REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. VoIP, Digital or Digital-VoIP Hybrid Telephone System

Transcription

1 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL VoIP, Digital or Digital-VoIP Hybrid Telephone System July 28, 2016 Municipality of Huron East 72 Main Street South P. O. Box 610 Seaforth, ON N0K 1W0 Attention: Paula Michiels Finance Manager-Treasurer Telephone: Fax: This is a request for proposal (RFP) only. Huron East is not obligated nor is Huron East to be construed as obligated to proceed further. Huron East may at its sole discretion elect not to accept any submission for any reason. Page 1

2 Table of Contents Introduction... 3 Purpose and Scope... 3 Terms and Instructions... 4 Overview of Current Environment... 6 Solution Requirements... 7 Proposal Response Format... 9 Indemnity... 9 Insurance and Workers Compensation Conflict of Interest Freedom of Information Page 2

3 1. INTRODUCTION: The Municipality of Huron East is located in Huron County in Southwestern Ontario and has a population of approximately 10,000. The Municipality was formed in 2001 as a result of amalgamation consisting of the former Townships of Grey, McKillop and Tuckersmith and the Town of Seaforth and Village of Brussels. General information about the Municipality of Huron East can be found on the municipality s website at 2. PURPOSE AND SCOPE: The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to solicit proposals and product demonstrations from qualified vendors, for the design, procurement, installation, training, maintenance and ongoing support of a VoIP/Digital or Digital-VoIP hybrid telecommunication solution that will meet the Municipality of Huron East s functionality and manageability requirements as outlined in this RFP document. In addition, the Municipality of Huron East requires an open standards VoIP/Digital or Digital VoIP hybrid system that provides up to three-digit dialing between locations, a centralized voic system that can be used transparently by all locations, and the ability for all locations to appear to be part of a single phone system. It is the municipality s intent at this time to replace the existing telephone system servicing the main administrative office (Town Hall), 72 Main Street South, Seaforth. Submissions should include a cost breakdown per location. The municipality is requesting a new telephone system that utilizes Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP, Digital or Digital-VoIP hybrid), including feature sets found in unified communications systems and capable to be expanded to handle calls and voic requirements for the entire organization in the future. The acquisition will include IP telephony architecture (VoIP, Digital or Digital- VoIP hybrid) systems that are: a) Supported by a highly qualified and reliable vendor with experience in VoIP, Digital or Digital-VoIP hybrid implementations. b) Mainstream products with strong manufacturer commitment and vendor support. c) Capable of providing unified communications features that integrate with the municipality s current Microsoft Exchange system. Page 3

4 d) Easily maintained by municipal staff. A copy of this Request for Proposal (RFP) may be obtained from the Municipality s website at For the purpose of this document the terms Proponent, Vendor and Contractor are those entities representing the submission of a response to this RFP. 3. TERMS AND INSTRUCTIONS Submission and Schedule An electronic copy of the proposal in.pdf (portable document format) format must be submitted to pmichiels@huroneast.com or hard copy delivered to Town Hall at 72 Main Street South, Seaforth no later than 2:00 p.m. on Friday, August 26, The date and time stamp of the Municipality s received will be the official submission time. The subject line should read: VoIP, Digital or Digital-VoIP Hybrid Telephone System It is the sole responsibility of the Vendor to see that their proposal is received by the municipality in the proper time. Late responses will be rejected at the sole discretion of the Municipality of Huron East. Submission of a proposal indicates acceptance by the firm of the conditions contained in this RFP, unless clearly and specifically noted in the proposal submitted. Inquiries Proponents may contact the Municipality of Huron East for clarification and information pertaining to this request for proposal. Any request for information or clarification must be submitted in writing by to: Paula Michiels, Finance Manager-Treasurer pmichiels@huroneast.com All inquiries must be submitted no later than 12:00 p.m. (noon) on Friday, August 19, After this time no further inquiries, concerns or questions may be submitted. The Municipality reserves the right to distribute all questions received, with the Municipality s response, to all Proponents through an addendum as well as posted on the municipal website. Any Proponent wishing to complete a site visit of the individual work sites can contact Paula Michiels at Page 4

5 RFP Revisions The Municipality reserves the right to change the schedule or issue amendments to the RFP at any time. The Municipality also reserves the right to cancel or reissue the RFP at any time. Amendments or a notice of cancellation will be posted to the municipality s website at It is the sole responsibility of the Proponent to monitor the municipality s website for any amendments to the RFP. Accessibility As the submitted proposal will be a document that may be produced for public distribution, should the municipality receive a request for an alternate format, the firm must be able to provide such alternate format in compliance with accessibility standards legislation. Right of Selection The Municipality reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to waive any minor informalities or irregularities contained in any proposal, and to accept any proposal deemed to be in the best interest of the municipality. The lowest cost proposal will not necessarily be accepted. Limitation of Damages The Proponent, by submitting a Proposal agrees that it will not claim damages, for whatever reason, relating to the RFP, by reason of submitting a proposal, in respect of the competitive process, or in respect of any breach of any implied duty of fairness, including but not limited to any costs incurred by the Proponent in preparing its proposal. The Proponent, by submitting a proposal waives any and all such claims. Confidentiality The parties agree that the content of each response to this Request for Proposal will be held in the strictest confidence, and details of any response will not be discussed with any other party, except for the information made public by way of reports to Council or subject to the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act. Evaluation If an award is made as a result of this RFP, it shall be awarded to the Proponent whose proposal is most advantageous to the Municipality of Huron East with price and other factors considered. An evaluation team consisting of the Municipality of Huron East CAO/Clerk, Finance Manager-Treasurer and Public Works Manager will review all proposals received and score the proposals using a consensus approach in relation to the criteria identified below. Page 5

6 The Municipality may request additional information or clarification of proposals and hereby reserves the right to select the particular response to this RFP that it believes will best serve its business and operational requirements. Evaluation Criteria: Overall Solution Cost (70%) - total cost of the solution - annual support costs, - handset/license costs Support and Maintenance (15%) - guaranteed response times - training strategy - hardware warranty and replacement policy - system updates policy (when do they apply, what are the costs associated) Experience (7%) - quality of references - qualifications of project/support team - experience with similar implementations Proven experience and the track record of the Proponent is an important criteria which is subject to reference checks should the evaluators see fit. Huron East therefore reserves the right to contact any of the Proponent s customers, in addition to those listed, who may be able to provide information about the Proponent deemed pertinent to this RFP System capability and scalability (8%) - unified communications offerings and compatibility - 911solution and survivability in the case of any type of service failure - routine system administration and ease of use 4. OVERVIEW OF CURRENT ENVIRONMENT The Municipality s main administration building (Town Hall) is serviced by; Nortel PLUS Modular ICS with Nortel Norstar Flash 15 - Handsets at the Town Hall: 13 Nortel M7208 handset 1 Nortel M7310 handsets 1 Nortel NT8B20 handsets 5 - Wireless Jabra headsets 6 - analog telephone lines for voice, fax and debit machine 5 Voice Only (4 - Contracted with Bell, Expiring Oct 10, 2017 and 1 with TCC, No Contract) Page 6

7 1 Fax incoming and outgoing (Contracted with Bell, Expiring Oct 10, 2017) 1-24 port Jetstream Gigabit Smart PoE+ Switch with 4 SFP Slots (T1600G-28PS) CAT3 cable infrastructure to each handset location and CAT5 cable infrastructure to each computer in office After hours calls are handled by an automated attendant which takes the calls and delivers to a mailbox. The auto attendant also provides a number to call for emergencys Possible future expansion to various locations as listed: -Brussels Morris Grey Community Centre 800 Sports Drive, Brussels (1 analog line each for voice and fax) provider Tuckersmith Communications No Contract -Seaforth and District Community Centre 122 Duke Street, Seaforth (1 analog line each for voice and fax) provider Bell Canada Expiring October 10, Vanastra Recreation Centre/Day Care 26 Toronto Boulevard, Vanastra (2 analog voice lines and 1 fax) provider Eastlink No Contract 3 - Fire Halls [31 Birch Street, Seaforth; 51 CN Road, Brussels and Brandon Road, Ethel] (3 analog lines for voice and 3 lines for fax) - provider Bell Canada Expiring October 10, Public Works Sheds [42677 Front Road, Tuckersmith; North Line, Seaforth; Newry Road and 37 King Street, Brussels] (4 analog voice lines and 3 lines for fax) - provider for 1 analog voice and 1 fax Tuckersmith Communications No Contract; provider for 3 analog voice and 2 fax Bell Canada Expiring October 10, Water/Waste Water Facilities [30 & 40 Welsh Street, Seaforth; Hannah Line, Seaforth; 31 Oak Street, Seaforth and 1 London Road, Brucefield] (Analog SCADA emergency dialer and 1 analog voice line) - provider Bell Canada Expiring October 10, SOLUTION REQUIREMENTS a) calls routed through a centralized system providing a seamless communications system b) Proponent must indicate how our existing telephone lines and internet will be utilized Page 7

8 c) 911 identification for users at the main site and/or all remote sites d) 24/7 auto-attendant and call routing (fully schedulable and customizable). The intent is to replace the existing after hour call service system e) The Municipality would like to maintain the current phone numbers and possibly expand the amount of rollover lines with the use of SIP trunks f) all users on system have voice mail capabilities, along with voice mail to , ability to check voic from an outside line and ability to change voic settings from an outside line g) mobility applications and features to smart phones, cell phones and pagers h) proposed system shall have a method of attaching existing analog devices (fax machines) with minimal cost and effort. Proponents shall describe their methods in their response i) the system must provide extension portability by allowing end users to log in at any phone j) ability to conference three or more internal or external callers k) do not disturb function calls will not ring on the phone and will instead be directed to the call forwarding options that have been enabled for the extension l) allow users to record multiple greetings and apply when required (i.e. main greeting, alternate greetings) m) flexible main greetings for holiday, inclement weather announcements, and emergency situations n) replace existing telephone sets with new VoIP, Digital or Digital-VoIP hybrid sets o) on-site training for all staff who will be configuring, managing, maintaining and troubleshooting the entire system p) initial parts and labour warranty, q) applicable annual support and maintenance costs, along with remote accessibility for support and maintenance by the Proponent Page 8

9 r) data backup and SMART UPS protection with a run time of at least 2 hrs to include the LAN Switch. OTHER FEATURES Provide any cost savings options via trade-in or provide recommendations for reselling the existing phone system/handsets. The proposed solution by the Vendor can also have additional features and capabilities not mentioned above. The Proponent may include a list of any such additional features and capabilities they feel are important to the evaluation process. Such list should contain descriptions of the functions and benefits of those features and capabilities. 6. PROPOSAL RESPONSE FORMAT The Proponent is responsible for all costs incurred in the preparation, demonstration, or negotiation of this proposal. All proposal responses shall include; Executive Summary executive level overview of the proposal emphasizing any unique aspects or strengths of the proposal, including a brief description of the proposed system Company Background provide a brief company history including the primary point of contact and relevant credentials applicable to this project. Identify company locations. System Support and Training provide details of system support and maintenance options available for the proposed system, including yearly service support, warranty, and response times. Provide details of training that will be provided to municipal staff. Include process for system software upgrades or update processes. Functional and Technical Specifications provide detail specifications including any specific hardware and/or software required. References provide references for projects that are of a similar size, complexity and functionality. Schedule provide a specific timetable and work plan for the installation and training. The proponent should address the completion of the entire project within the 2016 calendar year. Proposal Pricing provide detailed pricing list of all software, hardware, installation costs and ongoing support and maintenance costs. Provide all pricing information for the proposed solution separately for each location. 7. INDEMNITY The Contractor clearly understands and agrees that they are not, nor anyone hired by them, covered by the Municipality under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). Page 9

10 The Contractor shall be responsible for, and shall pay all dues and assessments payable under the Workers Compensation Act, and Unemployment Insurance Act or any other Act, whether Provincial or Federal, in respect of the contractor, employees and operations, and shall upon request furnish the Municipality with satisfactory evidence that the Contractor has complied with the provisions of such Acts. If the Contractor fails to do so, the Municipality shall have the right to withhold payment of such sum or sums of money due to the Contractor that would be sufficient to cover any default. Information on coverage under the Workers Compensation Act can be obtained directly from the Workers Compensation Board. 8. INSURANCE AND WORKERS COMPENSATION The Proponent shall include a Certificate of Professional General Liability Insurance by an insurance broker duly registered and authorized to conduct insurance business. The insurance will be sufficient amounts and description to protect the Proponent, its employees, and any sub-contractors against claims for damages, personal injury including death, bodily injury and property damage. The Proponent shall ensure that the Municipality of Huron East is named as an additional insured and is indemnified. The Proponent must provide evidence of good standing with the Workers Compensation Board and ensure that its workers and any sub-contractors coming to the workplace will comply with: The Workers Compensation Act and WCB OHS Regulation The Municipality of Huron East Health and Safety policies and procedures 9. CONFLICT OF INTEREST To avoid a conflict of interest, the successful Proponent of the RFP warrants that neither it nor any of its officers, directors or employees with the authority to bind the Proponent, has any financial or personal affiliation with any elected official and/or employee which might, in any way, be seen to create a conflict. 10. FREEDOM OF INFORMATION AND PROTECTION OF PRIVACY ACT By submitting a Proposal, the Proponent s acknowledge that the Municipality of Huron East is subject to the Province of Ontario Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Page 10

11 ALL RESPONSES SHOULD BE SIGNED: Supply of VoIP, Digital or Digital-VoIP Hybrid Telephone System I certify that the information provided in this RFP Response Document is true and complete. Legal Company Name: Proponents Signature: Proponents Printed Name: Proponents Title: Business Phone: Business Fax: Page 11

12 For convenience, please affix this address label to the envelope(s) containing your submission Return Address Label FROM: CONTACT: DELIVER PROPOSALS TO: The Municipality of Huron East Attention: Paula Michiels, Finance Manager-Treasurer 72 Main St S PO Box 610 Seaforth, ON N0K 1W0 SEALED PROPOSAL Description: Closing Date: Request for Proposal VoIP, Digital or Digital-VoIP Hybrid Telephone System August 26, :00 p.m. Late Proposals will NOT be accepted! Staff Use Only Date Received: Time Received: Staff Initial: Page 12