Attachment_3_-_20105514_-_LSJ_Syncsort_Redacted.pdf

OPOAM 3008.405-6(a)(1) Limited-Sources Justification (LSJ)

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LSJ No.: 20105514

This acquisition is conducted under the authority of the Multiple-Award Schedule Program, 41 U.S.C. 152(3), Competitive Procedures, and 40 U.S.C. 501, Services for Executive Agencies.

1. Agency and Contracting Activity. Identification of the agency, the contracting activity, and specific identification of the document as a “Limited-Sources Justification.”

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Customs and Border Protection, Office of Acquisition and Office of Information and Technology (OIT), proposes to award an order pursuant to FAR 8.405-6(a), Limiting Sources.

2. Nature and/or description of the action being approved. Describe the action being approved, and include the name and address of the proposed contractor(s).

CBP proposes to award a firm fixed price delivery order to upgrade and maintain proprietary Syncsort software on a sole-source basis to Syncsort, Inc., 2 BLUE HILL PLZ STE 1563, PEARL RIVER, NY 10965-3113, under General Services Administration (GSA) contract 47QTCA18D003Y. Syncsort is proprietary Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) software that supports specific hardware and software products. Syncsort is the only provider of this software licensing and maintenance; there are no resellers in the marketplace for mainframe products.

3. Description of Supplies/Services. Describe the supplies or services to be acquired. Provide the estimated total value (including options, if any).

The requirement is to renew and purchase additional licensing for proprietary software at a total estimated cost of for a period of one year, April 1, 2019 through March 31, 2020 for the MFX z/OS Maintenance and ZEN maintenance bundle ; and one, 3 month Option period for the ZEN Maintenance Perpetual License bundle from July 1, 2019 through September 30, 2019 . This software is an item peculiar to one manufacturer, Syncsort Inc., and will allow CBP to maintain compatibility with and interface with existing CBP systems.

The OIT is renewing hardware and software maintenance in accordance with the attached Bill of Materials (BOM). Software products under this renewal include: Syncsort Mainframe Express (MFX), ZEN FTP Control FTP-Alert (FTC), ZEN Trace and Solve- Exigence (ZTS), and ZEN IP Monitoring-Implex (ZIM). CBP requires maintenance support on Syncsort MFX, proprietary software manufactured by Syncsort. The comprehensive product provides efficient sort, merge, and copy utilities, which increase system efficiency. Syncsort MFX has four functions:

1) Dynamic Storage Management (DSM) – Monitor and control sort performance and resource use.

2) PARASORT – Allows for parallel activities to reduce sort times.

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3) Dynamic Sortwork Allocation – Minimizes use of DASD for sorting by allocating space required rather than anticipating space prior to sort.

4) MAXSORT – Consolidates jobs to minimize DASD.

The Syncsort ZEN suite of products provides state-of-the-art network monitoring tools for rapid problem resolution. The ZEN product suite allows single sign-on for all ZEN components, simultaneous displays from multiple ZEN products, z/OS system console with command entry, centralized exception handling, sophisticated alerting, centralized reporting, and a set of general network management tools in order for CBP to maintain its operating system at full functioning capabilities.

CBP requires 24x7 support for software performance issues, software releases, hot fixes for software bugs, service packs, and maintenance releases.

4. Authority and supporting rationale. Demonstrate the proposed contractor’s unique qualifications to provide the required supply or service, if applicable.

FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(B) Only one source is capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level of quality required because the supplies or services are unique or highly specialized.

Other companies’ similar products do not meet, and cannot be modified to meet, the needs of CBP. CBP has determined that this is the only brand compatible with its existing applications and none of the other products are able to interconnect and function with current CBP network architecture, maintenance platforms and configuration. Procuring an alternate product based on salient characteristics other than the Syncsort brand name would require extensive modifications to the existing applications, with a significant increase in cost and effort, which cannot be supported or justified as CBP is in the process of re-coding and migrating applications off of the mainframe platform by FY21.

During the course of market research, CBP determined that First Source II vendors are unable to provide this maintenance. Furthermore, a search of GSA Advantage yielded no resellers for mainframe related Syncsort products. Syncsort has exclusive rights and full power and authority to sell, convey, license, and deliver copies of the software and there are no authorized resellers for mainframe products. As such, CBP will acquire the necessary maintenance through Syncsort’s GSA contract 47QTCA18D003Y.

The contracting officer has determined that issuing the proposed delivery order to Syncsort Inc. for maintenance and licensing of software represents the best value and will result in the lowest overall cost, considering price and administrative costs, to meet the Government’s needs. This order will be placed in accordance with FAR 8.404, “Use of Federal Supply Schedules.” GSA has already negotiated fair and reasonable pricing rates.

Discounts to these GSA schedule rates will be requested. Furthermore, the contracting officer will compare the quote to the Independent Government Cost Estimate and prior year acquisitions to validate the proposed pricing is fair and reasonable.

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5. Technical/Requirements Personnel Certification.

I certify that this requirement meets the Government’s minimum need and that the supporting data, which form a basis for the Limited-Sources Justification, are accurate and complete.

6. Contracting Officer Certification/Approval:

I hereby determine that the circumstances described herein exist and that the information is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge: