City boosts antivirus protection for storage servers

Summary#

Montréal city council adopted a position supporting an additional purchase from Compugen inc. for Trend Micro antivirus software; this is a decision on the City’s position, not the agglomeration council’s final decision. It would add $129,606.13 to the contract, bringing its total to $2,649,539.42, taxes included. City staff say the goal is to protect existing and newly identified critical storage servers.

  • The added purchase is for ServerProtect for Storage, including support and updates, for 23 months.
  • The existing contract was awarded to Compugen without a call for tenders, through the Centre d’acquisitions gouvernementales (CAG, the government purchasing centre).
  • The City’s position authorizes its cybersecurity director to sign documents related to the contract and says the spending must be charged as set out in the file.
  • The agglomeration council makes the final decision at a later meeting.

What it means for you#

  • City staff and municipal services: The purchase would add storage-server protection to the City’s Trend Micro antivirus tools. City staff say it is meant to protect data and critical servers; that result is not guaranteed by the decision.
  • Taxpayers: The added contract spending would be charged partly to capital budgets and partly to the City’s operating budget.
  • Residents and businesses: The decision does not directly change public services, fees, taxes, or residents’ and businesses’ legal obligations.

Money#

The proposed additional spending is $129,606.13, taxes included; the materials do not give an overall cost estimate beyond the contract amounts.

  • $94,840.10, taxes included ($86,601.65 net of tax rebates), is for the added feature and its support. It would be charged to the City’s 2026–2035 capital program and financed through borrowing bylaws for agglomeration and local responsibilities. The mixed investment would be allocated 48.7% to the agglomeration.
  • $34,766.03, taxes included ($31,746.02 net of tax rebates), is for support renewal and would be charged to the IT department’s operating budget.
  • The original contract runs from October 1, 2024, to November 24, 2027. The added purchase is budgeted across 2026 and 2027.

What is unclear#

  • The materials do not say how many storage systems or servers the added licences cover.
  • They do not give details for measuring whether the added protection works as intended.
  • They do not compare the purchase price with other suppliers’ prices. The staff summary says the amount matches the CAG catalogue price.

Case for#

  • The purchase would add protection against viruses and spyware for network storage systems, including newly identified critical servers.
  • City staff say the CAG purchasing arrangement offers discounted prices, product choices, and checks on orders.
  • The added purchase would extend support within the existing contract rather than set out a separate procurement.

Case against#

  • The added spending increases a contract awarded without a call for tenders; the materials do not provide a price comparison with other suppliers.
  • The materials do not specify how many systems are covered or how the City will assess the added protection’s results.