription to Armada’s Commander Operating System platform Armada Atlas for Starlink for the period of July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029, for a total contract amount of $340,412.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
Authorize the County Purchasing Agent or designee to execute the non-standard agreement with Armada Systems Inc., incorporating the terms of the National Association of State Procurement Officials Master Contract Number AR2472 with the State of Utah via California Participating Addendum #7-17-70-40-05, to purchase annual subscription to Armada’s Commander Operating System platform Armada Atlas for Starlink for the period of July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029, for a total contract amount of $340,412.
SUMMARY:
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) is using a Cooperative Agreement, which is a third-party entity who performed the Request For Proposal (RFP) bidding process, while adhering to similar or more stringent bidding process that the County would have performed from usually a metropolitan location to obtain better pricing than the County may have obtained if we had gone out to bid ourselves. Cooperatives allow for the County to piggy-back off their subsequent agreements.
The Sheriff’s current solution, Starlink, provides reliable high-bandwidth connectivity in remote areas where traditional networks have limited or no coverage. Its ability to operate independently of local infrastructure makes it essential during major incidents. However, each Starlink device functions as a standalone unit with its own fixed data plan. Starlink is limited to individual per-device plans.
As our reliance on Starlink grows, we need an enterprise solution such as Armada to centrally manage, monitor, and deploy centralized firmware updates units and pool data plans to allow for cost effective deployments. Without Armada, each terminal operates independently, creating inefficiencies, potential inconsistent configurations with limited visibility during emergencies. Armada, which is an enterprise solution, closes the gap with Starlink’s limitations and provides a single dashboard for all terminals, usage history, firmware status and location tracking.
In short, Starlink provides critical connectivity, while Armada delivers centralized management to support SWAT activations, Search and Rescue operations, large community events, and multi-agency deployments.
DISSCUSSION:
Current Starlink Native Tools are per-device and do not provide a unified fleet dashboard. They are designed for a single user or small deployments. Armada, which is an enterprise solution, provides a centralized dashboard for multiple Starlink terminals across multi-sites with remote configurations and control. There are asset tracking, alerts and health monitoring tools. Starlink provides a basic account without any of these enterprise audit logging making Armada a better solution which is designed for Role-based access, Audits and Security compliance. They are SOC 2 government compliant.
With our current solution, there is no sharing of data, no pausing of lines with inactivity and the costs for overages fees are likely with mission-critical communications due to the inability to pool data. Armada addresses these issues by providing the ability to share data, pause devices during inactivity and has the potential to eliminate overage fees due to shared data and centralized managements with alerts.
The vendor is honoring pricing pursuant to National Association of State Procurement Officials Master Contract Number AR2474 with the State of Utah via California Participating Addendum #7-17-70-40-05.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT/COMMITTEE ACTIONS:
The Office of County Counsel has reviewed and advised on this Agreement as to legal form. The Auditor-Controller has reviewed and does not agree with the nonstandard payment terms.
FINANCING:
This contract was included in the FY2026-2027 Recommended Budget. There will be no increase in the General Fund Contribution resulting from this Board action.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS:
The proposed recommended action demonstrates the County’s commitment to provide public safety in the County of Monterey.
__ Well-Being and Quality of Life
__ Sustainable Infrastructure for the Present and Future
X Safe and Resilient Communities
__ Diverse and Thriving Economy
__ Dynamic Organization and Employer of Choice
Prepared by: Arthur Curtright, Management Analyst, ext. #3708
Reviewed by: Eric Bixler, Chief Deputy, ext. #3887
Reviewed by: Keith Boyd, Undersheriff, ext. #3859
Approved by: Tina Nieto, Sheriff/Coroner, ext. #3750
Attachment:
Carahsoft State of Utah Cooperative Master Contract AR2472
NASPO AR2472 Reseller License Agreement
NASPO Carahsoft Reseller Listing
State of Utah California Participating Addendum
Quote #65552953