Paradise embraces computer age with trifecta of technology purchases

By Mark Squibb/October 21, 2022

Paradise council has approved a number of motions that will help the town’s transition into the increasingly electronic future, although staff won’t be humming around town hall on hoverboards just yet.

The motions, approved several weeks ago, include the purchase of the Diamond Surcharge Module and Professional Services Bundle.

Councilor Elizabeth Laurie explained the Town is in the process of implanting new municipal planning software, called Enterprise Diamonds  by QuickBooks.

“The purchase of the professional service bundle will provide the town with 24-hours of support for smart services such as year-end processing,” said Laurie.

The purchase of the Diamond Surcharge Module is supposed to make the implementation process smoother.

Council approved the purchase of both services, which ran at a combined cost of $ 9,570, plus HST.

Next, council voted to award a tender for the supply and delivery of two camera servers and UPS.

“The two servers that run the town’s security camera system are approximately eight years old and need replacement,” said Laurie.

The Town issued the tender in August and received three bids. Council voted to award the bid to the lowest qualified bidder, Open Storage Solutions at a cost of $19,165.

The Town budgeted $26,000 for the project this year.

Council also awarded a tender for the supply and delivery of new IT hardware.

“As part of the Town’s IT and asset management strategy, computer equipment is replaced on a regular basis to ensure adequate performance and functionality is maintained for our operations,” said Laurie. ‘So, the Town issued a tender for the 2022 computer purchase plan in August, and we received two bids.”

The Town awarded the contract to the lowest qualified bidder, Driver’s Technology Inc., at a cost of $33,900, plus HST.

All three motions were approved unanimously.

Laurie herself was attending the meeting remotely via conference call — a thing in and of itself that would have been a technological marvel to councils of old.