NNG15SD18B-008.docx

Control Number XX-XXX Micro Focus Reflection Software Licenses and Maintenance Control Number: TAC-18-51469

FedBizOpps Award Notice

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* = Required Field FedBizOpps Award Notice Rev. March 2010 R Micro Focus software licenses and maintenance support 07724 36C10B18Q2998 N 541519 Department of Veterans Affairs Technology Acquisition Center 23 Christopher Way Eatontown NJ 07724 Joseph.Pignataro@va.gov Asif.Damji@va.gov

NNG15SD18B 36C10B18F2905

$5,048,849.67 09-12-2018

AATD LLC

042861498

4818 WEST LAKE OAKS

SAN ANTONIO

TX

78251

JUSTIFICATION FOR AN EXCEPTION TO FAIR OPPORTUNITY

2. Description of Action: The proposed action is for a firm-fixed-price delivery order issued under the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP) V Governmentwide Acquisition Contract (GWAC), to establish an Enterprise License Agreement for brand name Micro Focus (formerly Attachmate) Reflection software licenses and software maintenance

3. Description of the Supplies or Services: VA, Office of Information and Technology, Service Delivery and Engineering has a requirement for brand name Micro Focus Reflection enterprise-wide software licenses and associated software maintenance. Micro Focus Reflection software provides secure encrypted user-to-server connections to applications on International Business Machines (IBM), Hewlett-Packard (HP), Uniplexed Information and Computing System (UNIX), and Unisys systems from any web browser or Windows desktop. The Micro Focus Reflection software covers the full spectrum of host access to a myriad of VA server platforms in one package. This software allows VA application programmers to work with an established baseline of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) from which to write interdependent applications such as Computerized Patient Record System, and other VA in-house applications. The software also provides direct administrative and programming access to VA’s Veterans Information Systems and Technology Architecture (VistA). The Micro Focus software also allows VA to deploy and maintain a single terminal emulation product for Microsoft Windows computers to access VistA legacy systems for interfacing with Massachusetts General Hospital Utility Multi-Programming System databases and Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine gateways supporting VistA Imaging (Radiology). The software provides users with connections to text-based and graphical applications in financial, clinical and administrative applications, and ensures secure transfer of files. Desktop sessions can be suspended and resumed, or transferred to another workstation when using Micro Focus Reflection software. Micro Focus Reflection software functionality includes strengthened host security and improved user productivity. In addition to providing the latest encryption and authentication technologies, Micro Focus Reflection software offers enhanced support for Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), including required single sign-on authentication. The Micro Focus Reflection software includes a crypto module validated against the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) Publication 140-2, which is a U.S. Government computer security standard used to accredit cryptographic modules. This integrated solution enables secure access to mission-critical applications on various systems used by VA. The software is also vital to Section 508 compliance software packages such as screen readers for the visually impaired (Windows Eyes application) and speech-to-text functionality (VA’s JAWS application). These software licenses provide VA with a standard terminal emulator across the enterprise. Additionally, software maintenance agreements are required to ensure the Micro Focus Reflection software remains operational. The initial purchase and each subsequent renewal of the licenses includes a 12-month maintenance plan. The period of performance (PoP) for this effort consists of one 12-month base period with four 12-month option periods, if exercised. VA anticipates utilizing the existing Micro Focus Reflection software for a minimum of five years, therefore, requires this length of PoP. The total estimated price of the proposed action, inclusive of all options, is

4. Statutory Authority: The statutory authority permitting this exception to fair opportunity is Section 41 U.S.C. 4106(c)(2) as implemented by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 16.505(b)(2)(i)(B) entitled, “Only one awardee is capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level of quality required because the supplies or services ordered are unique or highly specialized.”

5. Rationale Supporting Use of Authority Cited Above: Based on market research, as described in Section 8 of this justification, it has been determined that limited competition is viable for these brand name items and services. In September 2007, VA chose the Micro Focus Reflection software as an enterprise solution to protect “Data in transit” for the Host Integration and Emulation Program. Micro Focus Reflection software allows protection of patient medical records and personally identifiable information against theft. Additionally, this software also protects Veterans’ data by using strong FIPS 140-2 encryption that secures data transmission, and prevents VA data from being transmitted in clear-text, both inside and outside VA. Micro Focus Reflection is currently installed on over 460,000 physical and virtual desktops within VA. The existing Micro Focus Reflection software operates and communicates within the Micro Focus proprietary code. Use of any other brand name software would not be able to communicate with the existing 460,000 Micro Focus Reflection software licenses. Furthermore, use of any other brand name software would result in replacing the existing 460,000 Micro Focus Reflection licenses due to these proprietary constraints. This would result in extensive delivery delays and extensive duplication of costs that would not be recovered through competition. These estimates are based on creating the existing infrastructure. The VA enterprise is diverse and varies region by region and Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) by VISN and within the various functional areas. Due to this, the VA enterprise includes many different protocols, host systems and applications including VistA, VistA Mail, Integrated Funds Distribution Control Point Activity Accounting & Procurement, Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System, VA Prosthetics, VA Mainframe Financial systems, VA National Cemetery Association, Benetravel Database, Veterans Benefits National Call Center, Suicide Prevention Center, UNIX, and Unisys systems. These applications run under host servers from HP, IBM and Honeywell/Bull requiring many different protocols with multiple operating systems including Open Virtual Memory System (OpenVMS), Microsoft Windows Server (supporting both direct access and over Terminal Services), Macintosh Operating Systems (OS) X, IBM z/OS and Red Hat Linux. Only Micro Focus Reflection software can access these applications and support enterprise-scaled deployment functionality, in adherence to VA security policies. Specifically, Micro Focus Reflection provides VA with interoperability for secure communications with VA-developed applications per VA security requirements. No other brand name software can access these applications due to the proprietary coding that this environment operates in. Any other brand name software would result in a complete redesign, reengineering, and redevelopment of the existing infrastructure. In addition, end-to-end encryption is required while supporting the VA smart card and PKI initiative in response to Homeland Security Presidential Directive-12. Some sites require Secure Shell (SSH) protocol for file transfer while other sites require Secure Socket Layer (SSL). Additionally, some sites also need a locally installed Windows application while others need a web client product or a hosted Terminal Services-based application. Micro Focus Reflection is the only emulation and file transfer software that meets these requirements. Micro Focus Reflection achieves this by providing a modern three-tier security architecture that allows for the vast amount of data in motion to be encrypted and tunneled through either SSH or SSL protocol with either desktop or web clients. Furthermore, Micro Focus Reflection is the only brand name software that is deployed on both VA and Mental Health System (MHS) enterprise desktops. Data interoperability between MHS and VA systems is greatly enhanced due to their common desktop, which will enable seamless transfer of various Electronic Health Records. Only Micro Focus Reflection software can ensure complete interoperability between the MHS and VA systems. This is due to the programmatic hooks of API’s Micro Focus Reflection software it uses to communicate with MHS and other VA clinical applications such as Computerized Patient Record System. A replacement of Micro Focus Reflection with another product would require massive redevelopment and redesign of these and other VA clinical application software. Loss of this functionality would severely impact VA clinical and administrative operations. This would result in extensive delivery delays and extensive duplication of costs that would not be recovered through competition. These estimates are based on creating the existing environment in which the applications run. Micro Focus Reflection is the only software that gives VA a complete end-to-end solution that is FIPS 140-2 certified, Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC) certified and supports the many diverse environments (including interoperability with Department of Defense) that exist at VA. Additionally, only Micro Focus resellers can provide the specific maintenance support services by having direct access to this source code, which VA, or any other vendor, does not own. Any source must have access to this proprietary source code to provide the maintenance support and ensure all services provided are properly configured.

6. Efforts to Obtain Competition: Market research was conducted, details of which are in the market research section of this justification. Limited competition amongst Micro Focus resellers is anticipated for this brand name acquisition. In accordance with FAR 5.301 and 16.505(b)(2)(ii)(D), award of the resultant delivery order will be synopsized and this justification will be made publicly available on the Federal Business Opportunities Page within 14 days of award. In accordance with FAR 16.505(a)(4)(iii)(A), the justification will be posted with the request for quote on the NASA SEWP V GWAC website with the solicitation to notify all interested parties.

7. Actions to Increase Competition: In order to remove or overcome barriers to competition in future acquisitions for this requirement, the Government will continue to perform market research to determine if there are any new products or maintenance services available in the marketplace that would enable future actions to be fully competed.

8. Market Research: In July 2018, VA conducted market research to determine if there were viable products from other manufacturers besides Reflection to meet VA’s requirements. Similar products from HP, IBM, Honeywell/Bull, VanDyke SecureCRT, Tectia SSH, Rocket Software, PowerTerm InterConnect, Rational Host on Demand, Tera Term and Putty were analyzed and reviewed. Based on this analysis, the Government’s technical experts determined that none of the software solutions offered by these companies could meet VA’s requirements as outlined in Section 5 of this justification. In addition, some of the software solutions evaluated offer a partial solution, for example: emulation only, Windows based only, SSH only, or SSL only; however, none of the products meet all of VA’s critical requirements. Specifically, SSH Tectia and Client/ConnectSecure did not meet VA’s requirements for web-based or JITC-certified client connectivity. In addition, PowerTerm and InterConnect were not able to meet the Government’s need for smart card support. None of the computing products, including SecureCRT, Rocket, Putty could demonstrate or verify they had JITC certification. Rocket Software and VanDyke Terminal Emulation do not have JITC certification. Based on this market research, the Government’s technical experts determined that only brand name Micro Focus Reflection software and associated maintenance can meet all of VA’s requirements.

In June 2018, the Contract Specialist conducted market research to ascertain the extent of limited competition among resellers of the required software licenses and associated software maintenance. Through the use of the Provider Look-up tool on the NASA SEWP V GWAC website, 19 Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs) were identified as resellers of the required Micro Focus Reflection Software licenses and software maintenance support. Therefore, limited competition is anticipated.

9. Other Facts: None.

10. Technical and Requirements Certification: I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance, which are included in this justification, are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Date: ______________________

Solution Delivery Lifecycle Engineer Signature: _________________

11. Fair and Reasonable Cost Determination: I hereby determine that the anticipated price to the Government for this contract action will be fair and reasonable based on anticipated limited competition. Additionally, NASA SEWP V has already determined the prices on contract to be fair and reasonable and more competitive pricing may result from competition. Finally, the successful quote will be compared with the Independent Government Cost Estimate.

Date: ______________________

Procuring Contracting Officer Signature: ______________________

12. Procuring Contracting Officer Certification: I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Date: ______________________

Procuring Contracting Officer Signature: ______________________

13. Legal Sufficiency Certification: I have reviewed this justification and find it adequate to support an exception to fair opportunity and deem it legally sufficient.

Date: ______________________

Legal Counsel Signature: ______________________

Approval

In my role as Head of Contracting Activity, based on the foregoing justification, I hereby approve the acquisition of brand name Micro Focus Reflection software licenses and maintenance on an other than fair opportunity basis pursuant to the statutory authority cited in section 4 above, subject to the availability of funds, and provided that the property and services herein described have otherwise been authorized for acquisition.

JUSTIFICATION FOR AN EXCEPTION TO FAIR OPPORTUNITY

COORDINATION MATRIX

Date Concur/Non-Concur Director, Procurement Services Division F Technology Acquisition Center Office of Procurement, Acquisition and Logistics Department of Veterans Affairs

Date Concur/Non-Concur Advocate for Competition Technology Acquisition Center Office of Procurement, Acquisition and Logistics Department of Veterans Affairs

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