CARMEL UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS - VOIP SYSTEMS

Transcription

1 CARMEL UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS - VOIP SYSTEMS Carmel Unified School District ( District ) hereby invites qualified telecommunication specialists to submit proposals ( Proposals ) for the procurement and installation of Voice over Internet Protocol telecommunications systems ( VoIP Systems ), which shall also include related equipment and software and providing support services to the District in response to this Request for Proposals ( RFP ). Proposals should be submitted in the manner prescribed herein and for the systems and services requested herein. All required forms and submissions requirements are provided herein or attached hereto. Each person or entity that submits a Proposal to the District in response to this RFP shall be designated as a Vendor. I. Background The District has previously installed a VoIP telecommunications system at its administrative offices, at Carmel High School, at Carmel River School, and at Carmel Valley High School. The District now desires to issue this RFP to solicit vendor proposals to expand our existing multisite system to additional designated school sites. In accordance with Public Contract Code section 3400, the District has designated Cisco Systems, Inc. Unified Communications Manager ( Unified Communications Manager ) and Unity ( Unity ) VoIP telecommunications products by brand name for this project, based upon its finding that the Unified Communications Manager and Unity products are the most compatible with the VoIP telecommunications system currently in use at the District s administrative offices, Carmel High School, Carmel River School and Carmel Valley High School. Accordingly, the District will not accept bids proposing the use of non-unity/unified Communications Manager VoIP telecommunications system products, and will not approve requests to substitute non- Unity/Unified Communications Manager VoIP telecommunications system products for this project. Through this RFP, the District also seeks to identify a single vendor to program and configure the Cisco Unity/Unified Communications Manager VoIP System. However, the District hereby expressly reserves the right to award the final contract to install the VoIP System at one, some or all of the Facilities. For the avoidance of doubt, the District reserves the right to modify its needs or the scope of any proposed contract subsequent to the review of Proposals, and to include such modifications in any contract negotiated with the successful Vendor. The following is a list of the designated school sites facilities where the Unity/Call Manage VoIP System with Cisco is to be installed: Carmel Middle School Tularcitos Elementary School The foregoing District facilities may be referred to herein collectively as the Facilities, or

2 individually as a Facility. To ensure performance compatibility with the Unified Communications Manager/Unity VoIP System installed at one, some or all of the Facilities, this project will also require any necessary system and hardware upgrades to the VoIP telecommunications system currently in use at the District s administrative offices. II. Timeline/Schedule of Events The following are key dates for this RFP. The District is committed to adhering to this schedule, but reserves the right to make modifications. Release RFP Tuesday, July 02, 2013 Walkthrough Date Tuesday, July 09, 2013 Vendor questions due Friday, July 26, 2013 Proposals Due Wednesday, July 31, 2013 Vendor selection Wednesday, August 14, 2013 Project Completion Thursday, October 31, 2013 All Proposals must include timelines for the start and end dates for the project, including major milestones. III. Products and Services to be Included in Proposal In order to be responsive to this RFP, Proposals must be designed around the elements set forth below. Vendors shall address each item as completely and concisely as possible, and provide a description of services in either narrative or outline format. Completed Proposals shall be assembled into a package that can be readily reviewed (an index is desirable). In addition, completed Proposals should include a cover page and a signed letter of transmittal followed by a table of contents. Proposals should be organized into the following major sections and provide sufficient detail for the District to make an informed decision and comparison of proposals. Emphasis should be given on accuracy, completeness, and clarity of content. Additional information such as marketing brochures and promotional materials may be included but should be at the end of the proposal in an appendix. A. Summary. Provide a brief summary of the Proposal, not to exceed 3 pages. B. Proposal Costs. Provide a detailed breakdown of the proposed costs for supplying the hardware, software, installation, implementation, and training for the complete VoIP System, as detailed herein ( Proposal Costs ). The detailed breakdown of the Proposal Costs must include separate quotes for each Facility and a separate quote for all the Facilities combined. The District expressly reserves the right to award the final contract for installation of the VoIP System at one, some or all of the Facilities. C. System Requirements Overview. The VoIP telecommunication systems must be the 8.x version of Cisco Systems, Inc. s Unity and Unified Communications Manager VoIP

3 telecommunications system and must be compatible with the existing telecommunications system currently being used at the District s administrative offices, Carmel High School, Carmel River School, and Carmel Valley High School. Also, to ensure performance compatibility with the Unified Communications Manager/Unity VoIP System installed at one, some or all of the Facilities, this project will also require any necessary system and hardware upgrades to the VoIP telecommunications system currently in use at the District s administrative offices. The VoIP Systems must also be configured and installed with no interruption to the District s current operations and systems. The vendor who is selected for the project shall also provide at least three (3)- years of regular maintenance and support for the newly installed Unified Communications Manager/Unity VoIP System using the Cisco SMARTnet 8x5 Next Business Day Service for rapid issue resolution, flexible device-by-device coverage, and premium service options to help maximize operational efficiency. The system must be configured to integrate with the existing Rauland Telecenter public address and Syn-Apps Call Alert systems at the school sites listed in Section E below. D. Examination of Facilities. In lieu of an onsite examination of each Facility, District may instead schedule one or more walkthroughs at the Facilities (Carmel Middle School and Tularcitos Elementary School) for all of the Vendors to conduct an examination of such Facilities at the same time. The District shall also provide scheduled access to the core VoIP telecommunication system currently in use at the District s administrative offices in order to permit the Vendors to check version numbers and other configuration details. Upon request by any of the Vendors, the District may schedule walkthroughs at additional Facilities to the extent the District deems such walkthroughs to be reasonably necessary. All Vendors will be invited to attend any scheduled walkthrough. E. Minimum System Requirements for Each Facility. Carmel Unified School District Office Item Additional PRI hardware interface/dsp 1 Configure above PRI as needed 1 Quantity Carmel Middle School, 4380 Carmel Valley Road, Carmel, California Item Quantity Cisco I.P. phone licenses 65 Voic licenses 65 I.P. Phone Programming and Configuration 65 User Training* 1 hour Remote Site Voice Gateway Router Configuration (physically located at 1 District Office)

4 Configure existing Rauland Telecenter at site to integrate with VoIP system Configure existing SynApps call alert system (at District Office) to integrate with VoIP system 1 1 Tularcitos Elementary School, 35 Ford Road, Carmel, California Item Quantity Cisco I.P. phone licenses 50 Voic licenses 50 I.P. Phone Programming and Configuration 50 User Training* 1 hour Cisco Remote Site Voice Gateway 1 Router with 2 port FXO card Rack-Mountable UPS (for Router at site 1 MDF) Remote Site Voice Gateway Router Configuration 1 Configure existing Rauland Telecenter 1 at site to integrate with VoIP system Configure existing SynApps call alert 1 system (at District Office) to integrate with VoIP system SRST Programming with local dialing Please note: Phone handsets should not be included in Proposal; the district already has a sufficient quantity of Cisco 7940G IP phones for this project. *The user training program is required and shall be approximately one hour in length at each Facility. The Proposal shall describe the trainings for District secretarial/receptionist staff that are included in the Proposal Costs. IV. Additional Materials. In addition to the foregoing, a complete Proposal shall include: A. Sample Contract. Vendor shall provide a sample of the contract intended for use with the District for the implementation of this RFP. District, in its sole discretion, may elect to use the Vendor s sample contract, subject to negotiation of the terms thereof, or provide its own contract.

5 B. Acknowledgement of Amendments (Exhibit A). Proposals must include an executed form of Exhibit A. C. Vendor Representation and Certification (Exhibit B). Proposals must include an executed form of Exhibit B. V. Versions and Upgrades of Equipment, Software, and Services At all stages of the procurement process (bidding, vendor selection, and contract negotiation), if the District or Vendor identifies more recent or more compatible versions of the equipment, software or services than those versions specifically requested by the District in this RFP, the District reserves the right to procure the most recent and/or most compatible version, so long as the more recent version is reasonably equivalent in purpose, functionality, compatibility and cost to the version specifically identified in the RFP. VI. Suggested Enhancements; References. The Vendor may, but shall not be required to, propose additional suggested enhancements beyond the scope of this RFP as part of its Proposal. However, Proposals should clearly indicate any elements of the Proposal that are suggested enhancements, and the Proposal Costs must clearly indicate the base cost to provide the equipment, software and training services sought by this RFP. Selection of any Proposal by the District shall not obligate the District to purchase any suggested enhancements included in that Proposal. The District prefers Vendors with a minimum of three (3) years of significant, relevant experience. The Proposal must include a minimum of three (3) references for directly applicable projects preferably with other California K-12 public school districts. References should include an overview of the solution provided including hardware and software components. Additional references are allowable if the Vendor chooses. Be sure to include the contact person who was directly responsible for overseeing the implementation/completion for each of the referenced projects, and include the name of the client/agency, contact information (name, phone number and/or address) and the dates the services were provided. VII. Questions. All questions regarding this RFP shall be submitted by no later than July 26, 2013, to the District employee designated below. No telephone questions shall be entertained. Pete Antosik Lead District Network Specialist Carmel Unified School District pantosik@carmelunified.org VIII. Amendments. The District may, at its sole discretion, issue amendments to this RFP at any time prior to the

6 Deadline (defined below). The District shall attempt to issue all amendments, if any, prior to July 22, 2013, but may issue amendments after that date if necessary. In order to receive such amendments, each Vendor intending to make an offer in response to this RFP is requested to designate to the person named in Section VI, above, an address to which such amendments should be sent. The District is not responsible for ensuring that amendments are received by any person or entity not providing a valid address for receipt of such amendments. Each Vendor is required to acknowledge receipt of any amendments issued to this RFP by completing Exhibit B and attaching it to the Vendor s Proposal. IX. Submission of Proposal. Proposals shall be submitted to: Pete Antosik Lead District Network Specialist Carmel Unified School District pantosik@carmelunified.org 4380 Carmel Valley Road Carmel, California Please do not submit Proposals to the District s P.O. Box. Proposals must be received at or before 5:00 PM Pacific Standard Time on July 31, 2013 ( Deadline ). Hardcopies of Proposals must be received in sealed envelopes or containers clearly showing the Vendor s company name, address and must also include the label Response to Data Center RFP. Faxed Proposals will not be accepted. ed copies of Proposals will be accepted if received by the Deadline, with Response to Data Center RFP in the subject line. If a Proposal is submitted via , hard copies must still be delivered, but the deadline to supplement a timely electronic submission with hard copies is 5:00 PM Pacific Standard Time on August 2, Each hardcopy submission shall consist of one signed original Proposal and two copies of the Proposal. Vendors submitting electronic Proposals must still provide these hard copies. Each Proposal received in response to this RFP shall remain the property of the District. Any Vendor may modify or withdraw a Proposal in writing at any time prior to the Deadline. Only Proposals received by the Deadline will be considered. X. Significant Evaluation Factors. The evaluation factors of greatest importance to the District ( Primary Evaluation Factors ) include, but are not limited to the following: Vendor s Cisco Partner Specialization Level, Installation and Configuration Completion

7 Timelines, Adequacy to Meet the Specifications and Requirements Stated Above, Proposal Costs, Quality of References, Quality of District s previous experience with vendor (if applicable). The evaluation factors of additional importance to the District ( Secondary Evaluation Factors ) include, but are not limited to the following: Number of Cisco-Certified Staff Members, Length of Time in Business, Proposed Terms of Proposal. XI. Method of Selection and Award. Any Proposal submitted to the District and not withdrawn by the Deadline shall be considered an offer which may be accepted by the District, in whole or in part, with or without discussion or negotiation, at any time within 45 days from the Deadline. Any offer not accepted within this time period is rejected. The District reserves the right to reject any or all Proposals and to waive informalities, minor irregularities, or other requirements in offers received, and/or to accept any portion of the Proposal if deemed in the best interest of the District. Failure of the Vendor to provide in its Proposal any information requested in the RFP may result in rejection for non-responsiveness. Failure of the Vendor to meet or exceed any stated minimums in the RFP may also result in rejection for nonresponsiveness. The District retains the right in its sole discretion to determine that a Proposal is not responsive to the material terms of this RFP. Following the Deadline, pursuant to California Public Contract Code section , the District shall negotiate a final contract with the qualified Vendor whose Proposal meets the evaluation standards and will be most advantageous to the District with price and all other factors considered. In making its selection the District may choose to interview any Vendor. The District may be assisted by and/or represented by a consultant (including legal counsel) during the selection process. The District reserves the right to award the contract for the installation of the VoIP telecommunication system at one, some or all of the Facilities. The District expects to announce its selection and designate the contractor on or before August 14, XII. Confidentiality of Proposal Contents. A. Following the award of the contract, Proposals may be subject to release as public information under applicable law unless the Proposal or specific parts of the Proposal can be shown to be exempt from disclosure under such law. Vendors are advised to consult as necessary with legal counsel regarding disclosure issues and take appropriate precautions to safeguard trade secrets and confidential data. The District assumes no obligation or responsibility for asserting legal arguments concerning exemption from disclosure on behalf of any Vendor. B. If any Vendor believes that portions of a Proposal constitute trade secrets or confidential

8 commercial, financial, geological, or geophysical data, then the Vendor must so specify by, at a minimum, stamping in bold red letters the term CONFIDENTIAL on that part of the Proposal which the Vendor believes to be protected from disclosure. All Proposals and parts of Proposals that are not marked as confidential may be automatically considered public information after a contract is awarded. The Vendor is hereby notified that the District may consider all or parts of the Proposal public information under applicable law even though marked confidential. XIII. No Representations. The District makes no representations or guarantees of any kind, express or implied, with regard to the matters contained in this RFP, including any exhibits, attachments, letters of transmittal, or any other related documents. Each Vendor must rely solely on its own independent assessment as the basis for the submission of any Proposal. XIV. Miscellaneous. A. By issuing this RFP, the District assumes no obligation, explicit or implied, to make an award to any vendor. B. For any products or services not included in the initial contract award, vendor agrees to hold prices as proposed for one (1) year following the initial award unless mutually agreed otherwise in the negotiated final contract. C. Any published price change after the RFP submission date will not be considered in the evaluation of proposals. However, once a vendor has been selected as the finalist vendor, District reserves the right to apply the lower of the published prices with the proposed discounts applied or the proposal prices, whichever are lower. D. In the event of any conflict or ambiguity between the terms of this RFP and state or federal law or regulations, the latter shall prevail. Additionally, all equipment to be supplied or services to be performed shall conform to all applicable requirements of local, state and federal law.

9 EXHIBIT A AMENDMENTS THE VENDOR SHALL ACKNOWLEDGE ALL AMENDMENTS TO THE RFP, AND COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WITH THE SUBMISSION OF THE PROPOSAL. Amendment number and date received: By: Manual Signature of Agent(s) Date:

10 EXHIBIT B VENDOR REPRESENTATION AND CERTIFICATION The undersigned hereby affirms that: He/she is a duly authorized agent of the Vendor with the authority to submit a Proposal on behalf of the Vendor (corporate or other authorization confirmation may be requested prior to final contract execution). He/she has read the complete RFP and all amendments issued pursuant thereto. The offer complies with State conflict of interest laws. The Vendor certifies that no employee of its firm has discussed, or compared the Proposal with any other Vendor or District employee, and has not colluded with any other Vendor or District employee. If the Vendor s Proposal is accepted by the District on or before August 14, 2013, the Vendor will enter into a contract with the District to provide the System described by the Proposal on terms mutually acceptable to the District and the Vendor. I hereby certify that I am submitting the attached Proposal on behalf of [Specify Entity Submitting Proposal]. I understand that by virtue of executing and returning with the Proposal this required response form, I further certify that the Vendor understands and does not dispute any of the contents of this Request for Proposals (except as may be noted in the Proposal). Submitted: Title Company Name: Address: Telephone: FAX: By: Manual Signature of Agent(s) Date: Name and Title of Authorized Agent: NOTE: If joint venture, each separate party must provide a completed certification form.