Telephone System Upgrade

Township of South Frontenac REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL RFP #2015-T01 Telephone System Upgrade Issued on: June 26, 2015

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE... 2 2.0 INSTRUCTIONS TO PROPONENTS... 3 2.1 INVITATION... 3 2.2 BACKGROUND INFORMATION... 3 2.3 PROPOSAL SUBMISSION... 3 2.4 COSTS INCURRED BY PROPONENTS... 3 2.5 ACCEPTANCE OF TERMS... 3 2.6 CLARIFICATION... 4 2.7 TERMS OF PAYMENT... 4 2.8 PROPOSAL VALIDITY... 4 2.9 FOLLOW-ON CONTRACTS... 4 2.10 SUMMARY OF KEY DATES FOR PROPOSAL... 4 3.0 PROPOSAL RESPONSE... 5 3.1 QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE OF COMPANY... 5 3.2 UNDERSTANDING OF OBJECTIVES... 5 3.3 NETWORK ASSESSMENT AND TECHNICAL INFORMATION... 5 3.4 REQUIRED SERVICES AND FEATURES... 6 3.5 MAINTENANCE AND SUPPORT... 7 3.6 TRANSITION PLAN... 7 3.7 TRAINING... 7 3.8 GENERAL... 7 4.0 EVALUATION CRITERIA... 8 4.1 BASIS OF SELECTION... 8 4.2 SELECTION CRITERIA... 8 4.3 WSIB... 8 4.4 INSURANCE... 8 5.0 SPECIAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS... 10 APPENDIX A COST SUBMISSION... 12 Page 1

1.0 INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE The Township of South Frontenac is a fast-growing Township located directly adjacent to the northern border of the City of Kingston with a population of 18,100. The Township is committed to providing a broad range of amenities and services to its residents & visitors alike necessitating upto-date and reliable telephone technology. The Township delivers the following services and programs: municipal governance, including general elections every four years local roads and bridges (maintenance, repairs and construction), including sidewalks, traffic controls, drainage, winter control municipal water waste disposal, recycling, reduction and other waste management services vehicle and equipment maintenance and repairs fire protection and fire prevention services building inspection and by-law enforcement animal control cemetery recreation programs and parks maintenance facilities maintenance/repairs and rentals land-use planning and development services support services for delivering the above services and programs, including general management, communications, finance, clerical and secretarial support, records management, insurance, human resources and information systems. Through its existing or a new phone system, the Township requires a system that seamlessly handles all incoming calls with the ability to transfer calls to all locations connected to the system. The uniform communication system must provide a single system in terms of dialing, voicemail, feature access and administration. It must be expandable at the convenience of the Township. It is the Township s intent to have the system connect our current George Street administrative office along with all Public Works locations. Other locations such as fire halls may be added at a future date. The Township is willing to entertain various types of systems, such as but no limited to, PBX, VoIP or a hybrid but each respondent should include in their response the benefits that their system will return including converged voice and data networks, increased efficiencies and benefits that will be realized by staff and citizens. The telephone solution must provide alternate options to accommodate power outages or should broadband connectivity be unavailable. Page 2

2.0 INSTRUCTIONS TO PROPONENTS 2.1 Invitation The Township of South Frontenac is soliciting proposals from licensed vendors for the design, purchase, installation, training and on-going maintenance of a telephone system. The licensed vendor will enable the Township to significantly improve integration, effectiveness, enhance its quality of service and minimize risk in its telephone infrastructure. 2.2 Background Information The Township of South Frontenac currently has two phone systems interconnected through fibre optic. The systems, both NEC8100 s, are located at the George Street municipal offices and at the Keeley Road Public Works complex. Other Township locations are currently being serviced by individual phones. 2.3 Proposal Submission Firms are to provide three (3) copies of their proposal in a sealed package, clearly identified as to the contents and addressed to: The Township of South Frontenac PO Box 100 Sydenham, ON K0H 2T0 Attention: Wayne Orr, CAO RFP 2015-T01 - Telephone System Upgrade Proposals must be received at this location NO LATER THAN 1:00 PM LOCAL TIME on Thursday, July 17, 2015. Proposals received after the above due date and time will not be considered and will be returned unopened. Fax or electronic submissions will not be accepted. 2.4 Costs Incurred by Proponents All expenses incurred in the preparation and submission of proposals shall be borne by the Firm. No payment will be made for any proposals received, or for any other effort required of or made by the Firm prior to the commencement of work defined by the proposal approved by the Township. 2.5 Acceptance of Terms All those who submit a proposal represent that they have read, completely understand, and accept the terms and conditions of this Request for Proposal (RFP) in full. Page 3

2.6 Clarification All inquiries regarding this RFP are to be directed to the individual identified below. Inquiries must be received by email to lfragnito@township.southfrontenac.on.ca no later than July 7, 2015. All inquiries received and the responses provided will be posted to the Township website, no later than July 10, 2015 without naming the source of the inquiry. It will be the proponent s responsibility to check for addendums. 2.7 Terms of Payment The successful Supplier shall be paid electronically. Invoices are to be submitted electronically and include supporting documentation for all disbursements. Disbursements will be paid at cost. 2.8 Proposal Validity Proposals shall remain valid and open for acceptance by the Township for a period of ninety days (90) calendar days following the deadline for receipt of proposals. 2.9 Follow-On Contracts The Township reserves the right to award related work to the successful proponent, and fees for any follow-on contracts shall be based on the same unit or per diem rates proposed under this RFP, unless negotiated and approved otherwise. 2.10 Summary of Key Dates for Proposal Distribution of RFP June 26, 2015 Questions received until July 7, 2015 Questions answered by July 10, 2015 Submission of proposal No later than 1PM, July 17, 2015 Interview (if necessary) July 23, 2015 Recommendation to award contract August 4, 2015 Page 4

3.0 PROPOSAL RESPONSE Proposal responses must include the items listed below and must be presented in this order with corresponding cross-referenced section numbers. Costs submissions must be provided on the form or format under Appendix A. 3.1 Qualifications and Experience of Company Provide a brief company profile and recent relevant experience. Provide three (3) similar environments managed by your firm including municipalities. Provide client references for each project. List the total number of clients currently supported by the firm. Proof that the proponent is an authorized retailer of the recommended product and proof of licensing is to be provided. 3.2 Understanding of Objectives Describe your understanding of the assignment, including overall scope and objectives, noting any particular issues that may require specific attention. 3.3 Network Assessment and Technical Information The Township expects that interested proponents will need to assess the Township s current network structure to assess the viability of integrating and updating/installing its voice system on the existing data network. It is the sole responsibility of the vendor to ensure that the recommended system will work under the Township s existing infrastructure or to recommend the necessary upgrades. The needs and expectations of the system on the network can fluctuate based on various criteria such as the number of users or bandwidth of required connections. Reliable connectivity as well as quality of the service is crucial in the Township s day to day operations. The assessment must also allow for future growth or expansion. Request for appointments to complete a visual inspection only may be made by email to lfragnito@southfrontenac.net Below is a list of existing locations and connections: Fibre optic transit circuit between George Street Municipal offices and Keeley Road Public Works complex. This connection is currently used for day to day operations in providing access to Keeley Road users to data servers located at George Street as well as handling our nightly offsite backup which is stored at Keeley Road. The link also provides some integration between the locations existing phone systems but does not provide full functionality such as accessing phone extensions from the automated attendant when calling the opposite location. For example, someone calling into the George Street location does not get access to the Keeley Road staff extensions through the automated attendant. Public Works Bedford Garage, 1389 Westport Road currently has DSL connection with speeds of 5 mbps for download and 1 mbps for upload. It also has a phone line 613-374- 2924. This location requires one telephone. Page 5

Public Works Portland Garage, 5286 Hinchinbrooke Road currently has DSL connection with speeds of 5 mbps for download and 1 mbps for upload. It also has a phone line 613-372-2527. This location requires one telephone. Public Works Storrington Garage, 3910 Battersea Road currently has no internet connection and has a phone line 613-353-2087. This location requires one telephone. Municipal Offices, 4432 George Street This location has an NEC8100 phone system. It currently has DSL connection with speeds of 10 mbps for download and 1 mbps for upload. This connection is already set up with a static ip. It also has a phone line 613-376-3027 with 5 other lines tied to it to accommodate call volumes. This location currently requires 23 telephones as well as the continued use of its teleconferencing phone (Polycom soundstation) through an analogue extension. Public Works, 2490 Keeley Road - This location includes two buildings linked to use the same internet and phone system. The location has an NEC8100 phone system. It currently has DSL connection with speeds of 5 mbps for download and 1 mbps for upload. This connection is already set up with a static ip. It also has a phone line 613-376-3900 which 3 other lines tied to it to accommodate call volumes. This location currently requires 12 telephones as well as the continued use of its teleconferencing phone (Polycom soundstation) through an analogue extension. The proponent s proposal should include the required equipment but also list any changes that may be recommended or required to the existing communication infrastructure. The proponent should include all equipment required to accommodate the telephone system upgrade as well as provide for technical staff for full installation services. It is the intent of this proposal to have a system that has failover capabilities in case of system failure. The proposal must provide a solution to assure the system is operational 24/7. The telephone solution must provide alternate options to accommodate power outages or should broadband connectivity be unavailable. The Township has a generator at its George Street location. 3.4 Required Services and Features The list is not intended to be a complete list. It is provided as a baseline but the Township expects proponents to provide advice and suggestions on other services or features that may enhance the usability and functionality of the system. 911 Extension dialing between locations Unified messaging/communication at a minimum the system must accommodate interaction with cell phones to offer the ability to forward calls. Option to integrate with Outlook for future use. Voicemail system that can be used transparently by all locations and requires a password Ability for all locations to appear to be part of a single phone system Distinctive rings Support for analog services Night service Soft phone features Consistent and excellent voice quality Music on hold Page 6

Voicemail light indicator Automatic alternate routing Call forward capability to internal and external numbers Remote administration Call display Speed dial Hearing-aid and cell phone compatible (Bluetooth) Automated attendant with dial by name directory, time of day recording scheduling and the ability to have a minimum of a three (3) deep tree 3.5 Maintenance and Support The proponent shall provide a complete list of available services and support plans. This should include: ongoing maintenance costs forecast any increase up to 5 years for hardware and software maintenance details of local support, hours or limits of coverage for service and repairs warranty information on the equipment quoted including warranty period and equipment covered. The proponent should provide information on the interface for day to day maintenance of the system by the Township s system administrator. The should be easy to access and maintain on a daily basis. 3.6 Transition Plan Provide a work plan and schedule to identify how the firm will implement the management of the Township s telephone technology. The Township expects that the installation or upgrade of the phone system will have little to no impact to on-going operations. The proponent is expected to have experience in this area and to provide within their submission a plan to accomplish this. It should include details of the equipment switchover to minimize staff disruptions and provide for a preplanned schedule. 3.7 Training Indicate your training solution to be provided including materials to be provided to users. 3.8 General Explain in one page or less how your solution will differentiate you from other proponents and why the Township should choose you as the successful proponent. List the unique features that give your organization a competitive edge in the telephone industry. Page 7

4.0 EVALUATION CRITERIA The successful firm will possess the requisite technical skills to deal with the matters to be addressed in the scope of work and will be required to work directly with Township staff in a professional manner. 4.1 Basis of Selection Township staff intends to recommend the appointment of the successful firm on the basis of best overall value, based upon a review of the technical and fee proposal, and the interview. 4.2 Selection Criteria A total of 90 points will be allocated to each proposal, as follows: System Features, technology and flexibility 35 Qualifications and Relevant Experience of Team 10 Understanding of Objectives 15 Implementation Plan 10 Overall Solution Cost (One time and maintenance) 20 Up to three (3) of the highest rated proposals may be invited by the Township to attend an interview to present and discuss their proposal. 4.3 WSIB The successful proponent will need to provide certification of Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (W.S.I.B.) coverage or confirmation of private coverage prior to commencing any work. The Contractor will also need to provide the Township a Certificate of Clearance from the W.S.I.B. that all coverage is current. 4.4 Insurance The Contractor shall, at their expense and satisfactory to the Township, obtain and keep in force during the term of this agreement: a) Commercial General Liability insurance in an amount not less than two million ($2,000,000) per occurrence including but not limited to bodily injury, personal injury, broad form property damage including loss of use thereof, products and completed operations up to the full policy limit, blanket contractual liability, contingent employer s liability, non-owned automobile, pollution resulting from a hostile fire and contain a cross liability, severability of interest clause with respect to the interest of the Township. The Township shall be named as an additional insured. Prior to commencement of the work and upon the placement, renewal, amendment, or extension of all or any part of the insurance, the Contractor shall promptly provide the Township with confirmation of coverage and, if required, a certified true copy of the policy certified by an authorized representative of the insurer together with copies of any amending endorsements applicable to the contract. Page 8

b) Professional Liability Insurance (Errors & Omissions) in an amount not less than Two Million ($2,000,000) per claim and such insurance shall provide coverage for all errors and omissions, including copyright & unauthorized access, made by the professional in the rendering of, or failure to render, professional services in connection with the contract. Upon completion of the work the policy shall remain in force for three (3) years. A certificate of insurance evidencing renewal is to be provided each and every year and if required, a certified true copy of the policy certified by an authorized representative of the insurer together with copies of any amending endorsements applicable to the contract. Should the policy be cancelled or lapsed the Contractor must purchase at their expense an Extended Reporting Period and provide confirmation thereof to the Township. Notice of Cancellation The Commercial General Liability policy shall be endorsed to provide the Township with not less than 30 Days written notice of cancellation, change or amendment restricting coverage. The Professional Liability (Errors & Omissions) Insurance policy shall be endorsed to provide the Township with not less than 90 Days written notice of cancellation, change or amendment restricting coverage. All policies shall be with insurers licensed to underwrite insurance in the Province of Ontario. All applicable deductibles under the above required insurance policies are at the sole expense of the Contractor. All policies shall apply as primary and not as excess of any insurance available to the Township. For information purposes the insurer may not agree to notice of change or amendment restricting coverage or 90 days notice of cancellation as requested under b). Also an extended reporting policy can only be purchased under certain circumstances if the policy is cancelled or lapsed and not replaced by another insurer. Page 9

5.0 SPECIAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS Submission of a proposal constitutes acknowledgement the proponent has read and agrees to be bound by all the terms and conditions of the Request for Proposal. The Township will not make any payments for the preparation of the response to the Request for Proposal. All costs incurred by a proponent will be borne by the proponent. The Township does not bind itself to accept the lowest price proposal or any proposal submitted. The Township has the right to cancel the Request for Proposal at any time and to reissue it for any reason whatsoever, without incurring any liability and no proponent will have any claim against the Township as a result of the cancellation or re-issuing of the Request for Proposal. The Firm acknowledges that the Township shall have the right to reject any, or all, Proposals for any reason, or to accept any Proposal which the Township in its sole discretion deems most advantageous to itself. In the event that a prepared proposal does not precisely and entirely meet the requirements of the Township, the Township reserves the right to enter into negotiations with the selected Proponent(s) to arrive at a mutually satisfactory arrangement with respect to any modifications to a proposal. The Township reserves the right to consider, during the evaluation of Proposals: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) information provided in the Proposal document itself; information provided in response to enquiries of industry references set out in the Proposal; information received in response to enquiries made by the Township of third parties apart from those disclosed in the Proposal in relation to the reputation, reliability, experience and capabilities of the Firm; the manner in which the Firm provides services to others; the experience and qualification of the Firm s senior management, and project management; (vi) the compliance of the Firm with the Township s requirements and specifications; and (vii) innovative approaches proposed by the Firm in the Proposal. Page 10

If a contract is to be awarded as a result of the Request for Proposal, it will be awarded to the proponent whose proposal, in the Township s opinion, provided the best potential value to the Township and is capable in all respects to fully perform the contract requirements and the integrity to assure performance of the contract obligations based on the objective assessment outlined above. If the Township decides to award a contract based on a submission received in response to this Request for Proposal, the successful proponent will be notified of the intent to award, and the subsequent execution of a written agreement shall constitute the making of a contract. Proponents will not acquire any legal or equitable rights or privileges whatsoever until the contract is signed by both parties. In the event of any inconsistency between the RFP and the contract, the contract shall govern. The Township reserves the exclusive right to determine the qualitative aspects of all proposals relative to the evaluation criteria. Proponents may not amend or withdraw their proposals after the closing date and time. The proposals and accompanying documentation submitted by the proponent are the property of the Township and will not be returned. Proponents are advised that all communications with the Township related to this RFP during the bidding process must be directly and only with the individual nominated in section 2.7. Page 11

APPENDIX A COST SUBMISSION Equipment Base System Telephone Sets Installation and Training Trade-in on existing equipment Maintenance, Warranty and Support (Year 1) Cost HST (13%) Total Maintenance, Warranty and Support (Year 2 and ongoing) Cost HST (13%) Total Other Cost HST (13%) Total Service Calls During business hours call: minimum charge During business hours call: per hour cost After hours call: minimum charge After hours: per hour cost Special project per hour cost Cost Page 12