All bid deadlines are 11:59pm Pacific Time the date of the bid deadline listed unless otherwise noted.

school Community ISD
IFCB Posted : Oct 29, 2015
Bid Deadline : Thursday, Nov 26, 2015

Questions Due By : Thursday, Nov 19, 2015
Applicant Address : Nevada, TX 75173
IFCB ID : 160002800

IFCB Requirements :
 ·         All Questions and Bids must be submitted using the on-line IFCB system. If for some reason the system is down before the respective deadline, please email your bid to info@crwconsulting.com or fax it to 918.445.0049. Bids or questions submitted in this fashion will be disqualified if the on-line system is active at the time of submission.
 
·         Bidder must agree to participate in USF Program (AKA “E-rate”) for the corresponding funding year.
 
·         Please include the correct Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN) on your bid.
 
·         By submitting a bid, bidder certifies that the bidder does have a valid (non-red light status) SPIN for the E-rate program at the time of submission. Should the Applicant discover that the bidder is on red light status, or if the FCC classifies the bidder as on red-light status before work is performed and invoices are paid, the contract will be null and void and the applicant will have no payment obligations to the bidder.
 
·         Bidder is expected to provide the lowest corresponding price per E-rate rules.  See http://www.usac.org/sl/service-providers/step02/lowest-corresponding-price.aspx for details.
 
·         Contracts must not prohibit SPIN changes.
 
·         Bidder must agree to provide the Applicant the choice of discount methods (SPI or BEAR).
 
·         Bidder will be automatically disqualified if the District determines that the bidding company has offered any employee of the District any individual gift of more than $20 or gifts totaling more than $50 within a 12 month period.
 
·         All contracts awarded will be contingent upon E-rate funding and final board approval.  The applicant may choose to do all or part of the project upon funding notification.
 
·         All contracts awarded under this IFCB bidding process may be voluntarily renewed by the applicant, upon written notice to the provider, for five consecutive one year terms.
 
 
·         E-rate rules require applicants to evaluate the cost of eligible goods and services, and to cost-allocate out the amount for ineligible services from their funding request. If your company will be bidding bundled data and voice plans, please identify the amount to be cost-allocated out for the ineligible data, text messaging functions or other bundled ineligible services.
 
·         E-rate rules require applicants to evaluate the cost of eligible goods and services, and to cost-allocate out the amount for ineligible services from their funding request. If your company will be bidding local phone service, please identify the amount to be cost-allocated out for the ineligible services - DID lines, voice mail, caller ID, inside wire maintenance, 900 call blocking, or other bundled ineligible services.
 
·         E-rate rules require applicants to evaluate the cost of eligible goods and services, and to cost-allocate out the amount for ineligible services from their funding request. If your company will be bidding internet access service, please identify the amount to be cost-allocated out for the ineligible services – email service, web hosting, content filtering, or other bundled ineligible services.
 
·         Bidders for all services and products (except for tariffed telecommunications services or month-to-month services which do not have a related contract) must also submit a contract for products or services.
 
·         If the Applicant is requesting bids for equipment with specific make and model numbers listed, the Applicant will also accept bids for functionally equivalent equipment.
 
·         SERVICE PROVIDERS ARE REQUIRED TO BID THE ENTIRE PROJECT.  BIDS FOR INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS OF THE PROJECT WILL BE DISQUALIFIED.

·         DISQUALIFICATION FACTOR: Vendors are required to submit bids via the template “Internal connections – Template V15” or “Basic Maintenance Template V15” for each individual school that is receiving equipment and a separate template for all shared equipment.  Please name each template for the name of the school and project.  Example:  “Smith Elementary School Wireless Project” or “Wireless project shared equipment for all schools.”  Vendors that do not submit bids in the required template format will be disqualified from the process.

 

 


Services and Equipment Requested :
Hosted VOIP – Applicant currently has 24 phone lines, 253 phones/handsets and expects any growth to be less than five additional phone lines. The area code and prefix for all buildings that receive VOIP service is (972) 843.  A circuit for this service is needed to connect to the outside world.  Companies that bid VOIP service are required to bid a separate circuit for
VOIP connectivity if the applicant’s current Internet circuit is not appropriate for your VOIP service. Bids submitted without pricing for a separate circuit will indicate to the applicant that no additional connectivity is necessary to allow your service to function properly. Please include separate pricing for any installation, activation, and/or initial configuration costs.  Please also include separate pricing for maintenance and technical support. 

Internet Access – Applicant current has 200Mb bandwidth and is considering upgrading up to 500Mb bandwidth.  Please provide pricing for 200Mb, 300Mb, 400Mb, and 500Mb bandwidths.  The terminating address for this circuit is 615 FM 1138 North, Nevada, TX 75173; (972) 843.  Please include separate pricing for any installation, activation, and/or initial configuration costs.  Please also include separate pricing for maintenance and technical support.   If your company will be bidding internet access service, please identify the amount to be cost-allocated out for the ineligible services – email service, web hosting, content filtering, or other bundled ineligible services.  Bidders who are not eligible to provide OUSF support will be disqualified. 

Internet Access – Applicant current has 100Mb bandwidth and is considering upgrading up to 500Mb bandwidth.  Please provide pricing for 200Mb, 300Mb, 400Mb, and 500Mb bandwidths.  The terminating address for this circuit is 801 Presidents Blvd, Lavon, TX 75166; (972) 843.  Please include separate pricing for any installation, activation, and/or initial configuration costs. Please also include separate pricing for maintenance and technical support.  If your company will be bidding internet access service, please identify the amount to be cost-allocated out for the ineligible services – email service, web hosting, content filtering, or other bundled ineligible services.  Bidders who are not eligible to provide OUSF support will be disqualified. 

CATEGORY TWO DISQUALIFICATION FACTORS:
·         Vendors are required to submit bids via the template “Internal connections – Template V15 – 1” or “Basic Maintenance Template V15 – 1” for each individual school that is receiving equipment and a separate template for all shared equipment.  Please name each template for the name of the school and project.  Example:  “Smith Elementary School Wireless Project” or “Wireless project shared equipment for all schools.”  Vendors that do not submit bids in the required template format will be disqualified from the process. 
 
·         SERVICE PROVIDERS ARE REQUIRED TO BID THE ENTIRE C2 PROJECT BIDS FOR INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS  WILL BE DISQUALIFIED.
 
CATEGORY TWO VOLUNTARY WALKTHROUGHS
·         Tuesday, November 10 or Thursday, November 12, from 9am – 11am or Noon – 1pm
·         Tuesday, November 17 or Thursday, November 19, from 9am – 11am or Noon – 1pm
For all dates meet at 615 North FM 1138, Nevada, TX 75173
 
CATEGORY TWO PROJECT DETAILS:
Below is a list of equipment the applicant would like to purchase as a single project.  Please include pricing for installation, activation, and/or initial configuration costs.  Initial configuration bids should include “Train the Trainer” services.  We would like for you to submit your bids in your normal format – a word/excel/PDF as you normally would (in addition to the required templates).  The winning vendor will be required to complete, for each school (and all shared equipment), the 2016 USAC C2 Templates when they become available. 
Switches – Approx 52 total HP 2920 Switches or functional equivalent
·         Ne Smith Elementary – approx 14
·         McClendon Elementary – approx 14
·         Edge Middle – approx 14
·         Community High School – approx 10
UPS/Battery Backup – Approx 34 total Tripp-Lite or APC or functional equivalent
·         Ne Smith Elementary – approx 8
·         McClendon Elementary – approx 8
·         Edge Middle – approx 8
·         Community High School – approx 10

There is an additional document associated with this IFCB. Please click the buttons to download the document.

InternalConnectionsTemplateV15124.xlsm

Questions Received with Applicant Answers   ( Ask Questions? )




Will the school be filing for MIBS for the first year after deployment?

Answer:
Unknown at this time

Is the district currently utilizing a Hosted VOIP service? Is the district looking for just lines at this time or lines and phones? What phones are currently being used by the district? Are they the same district-wide? Will the district provide a network topology/diagram showing internet connection(s) and any fiber or point to point connections between schools? Is the district utilizing DID numbers? If so, how many? How is the district currently handling fax?

Answer:
 Yes, the district is using a hosted VOIP

We are considering a phone overhaul

We use Polycom SoundPoint 331 for staff members and VVX 500 for administration

We can provide some basic diagram showing our connections

We have about 25 DID numbers at this time

We have fax services through our current provider to send and receive

Are these 24 or 48 port switches?

Answer:
 48 port POE switches preferred. Will consider 24 port POE as last resort

Did the district purchase the Polycom phones currently in use? If replacing the phones, does the district desire a similar replacement for the two user groups? How many SP 331 and VVX 500 are in use? Is the fax service in use an e-fax service used from/to the desktop?

Answer:
 Yes, the district owns the phones currently in use.

Rather keep the phones if at all possible. If not, yes a desired replacement will be evaluated

Please see updated model > count > and targeted user:

 

Linksys/Cisco SPA112 > 6 > Used to convert analog line into ethernet at the copiers

Panasonic KX-TGP550       > 1 >Administration secretary

Polycom SoundPointIP 331 > 176 > Classrooms and rooms

Polycom SoundPointIP 550 > 12 > Secretaries

Polycom VVX 500 > 20 > Principal and Director level

 

Yes, the fax service can be used from the desktop.

It appears there are open time slots for the voluntary walkthrough, do we need to make an appointment or arrive between the allotted time slots?

Answer:
 You should arrive at either 9 am or noon on 11/10 or 11/17.

1. What runtime are they looking for ? Same for each site ? 2. I will need to know the model numbers of these 52 HP2920 switches that are being quoted so we can determine the UPS power and connectivity, if that is even feasible. I would hate to round off and be inaccurate. 3. Are the switches POE switches ? If POE, how many ports per site ? cameras/access points/phones per site or IDF ? Are we building the POE at full capacity, utilizing all 24 or 48 port per switch ? 4. Anything else to be housed in the UPS ? 5. Are the existing racks floor mount or wall mounted ? any depth considerations ? 2 post or 4 post racks? 6. Are the UPS ‘s to be online or line-interactive ? 7. Page 2 cutoffs the number of UPS. Are there 10 UPS to be located at the Community High School site ? 8. Please confirm how many switches on each UPS. Page 2 shows 14 HP switches and 8 UPS at McClendon Elementary School, for example. 9. Are you currently 20amps or 30 amp circuits? Thank you.

Answer:
 Let me re-word the questions

 

Swtiches:

 

HP 2920 all ports PoE. Preferably 48 ports so we use less amounts of switches per rack. We prefer a sfp+ (10gb) for the fiber up-link. This will help with future growth/support.

 

 

UPS:

 

We are looking for 1U or 2U max rack mounted UPS units by Tripp-Lite or APC (but all of them must be the same brand). Preferable 1U if possible. They need to be 1000VA (preferred and adequate) which will handle the switches we are looking for just fine. They need to be online battery units as opposed to inline batteries. We don't need management card or expansion ports. They will have to plugs to regular 110V/15A outlets.

 

 

General answers for both:

 

We have for the most part 2 post wall mounted racks in the closets. That's why we are looking for a high port density switch and one ups to support the given switch.

 

The numbers given are per campus for each item.

We noticed in the RFP it says you have 253 phones, but the phone counts provided in the response section comes to 209. Which number would you rather be quoted? If 253 are to be quoted, do you want to go on the assumption that the remaining 45 phones are model Soundpoint IP331?

Answer:
 209 is probably the correct number. 253 is out of the phone system and that includes some lines that were provisioned, but not deployed.

1. Can a network diagram be posted or otherwise made available for this IFCB? It would be extremely helpful in determining how each site is currently connected. 2. Can you provide details on the modules - especially fiber modules being used currently on the 8900 core switch at the Middle school? 3. How is the remote location (Elementary school) connected to the wide area network? 4. Can you please specify the type of fiber being used currently at each site? 5. What is your expectation for installation and configuration?

Answer:
 We don't have a network diagram at this time. The overall connections are as follows:

 

NeSmith Elementary is connected to the Central Hub (located at Edge Middle School)​ via a WAN (WIRELESS area network) provided by a third party vendor via their network switching equipment that converts the wireless into ethernet and then to our network. The current connection speed is 100 mbps.

 

The core switch will be replaced and will handle SFP and SFP+ modules in addition to regular copper ethernet.

 

My expectation for installation and configuration is basically that the vendor will install and configure the equipment and leave it up and running, with a phone number for tech support, and a clear understanding of how all the parts work, including proper documentation.

Is the fiber multimode or single mode?

Answer:
 We currently use MM (both aqua and orange wires if that helps) with LC connector on the switch(es).