FRCOG Request for Information Municipal Community Anchor Institutions Internet Service Provider

Transcription

1 FRCOG Request for Information Municipal Community Anchor Institutions Internet Service Provider Submitted By: Contact: Thomas J. Poulin, Client Solutions Manager (413)

2 Franklin Regional Council of Governments January 25, 2012 Prepared By Thomas J. Poulin, Client Solutions Manager As a registered Internet Service Provider (ISP) with the AXIA, MassBroadband123 network, the following document is Crocker Communications response for information regarding Crocker Communications products and services. Involved since the inception of the program, the Crocker team is knowledgeable about the MassBroadband123 network and its possibilities for municipal Community Anchor Institutions (CAI). To show their commitment to the project, Crocker was the first customer to purchase and to utilize the new network for their own business. In addition, Crocker connected the first non-isp commercial customer at Monarch Place in Springfield, MA using the MassBroadband fiber and high-speed Internet access. The Crocker suite of services is a perfect match with the new high-speed capabilities of 1100 mile fiber MassBroadband123 network. Crocker is excited about the opportunity to provide their services to the CAI s in western and north central Massachusetts. Requested Business Information and Service Offerings VII.1 Business Operations 1.1. Name and headquarters location of RFI respondent company. Crocker Communications, Inc. 101 Munson Street Greenfield MA 01301

3 1.2. Brief description of company and each of the services that can be provided including Internet, telephone and video, if applicable. With prime locations in Greenfield and Springfield, MA, the Crocker Family locally owns and operates one of New England's leading telecommunications businesses. From its beginning as Crocker Telephone Answering Service in 1956, the company has constantly evolved, always offering customers state-of-the-art technology delivered with award winning customer service. In 1994 the Internet Division was formed, providing access to the Internet as well as network consulting and installation services. In 2001, Crocker Communications anticipated business needs and added Call Center and Colocation services, both of which have been widely embraced by our customer base. Crocker has always offered a wide range of comprehensive and diverse connectivity options, however, the focus on Internet and high-speed networks can be done using the fiber of the MassBroadband123 network where it is available. The Crocker product line also includes web and hosting, colocation services, network cabling and certifications and commercial electrical installations, as well as managed phone service/systems delivered over VoIP. In 2012, Crocker was awarded as a vendor for the new state contract ITT-46. They were awarded three categories for data, voice and managed services. Please identify which of the following is true: Our company has signed an interconnection agreement to use the Axia MassBroadband123 network. Yes Our company has signed a letter of intent and is interested in offering services. Yes Our company is interested in becoming an Axia MassBroadband123 Participating Service Provider. Yes 1.4. Provide evidence that the company is in good standing and qualified to conduct business in Massachusetts. Please include any relevant documentation. Documentation provided.

4 1.5. Does your company presently provide services to customers in western Massachusetts? If not, where does your company currently provide services? Yes 1.6. Is your company currently offering services through the Massachusetts Statewide Contract to governmental bodies? Yes 1.7. Describe your company s experience providing E-Rate services for schools and libraries. Also include whether your company intends to provide E-Rate services for schools and libraries in western Massachusetts and whether your company currently has a Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN#). Crocker Communications is a registered E-Rate Service Provider and has worked with the program for many years. Crocker is very familiar with what services are eligible for E-Rate funding and the differences between E-Rate priority 1 and priority 2 services. Crocker has and continues to work with many schools in the area with their services and E-Rate. Crocker has two SPIN numbers. Crocker Communications, Inc.: Crocker Telecommunications: Describe the support services to be provided customers (e.g., is there 24 hour/7 day a week access, automated or service representative access, in-house services or contracted, etc.) Attach a sample service agreement. Crocker support services are operated with an in-house staffed call center with customer access provided either through phone or . Crocker tier 1 support staff is trained to respond to end user questions regarding IP connectivity, , phone and other services. The tier 2 support staff is trained in the hardware server and software systems support required to fix, change or update customer needs. Normal business hours of operation for Crocker support are Monday through Friday from 8am to 8pm. On-call support is available on a 24 hour/ 7 day a week basis Describe emergency response protocols and whether a minimum service disruption guarantee is available to customers. Crocker is a 24 hour/7 day a week telephone answering service. Telephone answering service live operators will page an escalation list of on-call support technicians in the event of an emergency. All Crocker critical infrastructure systems are also network and environmentally monitored and will also automatically trigger SMS pages to an escalation list of on-call technicians. Reference attached Internet Service and VoIP SLA for disruption guarantees.

5 1.10.Describe the billing services (e.g.in-house or out sourced, online payment allowed, etc.). Attach a sample invoice with the applicable taxes and surcharges included. Crocker billing services are all in-house. Crocker does not currently offer online payment but does provide an invoice option to their customers. There are no taxes for state agencies and currently there are no applicable surcharges. The only billing item currently added to an invoice for voice service is regarding e911 fees. Also, for customers who purchase off the state contract, a 1% state contract administration fee is added. Crocker does not charge FUSF at this time, but may in the future Number of years in business Provide evidence of financial stability (e.g. the cover letter from last audit). Crocker has not been required to have an audit performed so this data is not available Provide three relevant client references served within the past three (3) years, including a name and contact information for each client. Deerfield Academy contact: Wendy Shepherd title: Director of ITS phone number: wshepherd@deerfield.edu L-3 KEO (formerly known as Kollmorgen) contact: Pricilla Paquette title: Manager of Administrative Services phone number: pricilla.paquette@l-3com.com ServiceNet contact: Ken Narkiewicz title: Director of Information Technology phone number: x knarkiewicz@servicenet.org Qualifications, background and experience of the account executive and key staff assigned to this project. Crocker Management and Personnel Matthew Crocker, President and Technical Director , matthew@corp.crocker.com / 23 years, Greenfield/Springfield Tier 3 VoIP Administrator Support

6 Kathryn Whitney, Vice President of Operations / Billing , kwhitney@corp.crocker.com / 21 years, Greenfield Department staffed personnel: 4 employees Thomas Poulin, Client Solutions Manager / Sales (413) , tpoulin@corp.crocker.com / 17 years, Springfield Department staffed personnel: 3 employees Jillian Henry, Operations Manager for Telephone Answering Service & Internet (413) , jhenry@corp.crocker.com / 14 years, Greenfield Department staffed personnel: 26 employees James Crocker, Vice President, Network Services / Cabling and Electrical , jcrocker@corp.crocker.com / 13 years, Greenfield/Springfield Department staffed personnel: 6 employees Jack Cominoli, Infrastructure and Network Services Manager (413) , jcominoli@corp.cocker.com / 7 years, Springfield Department staffed personnel: 5 employees Henry Wang, Lead Network Administrator (413) , henryw@corp.crocker.com / 15 years, Springfield Colleen Maloney, Human Resource Director (413) , cmaloney@corp.crocker.com / 15 years, Greenfield Company s primary contact person name, , and telephone for this RFI response. Thomas Poulin, Client Solutions Manager / Sales (413) , tpoulin@corp.crocker.com VII.2 CAI Services 2.1. Specifically describe the geographic area in which your company is planning to offer services to CAIs (e.g. all CAIs on the Axia MassBroadband123 network or select CAIs in specific municipalities). Please provide a list of the municipalities in your company s intended service area and specifically identify if there are any CAIs your company will not serve in any identified municipality. Crocker Communications is planning on offering services to any and all CAIs connected to the Axia MassBroadband123 network.

7 2.2. Describe the suite of telephony/voice services offered. Hosted Telephony A. Hosted Phone System (PBX) service Crocker Hosted PBX is a full featured phone solution that provides telephone communications with state-of-the-art VoIP technology delivering reliable voice services that are flexible enough to meet the needs of any organization. The Crocker Hosted PBX service is a perfect solution for any organization looking to replace their existing phone system (PBX). The service eliminates the capital cost of purchasing another PBX. With the Hosted PBX service, the organization s new PBX would now be located off-premise at Crocker s state-of-the-art datacenter in Springfield, MA and configured with fully-redundant and industry-leading hardware. In addition, the service is designed to work over on an IP network and not traditional phone lines. Therefore, the speed and versatility available on the MassBroadband123 network makes for a perfect fit for Hosted PBX service. Crocker Hosted PBX customers have a one-to-shop for supporting both their phone system and their phone service. Several non-proprietary IP phones are supported with the Crocker Hosted PBX service. Crocker can sell, rent or lease a variety of Polycom IP phones all supporting high-definition voice. Benefits of Hosted PBX: Low Maintenance -- No expensive on-premise equipment to maintain Long Term Savings -- No more leases or expensive on-site technician visits Connectivity -- Find Me/Follow Me feature sends calls to alternate locations Flexibility -- Users are moved, added, changed on the fly Enhanced Productivity -- Work remotely and spend less time commuting Disaster Recovery -- Phone service is rerouted and available instantly Complete Feature Listing: B. SIP Trunking Service Crocker SIP trunking service provides businesses the ability to take advantage of their already installed IP-PBX phone system with a simple and cost effective alternative phone service solution using VoIP. Benefits of SIP Trunking Scalable Adding and removing call capacity is easy Predictable Budgeting Simple and standard pricing plans to best match and grow with your specific business needs. Disaster Recovery Available solutions for automatic call redirection. Cost Effective Converge data and voice on one managed network.

8 Features of SIP Trunking Outstanding Support - Crocker Telecommunications is a local phone company. Flexible Codec options available for bandwidth optimization. Simple Smooth installation from remote interop testing for compatibility. Phone Number - Retain all your phone numbers and also get new local numbers (DIDs). Call Quality Voice traffic provided over a managed Crocker network Describe the suite of Internet/Broadband services offered. Broadband Internet Crocker Broadband-5: 5 Mbps/5 Mbps Internet Access included. Broadband-5 is Best Effort Bandwidth. Gig-E point-to-cloud fiber service capable of up to 5 Mbps throughput. Crocker Broadband-10: 10 Mbps/10 Mbps Internet Access included. Broadband-10 is Best Effort Bandwidth. Gig-E point-to-cloud fiber service capable of up to 10 Mbps throughput. Crocker Broadband-20: 20 Mbps/20 Mbps Internet Access included. Broadband-20 is Best Effort Bandwidth. Gig-E point-to-cloud fiber service capable of up to 20 Mbps throughput. Ethernet WAN and Internet Crocker Ethernet-50: Internet Access purchased separately. Guaranteed Bandwidth. Gig-E fiber service capable of 50 Mbps throughput. Includes VPLS VPN hand-off from Crocker to MBI for Internet. Crocker Ethernet-50 (Point to WAN): Internet Access N/A. Guaranteed Bandwidth. Gig-E fiber service capable of 50 Mbps throughput. Does not include VPLS VPN connection to Crocker for Internet. Crocker Ethernet-100: Internet Access purchased separately. Guaranteed Bandwidth. Gig-E fiber service capable of 100 Mbps throughput. Includes VPLS VPN hand-off from Crocker to MBI for Internet. Crocker Ethernet-100 (Point to WAN): Internet Access N/A. Guaranteed Bandwidth. Gig-E fiber service capable of 100 Mbps throughput. Does not include VPLS VPN connection to Crocker for Internet. Crocker Ethernet-1000: Internet Access purchased separately. Guaranteed Bandwidth. Gig-E fiber service capable of 1000 Mbps throughput. Includes VPLS VPN hand-off from Crocker to MBI for Internet. Crocker Ethernet-1000 (Point to WAN): Internet Access N/A. Guaranteed Bandwidth. Gig-E fiber service capable of 1000 Mbps throughput. Does not include VPLS VPN connection to Crocker for Internet. Internet Access 1 Mbps: Internet Access sold in 1 Mbps increments. Applicable to Ethernet-50/100/1000 product lines. Broadband 5/10/20 products include Internet Access with the circuit.

9 2.4. Describe any other services offered (such as data transfer, networking, cable/video, data storage, and off site server /data center offerings, etc.) Colocation Service * State-of-the-art data center located at 1 Federal St., Springfield MA. * Full and partial cabinet as well as single machine packages available. Hosting A. POP/IMAP domain with web mail. (Included with Web Hosting packages) B. Collaboration (Calendar/Contact/Task Synchronization) C. Encryption Service Web Hosting * Linux Web Hosting with Plesk Control Panel. Amount of disk space, addresses and SSL included with different package levels. Off-Site Backup * Support for numerous operating systems with web-based and software client options. * Sold in 5GB increments Telephone Answering Service A. Live operator 24/7/365 for offices without a receptionist, after hours, overflow calls during busy times, holidays, lunch, meetings and severe weather. B. Encrypted Messaging Service delivery. Network Cabling and Electrical Crocker Communications Electrical Division is a leader in wiring, IT infrastructure design and network cabling installations. Managed personally by Jamie Crocker for the past decade, Crocker's licensed professionals have built a reputation of delivering diverse technical solutions to businesses throughout the Pioneer Valley. VII.3 Services for Municipal and School Facilities Not Connected as CAIs 3.1. Are you willing and able to connect to other municipal and school facilities in the Axia MassBroadband123 service area that are not designated CAIs and do not have a direct fiber connection to the network provided by MBI? If yes, describe: Yes

10 Technology to be used (e.g. fiber, unlicensed wireless, licensed wireless, DSL, cable). ADSL, T1, Cable, Licensed Wireless, Fiber Expected upload and download speeds of each deployed technology. ADSL Maximum upload speed is 768k. Available download speeds are 1.0 Mbps, 3.0 Mbps, 5.0 Mbps and 7.1 Mbps. T1 1.5 Mbps upload and download. T1 circuits can be bonded for increased throughput. Maximum bonded T1 throughput would be 8 bonded T1 circuits for 12 Mbps / 12 Mbps. Cable Available speeds from 2 Mbps to 100 Mbps. Fiber Same products and speeds described in section 2.3 with additional special construction costs from Axia. Similar fiber speeds may be available through Crocker s CLEC (Competitive Local Exchange Carrier) network using Verizon TLS and Optical Networking services. Licensed Wireless Available speeds from 2 Mbps to 100 Mbps. **Speeds and availability of technologies are determined on a case-by-case basis Describe infrastructure build requirements and associated one-time or recurring cost to municipality/school. One-time construction costs would be determined on a case-by-case basis Identify end user equipment needed to make a connection and associated one-time or recurring cost to municipality/school. One-time cost for a router, firewall or layer-3 capable network would be required. The vendor equipment specifications would need to be capable of supporting bandwidth throughput purchased. VII.4 Services to Residential, Commercial and Industrial Users 4.1. Will your company offer services to non-cai designated customers? If yes, describe the customers in the community to be offered services (e.g. resident, commercial, etc.) Yes. Crocker will work with communities on a case-by-case basis with a focus on commercial Identify expected end user upload and download speeds for each broadband technology deployed. See section

11 Describe the infrastructure build requirements to provide service and how they will be financed. See section Describe the timing of any infrastructure build including whether a community must guarantee a take rate or conduct a community aggregation. Community infrastructure builds would need to be determined on case-by-case basis Identify one-time or recurring infrastructure and/or equipment costs for customers. See section for commercial installations. Residential installations would need to be determined based on the community infrastructure plan.

12 Service Level Agreement Internet Access Crocker Communications Inc. and Crocker Telecommunications LLC are committed to providing a reliable, high-quality service to support Clients using Crocker s Internet Access service. This Service Level Agreement (SLA) outlines the minimum service a Client may expect from Crocker for the contracted term of their service. The following SLA represents Crocker's sole responsibility and the Client's sole remedy regarding Crocker's Internet Access SLA and any Network Service Availability Guarantee. Client: Client shall mean a Crocker customer who has executed a binding agreement for Crocker's Internet Access service, excluding any Client whose account is, or during the period in question, was not in good financial standing with Crocker, or is in violation of the terms and conditions or Crocker's acceptable use policy outlined in Crocker's Terms of Service. The terms of this SLA take effect immediately upon the completion of the Crocker s Commit Date for service activation. In the month when a Client's Internet Access service is terminated, the Customer is not eligible to receive credits for Crocker not meeting its service commitments for that month. If the service is no longer under a term contract, the terms of this SLA no longer apply. Service Fee: Internet Access Service Fee for a Client is the base monthly recurring fee paid by the Client for Internet Access serviced via Ethernet, Fiber, Optical Networking, T1 or T3. Scheduled Maintenance: Scheduled Maintenance refers to normal maintenance scheduled for either preventative measures or the upgrade of Crocker's data network, voice network, and servers used to deliver Internet Access to the Client. Crocker makes every effort to conduct Scheduled Maintenance during our normal monthly maintenance window of 12:01AM 4:00AM EST on the first Thursday of each month. However, there may be occasions that Scheduled Maintenance may need to be conducted outside the normal monthly maintenance window. It is Crocker s policy to notify clients with as much advanced notice as possible by broadcast message and/or posting on the maintenance log on Such effects related to Scheduled Maintenance shall not give rise to service credits outlined in this SLA. Unscheduled Maintenance: Unscheduled Maintenance refers to urgent Crocker's efforts to correct network conditions that are likely to cause service outages or severe network performance degradation impacting multiple Clients and requires immediate action. Unscheduled Maintenance may degrade the #2630 Page 1 of 4 9-April-2012

13 quality of service to include the possibility of outages. Crocker's policy is to notify the Client with as much advance notice as possible under the circumstance by broadcast message and/or posting on the maintenance log on prior to performing the maintenance. Such effects related to urgent Unscheduled Maintenance shall not give rise to service credits outlined in this SLA. SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENT Availability Guarantee The time attributed toward Network Service Unavailability begins when the Trouble Ticket reporting the outage is opened by Client with Crocker Client Support and ends when the affected service is again operational. The Network Service Availability guarantee is subject to the following limitations: No credit allowance will be made for any interruption in service related to any of the following: 1. Due to noncompliance with the provisions of Crocker's Terms of Service (including its payment terms) 2. Due to the failure of power at the Client premise 3. Due to the failure of Client premise equipment (CPE) or other Hardware 4. Due to circumstances or causes beyond the reasonable control of Crocker. 5. During any period in which Crocker is not given full and free access to its facilities and equipment for the purposes of investigating and correcting interruptions The amount of credit available per month is subject to a cap as described in this Agreement. NETWORK SERVICE AVAILABILITY - BANDWIDTH LATENCY GUARANTEES Network Latency Guarantee Scope: Crocker Communications (CROCKER) Network Latency Guarantee is average round-trip transmissions of 75 milliseconds or less between Crocker-designated transit backbone network routers ("Crocker Backbone") and 200 milliseconds or less between the Crocker Backbone and the Internet. Network Latency Guarantee Process: Latency shall be measured by averaging sample measurements taken during a calendar month between Backbone Routers. North American Network Packet Delivery Scope: CROCKER's North American Network Packet Delivery Guarantee is packet delivery of 99% or greater between CROCKER Backbone Routers and 95% between the Crocker Backbone and the Internet. #2630 Page 2 of 4 9-April-2012

14 Packet Delivery Guarantee Process: Packet Delivery shall be measured by averaging sample measurements taken during a calendar month Crocker Backbone Routers. Backbone Service Availability Scope: 99.9% Backbone Availability Guarantee Backbone Service Availability Guarantee Process: At Customer's request, CROCKER will calculate Customer's "Network Unavailability" in calendar month. "Network Unavailability" consists of the number of minutes that the CROCKER Network was not available to Customer. GENERAL CREDIT AND PAYMENT PROCEDURE To receive credit for the Network Service Availability Guarantee, the Client must; 1. Contact Crocker and open a trouble ticket within 5 days of an outage. 2. Request credit in writing within 30 days of an event. 3. Be in good financial standing with Crocker and must be compliant with the terms and conditions of Crocker s Terms of Service. A Client s failure to comply, including without limitation of failure to pay charges on a timely basis, will invalidate the Guarantees. Credits are based on the Client's Internet Access Service Fee and may arise from multiple service guarantees outlined in this SLA. The total combined credits applied to the Client's Internet Access will not exceed the Internet Access Service Fee in any calendar month. The Client will pay its entire service bill, and shall not offset any Service Credits it would anticipate receiving from Crocker. Client shall cooperate with Crocker in any Service Claim investigations. For each cumulative hour of outage or fraction thereof in any calendar month, at Client s request Client s account shall be credited for the pro-rated charges for one day of the Internet Access Monthly Fee for the service with respect to which a Network Service Availability guarantee has not been met. Service Credits delivered as remedies in conjunction with this SLA represent Crocker's sole responsibility and the Client's sole remedy related to Internet Access. #2630 Page 3 of 4 9-April-2012

15 POLICY CHANGE Crocker reserves the right to change, amend, and/or revise this SLA policy at any time. Changes and/or revisions to the SLA will be deemed effective upon posting the applicable revision on Crocker's website. #2630 Page 4 of 4 9-April-2012

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