Request for Information Purpose This document provides information for vendors to decide whether they re willing to participate in a more detailed selection process. Issuing this request in no way obligates Wayne public school district to include any of the replying vendors in the future selection process. It will enable the vendors to provide sufficient information for the Wayne public school district to select a shortlist of vendors which may be included in the Request for Proposal (RFP) or other bid selection processes. Vendors do not need to, and are encouraged not to, prepare detailed proposals at this stage. Vendors should provide basic information regarding capabilities, costs and an indication as to how they would approach working with the Wayne public school district to achieve this document s outlined objectives. Brief Company Description Wayne Public School District is a large suburban public school district located in Wayne New Jersey. There are 14 schools and around 9,000 students. There are also administrative offices and other support groups within the school district. Brief Project Details Enterprise Telephony Systems and Services Purpose of the Request - Project Scope: The Wayne School District has identified Enterprise Telephony Systems and Services as a priority and is requesting proposals for these systems and services. These systems can be traditional TDM PBX and Key type systems as well as VoIP offerings with Enterpise based operation and equipment as well as service based solutions from providers. Proposals can include various and optional pricing / leasing models from month to month to contracts from a single year to multiple years. The primary purpose of this proposal is to reduce operational costs for the district, improve efficiencies and provide the required Enterprise Telephony Systems and Services that meet the communication needs of the organization. The Enterprise Telephony Systems and Services engagement will include Assessment of current Telephony circuits and systems in District Review Telephony, messaging, notification and unified communication requirements and work with district staff to develop communication solution. Review and design of a proposed Enterprise Telephony Systems and Services solution with key stakeholders Implementation of solution 1
Scope of Work, Specifications & Requirements Overview of Proposed Solution Please provide a detailed description of the essential characteristics of proposed Telephony system solution. Identify special or distinctive features or functions that differentiate the proposed solution. Technical Specifications Please describe in detail how the proposed Telephony system will meet or exceed each of the following baseline requirements. In the discovery phase work with District to develop requirements for items such as: Capacity and Scalability Connectivity Trucking Requirements High Availability Security Communications Features Please describe in detail how the proposed IP Telephony system will meet requirements for the following communications features and functionalities. Call Control Features o This section should describe the core PBX system functionality required as well as any additional user customization features. Messaging Features o This section should describe the core voice mail and unified messaging capabilities that meet the needs for the enterprise, mailbox and retention requirements, and automated attendant functionality. Conferencing Capabilities o This section should describe the internal and external audio, video and Web conferencing capabilities of the system and type of usage requirements for the enterprise. Unified Communications o This section should describe the desktop presence and communications client capabilities of the system as required by the enterprise to support collaboration objectives. End User Devices o This section should describe the station features capabilities and requirements for desk phone and conference room devices as well as specific capabilities preferred for different user levels. Mobility o This section should describe the workplace mobility features and capabilities of the system as required by the enterprise, such as the ability to simultaneously ring multiple user devices (office handset, mobile phone). o 2
Dial Plan and four digit dial describe system Dial plan capabilities and if it can support 4 digit dial to extensions Describe how the system can be incrementally deployed throughout the district Systems Management o Please list and describe the hardware and any software required for the proposed system. This includes the central administrative software and user interface that will help IT staff manage the IP Telephony environment. o Vendors should explicitly state which software and administrative capabilities are included in the proposed solution and which are offered at additional cost. o Does this system provide call accounting and detailed reporting o Describe other advanced management functionality right out of the box. o Ease of use, integration of features, and functionality will be critical factors in system selection. Support and Maintenance o Establish a proposed baseline required for support. For example: 5 years 24X7 onsite software and hardware support. o Provide a detailed description of standard and extended support and maintenance Service Provider o Please state the name of the company which will be delivering service and on-site support for the solution. o If service is outsourced to another firm, how long has this relationship been in effect? Product History o Please provide a technical roadmap for the proposed solutions. o How does the proposed solution fit into the vendor s current product lifecycle? Please provide a list of policies on firmware updates for the proposed solution. o How often are changes released? o How is the customer notified about changes? o How are they applied Describe how the system can be used in a crisis management situation o Integration with School Communication Systems such as Public Address systems o Describe conformance with the ANSI/NEMA SB 40-2010 standard for Communication Systems for Life Safety in Schools. o Describe 911 and E911 capability Business Goals and Requirements: Reduce costs related to telephony communication Begin to move from traditional TDM based systems to VoIP based solutions with integration with other communication systems and services Improve efficiencies in the management voice communications Integration with school Public Address systems and Intercoms Common system platform throughout the district in order to improve support, maintenance and operations Improve safety and security capabilities and improve ability to respond in a crisis situation Establish value of unified communications for the organization Existing Technology Environment: The Technology environment is a Microsoft software infrastructure including Windows servers and SQL databases, Microsoft Exchange mail servers There is a Metropolitan Area Network that connects all buildings to a data center 3
Other Requirements: 1. Bidders propose the systems and service they would recommend for the District. 2. Length of Term of any contract, not to exceed 5 years as per N.J.S.A. 18A:18A-42 3. The plan can be an incremental one with different phases over a number of years In addition, please provide the following information: 1. Length of time business has provided this type of system and service. 2. Three reference sites currently using this type of system and service (New Jersey and K-12 education Preferred.) 3. Service Level Agreement (SLA) for all systems and service types under your proposal. 4. Trouble reporting and escalation procedures 5. Hours of operation for trouble reporting and issue resolution. 6. Describe maintenance and trouble notification (to us) procedures. 7. All Costs: Installation, non-recurring, recurring, and other costs. 8. List customer requirements and items in which the cost is borne by the District 9. Show applicable discounts separately for this RFI. 10. To ensure prompt response time, vendor should have an office located in the State of New Jersey. 11. Vendor should be able to provide remote support of the services on a 24/7/365 basis. 12. Vendor must be able to provide on-site support if needed using experienced and qualified personnel. 13. Vendor should be able to provide a toll free number for technical support, manned and answered by a live person within the United States. Provide availability 5 day week 9 to 5, 7/24 etc. 14. Vendor must provide a transition/implementation plan clearly defining and describing the Activities and timelines necessary to complete implementation of each of the systems and services proposed. 15. It is understood that, except as otherwise specifically stated in this RFI, the Vendor shall provide and pay for all materials, labor, tools, equipment, transportation, temporary construction of every nature and all other services and facilities of every nature whatsoever, necessary to execute, complete and deliver the work within the specified time. Licenses and permits / inspections necessary for the execution of the work shall be secured and paid for by the Vendor. 16. Vendor bid submissions may include, but are not excluded by cooperative bids from multiple vendors, provided one, single vendor shall serve as the primary vendor. Public/Private partnership opportunities, lease purchase arrangements, shared resource arrangements, and all other forms of incorporation, partnership, or other creative opportunities to meet the needs of the Wayne School District will be considered. 17. The vendor and his representatives shall follow all applicable regulations while on Wayne School District property, including the no smoking, no weapons, and drug free policies. No work shall interfere with normal work or school activities or environment unless permission is given by local manager, principal, or person(s) in charge (Superintendent, or designee). All Vendor personnel shall be easily identified by the use of identification badges and uniforms or shirts with the Vendor s logo clearly visible. 18. Vendor must maintain compliance with the specifications of their proposal throughout the life of any awarded contract. 19. An implementation timeline proposal and project plan. It is the goal of the District to not interrupt any services, if down time is required clearly identify it in the plan. Instruction and school/organizational functions must not be impacted. 20. Any proposals for long term agreements must reflect terms for adding or removing services at a later date if the District determines necessary. 4
Special Conditions: 1. Prices to remain firm through approval, execution, and duration of the proposal. In the event of a price decrease for service or from the manufacturer or carrier, said decrease shall be passed on to the District and documented with a new price sheet sent to the Wayne School District Business Office. 2. The District reserves the right to award components to selected vendors in a manner that will benefit District priorities, goals, best interests and services to schools, price and other factors considered. 3. This RFI will be posted to the Wayne School District website under the General Information section. http://www.wayneschools.com/district/generalinformation/rfis/ 4. Vendors must meet or exceed all requirements. Each response will be reviewed to determine if it is complete prior to actual evaluation. Any portions of the submitted proposal, which are to be treated by the Wayne School District as proprietary and confidential information, must be clearly marked as such. The Wayne School District reserves the right to eliminate from further consideration any response, which is deemed to be substantially or materially unresponsive to the RFI. 5. Proposals must include preliminary pricing. The District will work with the vendor on the method of billing and payment that best meets its needs and award this RFI accordingly. 6. This RFI is subject to budgetary review, District funding availability and board approval. 7. You must provide a total of three (3) hard copies of your proposal as well as an electronic version Selection Process Based on responses to the RFI, a RFI will be issued to a shortlist of vendors, currently planned for [date], which will contain more detailed requirements for the product, contractual details, and key criteria for successful bidders. From the replies to the RFI document, a shortlist of possible vendors will be selected who will then be asked to present demonstrations of their offerings. We project that these meetings will be completed by [date]. Proposal Evaluation Criteria: Costs, including installation, recurring, upgradability, etc. Extent to which the services provided meets the goals and objectives of the Wayne School District Provide flexibility, scalability, and systems manageability to the benefit of the Wayne School District. Service Level Agreement Billing easy to understand, summary, easy for accounts payable and auditors to understand- sample of billing provided in proposal New Jersey K-12 Education experience References and/or citations from prior installations where equal services have been provided for projects of similar size and complexities The number and types of services the vendor is able to provide to the District Quote preparation, thoroughness, and responsiveness to the RFI requirements 5
Instructions for Vendors This documentation should be delivered back to Wayne public school district no later than [date]. Send completed RFI documentation to Tim Carlin at Wayne Public School District 50 Nellis Drive Wayne NJ 07470. Send 3 copies of marketing brochures describing your organization and your product offerings in the areas of Document Management. Feel free to contact Tim Carlin by telephone at 973-633-3033 or tcarlin@wayneschools.com, should you have any questions. Company name: Wayne Public School District Company address: 50 Nellis Drive Wayne NJ 07470 Contact person: Tim Carlin Phone number: 973-633-3033 Fax number: 973-317-2161 E-mail address: tcarlin@wayneschools.com Web site URL: www.wayneschools.com Confidentiality Information contained within this document is confidential and is provided only to give vendors a sufficient understanding of Wayne School District s requirements. Under no circumstances should information be disclosed to any third party. 6