1936_0.DOC

State of Wisconsin

DOA-3261 (R08/2003)

s.16.75, Wis. Statutes

PROPOSALS MUST BE SEALED AND ADDRESSED TO:

FORMCHECKBOX

Remove from proposer list for this commodity/service. (Return this page only.)

AGENCY ADDRESS:

Department of Administration

State Bureau of Procurement

Street Address:

Mailing Address:

101 East Wilson Street, 6th Floor PO Box 7869

Madison, Wisconsin 53702 Madison, WI 53707-7869

Proposal envelope must be sealed and plainly marked in lower corner with due date and Request for Proposal # 27773-LF. Late proposals will be rejected. Proposals MUST be date and time stamped by the soliciting purchasing office on or before the date and time that the proposal is due. Proposals dated and time stamped in another office will be rejected. Receipt of a proposal by the mail system does not constitute receipt of a proposal by the purchasing office. Any proposal which is inadvertently opened as a result of not being properly and clearly marked is subject to rejection. Proposals must be submitted separately, i.e., not included with sample packages or other proposals. Proposal openings are public unless otherwise specified. Records will be available for public inspection after issuance of the notice of intent to award or the award of the contract. Proposer should contact person named below for an appointment to view the proposal record. Proposals shall be firm for acceptance for sixty (60) days from date of proposal opening, unless otherwise noted. The attached terms and conditions apply to any subsequent award.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

September 7, 2005, 2:00 pm CST Public Opening

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fillin "Date and time"

PROPOSER (Name and Address)

No Public Opening x

Name (Contact for further information)

Lyman Fusonfillin "Contact Person"

Phone

608-266-9796 Date

7/1/2005fillin "Phone" fillin "Date"

Quote Price and Delivery FOB

See bid documentsfillin "F.O.B /Destination"

Description

RFP #27773-LF

Request for Proposal for

Combined Voice Networks

Including Centrex, Long Distance, Voice Processing, Hosted IP Services and Managed IP Services

Amended July 29, 2005

With the following changes:

Section 3.3.5: two references to section 3.1.7 changed to 3.1.2

· Tables 8.9.1 and 8.10.1 changed, columns for “Subsequent Installation Charge” removed, and the word “Conversion” removed from the last column in both tables.

FORMCHECKBOX

We claim minority bidder preference [Wis. Stats. s. 16.75(3m)]. Under Wisconsin Statutes, a 5% preference may be granted to CERTIFIED Minority Business Enterprises. Bidder must be certified by the Wisconsin Department of Commerce. If you have questions concerning the certification process, contact the Wisconsin Department of Commerce, 5th Floor, 201 W. Washington Ave., Madison, Wisconsin 53702, (608) 267-9550.

FORMCHECKBOX

We are a work center certified under Wis. Stats. s. 16.752 employing persons with severe disabilities. Questions concerning the certification process should be addressed to the Work Center Program, State Bureau of Procurement, 6th Floor, 101 E. Wilson St., Madison, Wisconsin 53702, (608) 266-2605.

Wis. Stats. s. 16.754 directs the state to purchase materials which are manufactured to the greatest extent in the United States when all other factors are substantially equal. Materials covered in our bid were manufactured in whole or in substantial part within the United States, or the majority of the component parts thereof were manufactured in whole or in substantial part in the United States.

FORMCHECKBOX

Yes FORMCHECKBOX No FORMCHECKBOX Unknown

In signing this proposal we also certify that we have not, either directly or indirectly, entered into any agreement or participated in any collusion or otherwise taken any action in restraint of free competition; that no attempt has been made to induce any other person or firm to submit or not to submit a proposal; that this proposal has been independently arrived at without collusion with any other proposer, competitor or potential competitor; that this proposal has not been knowingly disclosed prior to the opening of proposals to any other proposer or competitor; that the above statement is accurate under penalty of perjury.

We will comply with all terms, conditions and specifications required by the state in this Request for Proposal and all terms of our proposal.

Name of Authorized Company Representative (Type or Print)

Title

Phone

Fax

Signature of Above

Date

Federal Employer Identification No.

Social Security No. if Sole

Proprietor (Voluntary)

This form can be made available in accessible formats upon request to qualified individuals with disabilities.

1. General Information

1.1. Introduction & Background / Existing Services

The Department of Administration of the State of Wisconsin, Division of Enterprise Technology (State) is issuing this Request-for-Proposal. The following agreements for telecommunications services will be expiring over the next 24-months.

· Centrex Services, including Analog and Digital Local Access Services

· Voice Processing Services

· Long Distance Services

· Hosted IP Services (IP-Centrex), and

· Managed IP Services (IP-PBX)

The State has identified a requirement to maintain at least some level of these telecommunications services over the next 3 to 5 years, and therefore is seeking new agreements for the provision of these services. The State is seeking two separate proposals, one proposal for a 3-year agreement with two 1-year extensions at the State’s discretion, and another proposal for a 5-year agreement for each of the five (5) product / service components.

1.1.1. Centrex Service – Centrex is the primary local access service of the State. While the State utilizes a few PBX systems, key systems, and general telephone lines, Centrex is the primary means of local access to voice network services for most State and university locations.

1.1.1.1. SBC provides Centrex services for a number of State locations. The locations, NXX - NPA, and line quantities are summarized in Table 1.4.1.

1.1.1.2. The Centrex service is primarily analog, with the current set of station and line features that are summarized in Section 1.4.3.

1.1.1.3. The contract for Centrex service from SBC expires on August 28, 2006, with some time frame flexibility to allow for an orderly transition to an alternative service agreement.

1.1.1.4. CenturyTel is the other major provider of Centrex services to the State. The locations, NXX, and line quantities of CenturyTel services are summarized in Table 1.4.2 below.

1.1.1.5. The station line and feature set is similar to that provided in the current contracts.

1.1.1.6. The Contract for Centrex services from CenturyTel expires December 31, 2006, with some time frame flexibility to allow for an orderly transition to an alternative service agreement.

1.1.1.7. Current Centrex costs for both providers are briefly summarized in Table 1.4.4.

1.1.1.8. Information is available on Centrex line count by street address in the areas currently served by SBC. This information will be provided on request.

1.1.2. Analog and Digital Voice Access Services – this procurement will include the provision of the following basic telecommunications access services:

1.1.2.1. Analog Lines (POTS)

1.1.2.2. Analog Ground Start Trunks

1.1.2.3. Analog Direct-In-Dial Inward-only Trunks

1.1.2.4. T1 Access Facilities

1.1.2.5. Primary Rate Interface (PRI) Access Facilities and Signaling

1.1.2.6. Basic Rate Interface (BRI)

1.1.3. Voice Processing Service – the State utilizes voice mail, auto-attendant and nested recorded announcement services associated with a number of SBC and CenturyTel-provided Centrex systems across the State. The SBC service is provided by SBC Managed Services, which owns all equipment associated with provisioning the system and the State pays an annual rental for mailboxes and related services. The CenturyTel services are provided as a basic feature of Centrex service. The systems are not integrated, and there is no connectivity between the various CenturyTel systems.

1.1.3.1. There are approximately 25,000 voice mail users on the SBC Managed Services system, and 3,000 users of CenturyTel services.

1.1.3.2. The University of Wisconsin, Madison campus, owns and utilizes a separate Octel system for its voice processing applications. This procurement is not designed to replace the Octel. However, at some point the University may consider replacement of the Octel with the system provided through this procurement.

1.1.3.3. There are approximately 1,700 nested recorded announcements on the SBC system.

1.1.3.4. The various SBC Centrex systems are linked to the centralized voice mail system using standard SMDI circuits and voice talk-paths. On an InterLATA basis this connectivity is provided through the State’s private network.

1.1.3.5. The voice processing system provides a standard feature set of voice-storage-and-forward functionality and visual and/or audible message waiting indication to analog Centrex stations.

1.1.3.6. The SBC Managed Services agreement for voice processing services expires August 28, 2006. The CenturyTel Centrex-based voice processing agreement expires January 1, 2007.

1.1.3.7. Current voice mail costs are briefly summarized in Section 1.4.4.

1.1.3.8. Current voice mail user locations and quantities are summarized in Table 1.4.5. & 1.4.6.

1.1.4. Long Distance Services – The State utilizes outbound, switched and dedicated, intralata, interlata, interstate and international long distance services from AT&T. AT&T also provides inbound, switched and dedicated, intralata, interlata, and interstate services, as well as calling card, switched digital, and digital access services to the State. All services are provided under a single agreement that expires June 30, 2006. The Centrex-based portion of the State’s long distance network is commonly referred to as the State Telephone System (STS), and the principal Centrex serving locations as message centers. Figure 1.4.7 provides a graphical configuration of the STS network. Tables 1.4.7.2-3 provide summary detail on long distance usage. The State anticipates the new agreement under this procurement to begin prior to June 30, 2006.

1.2. Introduction & Background / Future Services

The State foresees a potential requirement for Voice-over-IP (VoIP) services to replace, enhance, or augment the services described in Section 1.1, existing PBX systems, and additional locations and/or applications, over the next 3 to 5 years. This is envisioned as a migration to VoIP services that will occur as agencies, departments and universities develop the financial, operational and technical justification for this technology. Estimating the timing and quantities of this migration would be extremely speculative; therefore, the State will not commit to the implementation of any systems for the term of the agreement, but rather will offer the successful responder the opportunity to hold an authorized provider status should agencies or universities elect to implement VoIP technology. That is, the State will select a single vendor to provide Hosted VoIP systems and a single vendor to supply Managed VoIP Services, however a single vendor could be awarded both the Hosted and Managed product / service components.

Currently the State envisions these VoIP systems falling into two general categories

1.2.1. Hosted IP Systems – General Characteristics

1.2.1.1. Centralized call management server located off-site at a provider location.

1.2.1.2. A gateway device, located at the State location utilizing the service, will serve as an interface point between the State’s Local Area Network (LAN) and the remote equipment of the provider. This must be a device dedicated to voice services.

1.2.1.3. The provider will be responsible for the digital network connectivity required to link the gateway device to the centralized call management system, and the provider will pay any cost associated with this network connectivity. The State’s private network – BadgerNet – can be used to provide the necessary digital connectivity, or the provider may elect to use another digital network to provide the connectivity. Table 1.2.1.4 is provided detailing the BadgerNet costs for various levels of bandwidth. The proposal must clearly indicate whether the provider has selected BadgerNet or an alternative network, the amount of the bandwidth required to support the application and whether the cost of network connectivity is included in the price.

Table 1.2.1.4 - BadgerNet Rate Table

1.2.1.4. The provider gateway will provide connectivity to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). Voice mail services can be provided through either the centralized call management system or the on-site gateway.

1.2.1.5. The State is particularly interested in as much system transparency as possible with associated Centrex systems. For instance in a university setting, a specific department may utilize a Hosted IP system, while the rest of the university continues to utilize Centrex service. Therefore, the Hosted IP system is required to provide dial plan compatibility and basic voice feature compatibility – call transfer, call forwarding - with the Centrex system.

1.2.1.6. VoIP telephone station equipment and VoIP voice functionality as detailed in Section 6.

1.2.1.7. State will provide all required intra-facility infrastructure and cabling, and any necessary LAN compatibility, as defined within by the proposer in the response to this RFP.

1.2.1.8. The State anticipates procuring this service at a monthly per station cost. The State is open to other pricing options, however the State will evaluate the proposal on the basis of cost-per-station.

1.2.1.9. The State is seeking the following two options for the pricing of voice appliances as part of this network offering:

1.2.1.9.1. A one-time purchase price for at least three types of voice telephone sets – basic, average user, and high volume user. The purchase price must include all shipping, delivery, installation and training costs, and the cost of a 12-month set replacement warranty from the date of installation.

1.2.1.9.2. A monthly rental price for at least three types of voice telephone sets – basic, average user, and high volume user. The rental price must include all shipping, delivery, installation and training costs, and the cost of a set replacement warranty from the date of installation through the entire term of the agreement.

1.2.1.10. For the proposed purchase price as described in Section 6.1.7.1 provide a guaranteed annual maintenance cost for set replacement and maintenance on a business day basis for the 12-month period after the expiration of the initial warranty period.

1.2.1.11. The State expects that all vendor-provided system components will be fully functional and available 99.99% of the time with a grade of service of P.01.

1.2.1.12. After a location has been converted to VoIP, the State requires the capability to provision adds, moves and changes for individual telephone sets and voice mailboxes. The State must have web-based or on-line access to add, delete and activate stations, change station software and configurations, activate and change voice mailboxes and generally administer the system.

1.2.2. Managed IP PBX – General Characteristics

1.2.2.1. Centralized call management system to be located on-site at a State location. This centralized call management system must provide access to centralized voice mail and potentially dedicated access to any interexchange carrier designated by the State.

1.2.2.2. Connectivity to private and public IP networks and PSTN will be provided by the State under separate contractual agreements.

1.2.2.3. A required gateway dedicated to voice services and providing access to local PSTN services and any interexchange carrier designated by the State.

1.2.2.4. For evaluation purposes, the State’s private network – BadgerNet – will be used to provide the necessary digital connectivity. Table 1.2.1.4 is provided detailing the BadgerNet costs for various levels of bandwidth. The amount of the bandwidth required to support the application and the cost of network connectivity must be included in the price.

1.2.2.5. The State is particularly interested in as much system transparency with associated Centrex systems as possible. For instance in a university setting, a specific department may elect to procure a Hosted IP system, while the rest of the university continues to utilize Centrex service. Therefore, the Hosted IP system is required to provide dial plan compatibility and basic voice feature compatibility – call transfer, call forwarding - with the Centrex system.

1.2.2.6. VoIP telephone station equipment and VoIP voice functionality as detailed in Section 7.

1.2.2.7. State will provide all required intra-facility infrastructure and cabling, and any necessary LAN compatibility.

1.2.2.8. The State expects to procure this type of service as a purchase of required hardware and software, in a fashion similar to the current procurement of PBX equipment.

1.2.2.9. The State expects that all vendor-provided system components will be fully functional and available 99.99% of the time.

1.2.2.10. After a location has been converted to VoIP, the State requires the capability to provision adds, moves and changes for individual telephone sets and voice mailboxes. The State must have web-based or on-line access to add, delete and activate stations, change station software and configurations, activate and change voice mailboxes and generally administer the system.

1.3. General Procurement Issues

1.3.1. With this RFP the State is soliciting services in the telecommunications product and services categories detail in Sections 1.1 and 1.2 above.

1.3.2. The State will entertain responses from vendors proposing services for each of the categories. The State’s preference is to deal with a minimal number of vendors to maximize management efficiency, however, given the broad range of services and geographic nature requested, the State may select multiple vendors, and therefore each of the categories will be scored and rank independently. The State will award additional bonus points to vendors bidding multiple components of this procurement. As always, the State will act in its best interest in selecting the most advantageous structure of vendors and services.

1.3.3. Currently, all other governmental entities in the State – school districts, municipal governments, county governments, etc. – can order services under the agreements negotiated by the State with various service providers. These governmental entities are referred to as authorized users. The State does not provide support or services to these authorized users, and the authorized users have no commitment – in usage, revenue or term – to the various service providers. The services are ordered directly from the various service providers by the end user and the end user is billed directly by the providers. The system has been extremely successful for all parties – the authorized users have the opportunity to obtain low rates, the State is providing value to the governmental entities with minimum resource costs, and the various service providers have increased revenues under the agreements. Under this RFP, it is the preference of the State that all terms, conditions and pricing for the procured services be extended to authorized users. However, at a minimum, each proposal must include some plan to offer competitively priced services to the authorized users.

1.4. Current Environment

1.4.1. Current Centrex Locations – Table 1.4.1 summarizes the existing SBC Centrex locations, the quantities of lines by type, the estimated average monthly local calling usage, and the serving Centrex system.

Table 1.4.1

Total

89,024

1.4.2. Current Centrex Locations – Table 1.4.2 summarizes the existing CenturyTel Centrex locations, the quantities of lines by type, and the serving Centrex system.

Table 1.4.2

DMS

DCO

DCO

DMS

DMS

EWSD

GTD5

5E

DMS

DCO

DCO

DMS

DMS

DMS

DMS

DCO

1.4.3. Current Centrex Feature Set – The features listed below vary by serving Central Office but are all reasonably available on the Centrex systems detailed in Section 1.4.1 & 1.4.2.

1.4.3.1. Non-ISDN or EKTS Standard Centrex Features

1.4.3.1.1. Coordinated numbering plan

1.4.3.1.2. 6-way conferencing

1.4.3.1.3. Automatic Callback

1.4.3.1.4. Automatic Dial

1.4.3.1.5. Call Diverting

1.4.3.1.6. Call Forwarding of Call Waiting Calls

1.4.3.1.7. Call Forwarding – Busy

1.4.3.1.8. Call Forwarding – Variable

1.4.3.1.9. Call Forwarding – Don’t Answer

1.4.3.1.10. Call Forwarding over Private Facilities

1.4.3.1.11. Call Hold

1.4.3.1.12. Call Pickup

1.4.3.1.13. Caller ID – Blocking

1.4.3.1.14. Calling Reason Display

1.4.3.1.15. Call Transfer – All

1.4.3.1.16. Call Transfer (inter-system) – Deluxe

1.4.3.1.17. Call Waiting / Cancel Call Waiting

1.4.3.1.18. Conference Calling – 3-way

1.4.3.1.19. Conference Services

1.4.3.1.20. Consultation Hold

1.4.3.1.21. Directed Call Pick-up – Barge-in

1.4.3.1.22. Direct Inward Dial

1.4.3.1.23. Direct Outward Dial

1.4.3.1.24. Directed Call Pickup

1.4.3.1.25. Distinctive Ringing and Call Waiting Tone

1.4.3.1.26. End-to-end Signaling

1.4.3.1.27. Equal Access for Inter-LATA Calling

1.4.3.1.28. Hunting Arrangements

1.4.3.1.29. Intercom Calling

1.4.3.1.30. Last Number Redial

1.4.3.1.31. Message Waiting Indication – Audible

1.4.3.1.32. Message Waiting Indication – Visual

1.4.3.1.33. Speed Calling – Short

1.4.3.1.34. Stop Hunt – Access Code

1.4.3.1.35. Transfer Calls to Restricted Station

1.4.3.1.36. Touch Tone

1.4.3.1.37. Usage Billing by Line Number

1.4.3.2. ISDN & EKTS Centrex Standard Features includes all features listed in Section 2.8.3.1, plus

1.4.3.2.1. Analog Line Pick-up

1.4.3.2.2. Automatic Line Pre-select

1.4.3.2.3. Call Appearance Ringing Options

1.4.3.2.4. Call Diverting

1.4.3.2.5. Call Forwarding per Key

1.4.3.2.6. Call Forwarding Variable Feature Button

1.4.3.2.7. Call Request

1.4.3.2.8. Called Number Display

1.4.3.2.9. Caller ID-Intercom

1.4.3.2.10. Caller ID

1.4.3.2.11. Default Throughput Class Assignment

1.4.3.2.12. Display Capability

1.4.3.2.13. Executive Busy Override

1.4.3.2.14. Executive Busy Override – Exempt

1.4.3.2.15. Far End Disconnect Supervision

1.4.3.2.16. Fast Select

1.4.3.2.17. Fast Select Acceptance

1.4.3.2.18. Features Buttons

1.4.3.2.19. Flexible Button Assignment

1.4.3.2.20. Flow Control Parameter Negotiation

1.4.3.2.21. Group Intercom

1.4.3.2.22. Hunt Group for Shared Data Access

1.4.3.2.23. Increased Shared Directory Number Group Size

1.4.3.2.24. Intercom Groups

1.4.3.2.25. Leave Message Activation

1.4.3.2.26. Listen On Hold

1.4.3.2.27. Logical Channels

1.4.3.2.28. Make Busy

1.4.3.2.29. Make Set Busy

1.4.3.2.30. Message Retrieval Display

1.4.3.2.31. Message Waiting Activation Control

1.4.3.2.32. Multiple Call Appearances

1.4.3.2.33. Music on Hold

1.4.3.2.34. Non-standard Default Flow Control Parameters

1.4.3.2.35. On Hook Dialing

1.4.3.2.36. Pickup Held Conference Call from Shared Directory Number Call Appearance

1.4.3.2.37. Point-to-point & Multi-point Lines

1.4.3.2.38. Recognized Private Operating Agency Selection

1.4.3.2.39. Repeat Alert

1.4.3.2.40. Reverse Charging

1.4.3.2.41. Reverse Charging Acceptance

1.4.3.2.42. Ring Again Idle Set

1.4.3.2.43. Ringing Options for MADN

1.4.3.2.44. Secondary Directory Numbers

1.4.3.2.45. Secondary MADN Call Forwarding

1.4.3.2.46. Set Inspect

1.4.3.2.47. Shared Directory Number Bridging with Conference Calls

1.4.3.2.48. Short Hunt

1.4.3.2.49. Standard “B” and “D” Packet Parameter Arrangement

1.4.3.2.50. Stop Hunt – Access Code

1.4.3.2.51. Terminal Management

1.4.3.2.52. Time & Date Display

1.4.3.2.53. UCD – Music in Queue

1.4.3.2.54. UCD – Queue Slots

1.4.3.2.55. UCD – Recorded Announcements – Custom & Generic

1.4.4. Current Centrex & Voice Mail Cost Summary – Table 1.4.3 summarizes current information on the Centrex-based voice processing systems of the State.

Table 1.4.4

For State agencies, includes:

· Feature package

· EUCL

· On-line programming by users (CentrexMate)

· Local message units

· ECC

Includes (not limited to):

· State Agencies and authorized Centrex users

· Up to 30,000 user boxes

· 5 dedicated servers (software, hardware, network costs)

· Operations Manager, Help desk manager, 4 dedicated help desk staff, 1 dedicated Tele-planner (local)

· Full support and maintenance – managed service

· Reporting

1.4.5. Voice Mail Users / Centrex – Table 1.4.5 summarizes the quantity and provider information on the current SBC Managed Services Centrex-based voice processing system of the State.

Table 1.4.5

Total

22,442

1.4.6. Voice Mail Users / Centrex – Table 1.4.6 summarizes the quantity and provider information on the current CenturyTel Centrex-based voice processing system of the State.

Table 1.4.6

Total

1,829

1.4.7. Long Distance Service

1.4.7.1. Current Long Distance Network Configuration – Figure 1.4.5 is a graphical depiction of the current State long distance network.

Figure 1.4.7

1.4.7.2. Centrex Messages Centers – Table 1.4.7.2 summarizes the annual long distance usage of the State by Centrex Message Center.

Table 1.4.7.2

Switched Origination

Variable

Sub-total

60,411,849

Inbound

Sub-total

51,898,835

1.4.7.3. Non-Centrex Locations – Table 1.4.7.3 summarizes the annual long distance usage of the State for non-Centrex locations.

Table 1.4.7.3

Switched Origination

Variable

Sub-total

25,000,000

Inbound

Sub-total

13,681,764

Sub-total

1,015,750

1.4.7.4. Long Distance Usage Summary – Table 1.4.7.4 summarizes total long distance usage for the State.

Table 1.4.7.4

Inbound Switched

1.5. Procuring and contracting agency

1.5.1. This Request for Proposal (RFP) is issued by the Wisconsin Department of Administration, which is the sole point of contact for the State of Wisconsin during the selection process. The person responsible for managing the procurement process is Lyman Fuson.

1.5.2. The contract resulting from this RFP will be administered by the Wisconsin Department of Administration.

1.6. Definitions - The following definitions are used through the RFP.

1.6.1. Agency means the Wisconsin Department of Administration.

1.6.2. Proposer/vendor means a firm submitting a proposal in response to this RFP.

1.6.3. State means State of Wisconsin.

1.6.4. Contractor means proposer awarded the contract.

1.7. Clarification and/or revisions to the specifications and requirements

1.7.1. Any questions concerning this RFP must be submitted in writing on or before July 22, 2005 to:

Postal Address

Common Carrier Address

Lyman Fuson

IT Procurement Manager

IT Procurement Manager

State Bureau of Procurement

Department of Administration

PO Box 7867

101 E. Wilson Street, 6th Floor Madison WI 53707-7867

Madison WI 53702

FAX #608-267-0600

email: lyman.fuson@doa.state.wi.us

TTY #608-266-9796

1.7.2. Vendors are expected to raise any questions or exceptions they have concerning the RFP document at this point in the RFP process. If a vendor discovers any significant ambiguity, error, conflict, discrepancy, omission, or other deficiency in this RFP, the vendor should notify immediately the above named individual of such error and request modification or clarification of the RFP.

1.7.3. In the event that it becomes necessary to provide additional clarifying data or information, or to revise any part of this RFP, revisions/amendments and/or supplements will be provided to all recipients of this initial RFP.

1.7.4. Each proposal shall stipulate that it is predicated upon the requirements, terms, and conditions of this RFP and any supplements or revisions thereof.

1.7.5. Any contacts with State employees concerning this RFP are prohibited, except as authorized by the RFP manager, during the period from date of release of the RFP until the notice of intent to contract is released.

1.7.6. Vendor conference – At the discretion of the state there may be a vendor conference after the issuance of the RFP.

1.7.7. Reasonable Accommodations: The Department will provide reasonable accommodations, including the provision of informational material in an alternative format, for qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. If you think you need accommodations at a bid opening/vendor conference, contact Lyman Fuson at 608-266-9796 (voice), 608-264-9500 (fax), or 608-267-9629 (TTY).

1.8. Calendar of events

Listed below are specific and estimated dates and times of actions related to this Request for Proposal (RFP). The actions with specific dates must be completed as indicated unless otherwise changed by the State. In the event that the State finds it necessary to change any of the specific dates and times in the calendar of events listed below, it will do so by issuing a supplement to this RFP. There may or may not be a formal notification issued for changes in the estimated dates and times.

1.10 VendorNet registration - Only vendors registered with the State of Wisconsin’s VendorNet will automatically receive future official requests for proposals for DOA procurements. VendorNet is the State’s vendor registration system through which the State guarantees that it will notify vendors of opportunities to bid or to submit proposals, when the anticipated contract is valued at more than $25,000, either via e-mail, when the vendor has Internet access, or by first class mail. VendorNet registration is not required to submit a proposal as vendors still may obtain information on official State proposals through the Wisconsin Public Notices website. To obtain information on the state’s registration process, please call the VendorNet Information Center (1-800-482-7813). (in the Madison area, please call 264-7897 or 264-7898), or contact them at vendrhlp@mail.state.wi.us

2. Preparing and Submitting a Proposal

2.1. General instructions

2.1.1. The evaluation and selection of a contractor and the contract will be based on the information submitted in the vendor's proposal plus references and any required on‑site visits or oral interviews. Failure to respond to each of the requirements in the RFP may be the basis for rejecting a response.

2.1.2. Elaborate proposals (e.g., expensive artwork), beyond that sufficient to present a complete and effective proposal, are not necessary or desired.

2.1.3. The State of Wisconsin is not liable for any cost incurred by proposers in replying to this RFP.

2.1.4. Proposers must submit an original (marked) and 10 hard copies and five (5) electronic copies on CD of all materials required for acceptance of their proposal by 2:00 PM, CT., September 7, 2005 to:

IT Procurement Manager

IT Procurement Manager

PO Box 7867

101 E. Wilson Street, 6th Floor

Madison WI 53707-7867

Madison WI 53702

2.1.5. Proposals must be received in the above office by the specified time stated above. All proposals must be time-stamped as accepted by the Purchasing Office by the stated time. Proposals not so stamped will not be accepted. Receipt of a proposal by the State mail system does not constitute receipt of a proposal by the State Bureau of Procurement, for purposes of this RFP.

2.1.6. To ensure confidentiality of the document, all proposals must be packaged, sealed and show the following information on the outside of the package.

2.1.6.1. Name and address of Proposer

2.1.6.2. Request for proposal title

2.1.6.3. Request for proposal number

2.1.6.4. Proposal due date

2.1.7. An original plus five (5) hard copies and three (3) electronic copies on CD of the Cost Proposal should be sealed and submitted as a separate part of the proposal. The outside of the envelope must be clearly labeled with the words “Cost Proposal” and name of the vendor and due date. The cost proposal is due to the addressee on the due date and time noted above.

2.2. Proposal organization and format

2.2.1. Proposals should be typed and submitted on 8.5 by 11-inch paper, in a back-bound D-ring binder. Proposals must be organized and presented in the order and by the number assigned in the RFP and include the wording of each individual section provided by the State and the response to the section the section directly below the numbered section. The font used for the response should be standard 14-point Arial.

2.2.2. Proposals must be organized with the following headings and subheadings. Each heading and subheading should be separated by tabs or otherwise clearly marked. The RFP sections that should be submitted or responded to are:

2.2.2.1. Tab1: Cover page

2.2.2.2. Tab 2: Introduction

2.2.2.3. Tab 3: Response to general requirements – Section 1

2.2.2.4. Tab 4: Centrex Service – Section 3

2.2.2.5. Tab 5: Voice Processing - Section 4

2.2.2.6. Tab 6: Long Distance – Section 5

2.2.2.7. Tab 7: Hosted VoIP – Section 6

2.2.2.8. Tab 8: Managed VoIP – Section 7

2.2.2.9. Tab 9: Cost – Section 8 – see 2.1.7 above

2.2.2.10. Tab 10: Required forms:

2.2.2.10.1. Designation of Confidential and Proprietary Information

2.2.2.10.2. Wisconsin Cooperative Purchasing Service

2.2.2.10.3. Vendor Information

2.2.2.10.4. Standard Terms and Conditions

2.2.3. The vendor must submit its Cost Proposal on the forms provided in Section 8 according to the instructions provided. The Cost Proposal should be sealed and separate from the Technical Proposal. Failure to provide any requested information in the prescribed format may result in disqualification of the proposal.

2.2.4. No mention of the cost proposal may be made in the response to the technical requirements of this Request for Proposal.

2.3. Cross References - If a response to a requirement includes a cross reference, the cross reference must refer to a specific page and paragraph in the proposal or technical manuals (not sales brochures), in addition to a direct response to the RFP question or statement. Copies of the specified pages must accompany the proposal and be identified by the RFP section and sub-section number. In general, cross-referencing should be kept to a minimum, and cross-referencing an entire chapter or section consisting of numerous pages is not acceptable. If a proposer insists on poor cross-referencing techniques, they run the risk of a reduction in Technical and General scoring.

2.4. Multiple proposals - Multiple proposals from a vendor will be permissible; however, each proposal must conform fully to the requirements for proposal submission. Each such proposal must be submitted separately and labeled as Proposal #1, Proposal #2, etc. on each page included in the response. Alternate acquisition plans do not constitute multiple proposals.

2.5. Oral presentations and site visits - Top scoring vendors based on an evaluation of the written proposal may be required to participate in interviews and/or site visits to support and clarify their proposals, if requested by the State. The State will make every reasonable attempt to schedule each presentation at a time and location that is agreeable to the proposer. Failure of a proposer to interview or permit a site visit on the date scheduled may result in rejection of the vendor's proposal.

2.6. Demonstrations - Top-scoring vendor(s) may be required to install and demonstrate its product(s) and/or service(s) at a State site.

2.6.1. Product(s) being demonstrated must be delivered to the State site upon two (2) weeks notice by the State to the vendor(s) and must be installed and ready for the demonstration within one (1) week of delivery.

2.6.2. The State will furnish detailed specifications concerning the demonstration site and the particular test it will use to exercise the vendor's product(s) and/or service(s).

2.6.3. Failure of a vendor to furnish the product(s) and/or service(s) it has proposed for demonstration within the time constraints of the preceding paragraph may result in rejection of that proposal.

2.6.4. Failure of any product(s) and/or service(s) to meet the State's specified requirements during the demonstration may result in rejection of the vendor's proposal.

2.6.5. The successful demonstration of the vendor's product(s) and/or service(s) does not constitute acceptance by the State.

2.6.6. Any product(s) and/or service(s) furnished by the vendor for the purposes of this demonstration must be identical in every respect to those that will be furnished if a contract results.

2.7. Withdrawal of proposals - Proposals shall be irrevocable until contract award unless the proposal is withdrawn.