DATE: June 15, 2026
TO: Mayor and Members of the City Council
VIA: Stefan Chatwin, City Manager
FROM: Rob Lasky, IT Manager
Diane Pitman, Administrative Services Director
DEPARTMENT: Administrative Services
SUBJECT: PURCHASE OF MOBILE DATA COMPUTER (MDC)
REPLACEMENTS FOR POLICE PATROL CARS FROM CDW-G
IN THE AMOUNT OF $67,339.23
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt the attached resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute an agreement with CDW Government LLC for the purchase of Mobile Data Computer (MDC) replacements for Police patrol cars in the amount of $67,339.23.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Mobile Data Computers currently in the Police patrol cars were purchased in 2018 and have fulfilled their useful lives. The Information Technology (IT) Division recommends that the City Council approve the purchase of MDC replacements from CDW Government LLC.
BACKGROUND
MDCs are ruggedized computers which are able to withstand the harsh conditions of a vehicle. The current MDCs have performed well for seven (7) years but are now starting to break down more often. Also, due to their age, the units are unable to run Windows
11. The current MDCs were assigned an expected service life of six (6) years based on historical use. There are twelve (12) MDCs installed in Police vehicles. We also retain one (1) spare unit kept in IT for testing and for swapping out when a car unit fails.
ANALYSIS
The MDCs are installed in all of the Foster City Police Department (FCPD) marked Patrol vehicles. FCPD personnel utilize these systems while conducting routine and emergency police activities. They are used to receive information about calls for service, to access critical person and vehicle data in the field, and to enter data into the Police Records Management System. These computers provide mapping services which allows for vehicle tracking, locations of calls for service, and the nearest police unit. These systems also allow FCPD officers access into all the data warehouses routinely used by law enforcement. With these uses in mind, the MDCs are considered an important tool for the Police Department. Replacing the units when they reach the end of their useful life allows the FCPD to maintain the reliability and performance levels they have come to expect from their MDCs.
IT requested demo units of various sizes and form factors from three (3) leading vendors of MDCs and placed them in the Police Line-Up Room so officers were able to interact with them. After their hands-on testing, their preference was for the Panasonic laptop model.
A Request for Proposals (RFP) was released on May 20, 2026 for Panasonic laptops.
The only proposal received by the due date was from CDW-G.
The proposal is for equipment only. Installation will be performed by the vendor that does all of the patrol car outfitting (Priority 1 Public Safety Equipment Installation Inc.).
California Environmental Quality Act
Not Applicable
FISCAL IMPACT
The total cost of this purchase is $67,339.23 and is allocated in the Information Technology Replacement Fund (Account 504-0160-419 4388) in FY 2025-2026 for this purpose.
CITY COUNCIL VISION, MISSION, AND VALUE/PRIORITY AREA
Innovation
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1 – Resolution
Attachment 2 – Order Form
Attachment 3 – Agreement