UNSPSC 43191505: Answering machines

Integrated or standalone device used to record telephone messages from callers for retrieval by their owner at a later date.

UNSPSC 43191505 Answering machines (Commodity) encompasses live telephone answering and dispatch services that state and local governments procure to handle call intake, message taking, and emergency dispatch for critical operations. Recent solicitations show state and local buyers are contracting for 24/7 answering services staffed by live operators—not automated systems or recorded messaging—to manage incoming call volumes, translate incoming inquiries into multiple languages, dispatch calls to field operations, and generate daily call reports. The Commodity tier code is being tagged to solicitations for professional answering services rather than the sale or installation of physical answering machines; the actual procurement activity is service delivery. Issuing bodies include county government procurement divisions (Collier County Board of County Commissioners), municipal authorities (Housing Authority of the City of Alameda), and regional purchasing cooperatives serving school districts and other member entities. Service scope varies from dedicated dispatch for utility departments handling up to 100 simultaneous calls per hour to smaller operations serving employee call-ins and housing voucher programs, with bilingual and multilingual support frequently required.

Collier County, Florida posted an Invitation to Bid (ITB 26-8670) on July 13, 2026, due August 13, 2026, for 24-hour answering and dispatch services for its Public Utilities Department, with historical annual spending near $60,000 and a three-year term plus optional two-year renewal; the County applies a local-vendor preference and requires five percent bid bonds. The Housing Authority of the City of Alameda (California) issued a Request for Proposal (RFP 20260212RFPAS) on February 12, 2026, due March 10, 2026, for three separate live answering service lines with translation services in Chinese/Cantonese, Vietnamese, Pashto, Arabic, and Dari, operating through December 2030 with extension provisions to 60 months total. A third opportunity tagged to the code—Region 7 Purchasing Cooperative's Network Systems & Supplies catalog discount bid (NET2223), posted March 3, 2026 with an estimated value of $6,437,531—shows misalignment with the answering services scope and reflects tagging error rather than legitimate activity under the Commodity code.