While the headline seems like a lot of money, it makes me realize how thin the margins are becoming on these tech services.

Full stack is still safe right?

Whilst $176k of IT services wouldn't get you far, it would likely be enough to buy user seats on a SaaS product. Not to mention this software probably sucks and there is a big opportunity cost with detectives wasting time on using dated software. If you spend $2M on software that saves you $3M in payroll on overtime because your detectives are wasting hours per week on case management, then $176k isn't a bargain anymore.

I worked on a project where we were trying to modernize it with a fancy web UX. All the old timer users (people working at the insurance company for 20+ years) were used to working with the old version that was mainframe-based where they'd be opening flat files, and entering data, etc. they were really efficient at it. They knew all the keyboard shortcuts, etc. These weren't educated people, but by rote learned their jobs, well. They hated the new web-based, fancy UX that was built for them. So, I could see how the old-school accountants couple probably be pretty efficient at Lotus....

i wonder whether some of those vendors (may be some one who already has hands deep in that city IT pockets) gave the tip to the reporter and thus it is a "submarine" of an article to force the police department to upgrade and to provide PR cover for it.