NIGP 20420: Communication Control Units: Concentrators, Multiplexers, Couplers, Scan Converters, etc.

NIGP 20420 Communication Control Units: Concentrators, Multiplexers, Couplers, Scan Converters, Etc., Item, encompasses network infrastructure hardware that state and local governments are procuring as managed, equipment-only purchases—primarily Cisco networking switches, wireless infrastructure, and related peripherals for IT operations. Recent solicitations show activity driven by county IT departments, state technology procurement offices, and cooperative purchasing vehicles acquiring switches, transceivers, cables, and licensed services to support government network operations. Work is narrowly scoped: vendors supply new, factory-sealed equipment only, often through authorized reseller channels with mandatory compliance to manufacturer partnerships and original-equipment-only requirements. Configuration, installation, and professional engineering services are explicitly excluded in most bids, and pricing is firm-fixed with all shipping and support entitlements bundled into quoted totals.

Issuing bodies span county IT offices (Chatham County Sheriffs Office in Georgia, Wake County IT Department in North Carolina), state technology agencies (Texas Department of Information Resources), and state-authorized cooperative purchasing programs (Sourcewell representing multiple jurisdictions). Recent activity concentrates in the Southeast and Texas, with Sourcewell's multistate cooperative framework representing a broader geographic reach. Representative opportunities include Chatham County's ITB 26-0114-6 for two Cisco Catalyst 9500 switches and related OEM hardware, due October 20, 2026, with a mandatory 30 percent M/WBE participation goal; Wake County's bid on Cisco equipment for the Sommerset 2 site, due July 10, 2026, requiring Cisco Channel Partner certification; and Texas DIR's indefinite-quantity multiple-award contract for cellular, wireless, pager, and satellite services (TEX-AN-WPS), due July 23, 2026, with a 2.00 percent DIR administrative fee. Sourcewell's RFP 061626 for law enforcement equipment, due June 16, 2026, represents a cooperative purchasing mechanism serving thousands of public entities across the United States and Canada.