NIGP 83984: Telephone Dialing and Answering Apparatus

NIGP 83984 Telephone Dialing And Answering Apparatus is an Item code covering telephone answering and dispatch services that state and local governments procure to manage incoming calls, route communications, and handle emergency response across departments. Recent solicitations show that state and local jurisdictions purchase answering services to handle high call volumes with required technical features including call recording, bilingual support, performance reporting, and dispatch capabilities. Issuing bodies include county governments and special-purpose districts; Collier County (Florida) and Orange County (California) are active recent buyers. Work is solicited both as standalone 24-hour answering and dispatch services for specific departments and as components within broader digital or technology service contracts where communications infrastructure is required.

Geographic activity centers on Florida and California in recent months, with secondary activity in Maryland. Collier County Board of County Commissioners issued ITB 26-8670 for 24-hour answering and dispatch services for the Public Utilities Department, with bids due August 13, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. EST, requiring call handling for up to 20 simultaneous calls, bilingual support, call recording with 90-day retention, and four-ring answer-time performance across a three-year term with historical annual spending near $60,000. Orange County (California) County Executive Office posted two broader digital services solicitations in late September 2026 that encompassed communications and technology infrastructure components alongside social media and development services, though these represent adjacent rather than primary telephone answering apparatus procurements. A local-vendor preference applies in Collier County under its procurement ordinance. The source shows no recent activity indicating this as a primary growth area; most recent opportunities frame answering services as supporting infrastructure rather than standalone strategic initiatives.