Sole_Source_J A_--_Redacted.pdf

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

I. CONTRACTING ACTIVITY

The 21 st Space Wing, 21 st Contracting Squadron, 21 CONS/LGCBB is the responsible contracting activity for this Justification for Other Than Full and Open Competition in support of the The Situational Awareness Branch at NORAD and USNORTHCOM (N-NC) J664. The customer requests the purchase of Forum Brand Name Consortium II Conference Bridge Server hardware, software, installation, and testing to Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC)

Certified version 9.1.

II. NATURE AND/OR DESCRIPTION OF THE ACTION BEING PROCESSED

The Government intends to solicit through other than full and open competition (sole source) and award a purchase order to FSPS, Inc. for the identified upgrade of the current Forum Brand

Name Consortium II Conference Bridge Server hardware.

III. DESCRIPTION OF THE SUPPLIES/SERVICES REQUIRED TO MEET THE AGENCY’S

NEEDS

The Government requires the purchase of a technical refresh of the NORAD/USNORTHCOM

Forum Brand Name Consortium II Conference Bridge Server located at Cheyenne Mountain Air

Station (CMAFS). The technical refresh involves upgrading the current Forum Brand Name

Consortium II Conference Bridge Server hardware and software to JITC Certified version 9.1.

Upgrading the hardware and software will continue the capabilities of N-NC J644 to provide this critical conference bridge service to NORAD and USNORTHCOM. Upgrading the suite will enable the NORAD Commander to continue to use the Forum Brand Name Consortium II solution to accomplish his mission.

The total estimated cost for this acquisition is . These items are being procured using funds.

IV. STATUTORY AUTHORITY PERMITTING OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN

COMPETITION

The authority for this Justification for Other Than Full and Open Competition is FAR 13.106-

1(b)(1), Soliciting from a single source.

V. DEMONSTRATION THAT THE CONTRACTORS UNIQUE QUALIFICATIONS OR

NATURE OF THE ACQUISITION REQUIRES THE USE OF THE AUTHORITY CITED

ABOVE (APPLICABILITY OF AUTHORITY)

Forum Communications owns all licenses and copyrights for this software. Forum, Consortium

II is the only brand name that can fulfill this requirement. The requested hardware and software upgrade is critical to ensuring availability of core services. Mr. Noel Schnell of Forum, Inc. was contacted via telephone on 5 September 2014 and identified several resellers for their equipment.

Forum, Inc. provides this type of support through it’s resellers only. FSPS, Inc. is the only authorized Forum name brand reseller with sufficient security clearance to perform testing and installation on the required hardware and software within Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station.

An award made to any other Forum reseller would not meet mission suspenses and would incur additional costs for the required security clearances. Therefore, FSPS, Inc. is the only vendor that can fulfill this requirement.

VI. DESCRIPTION OF EFFORTS MADE TO ENSURE THAT OFFERS ARE SOLICITED

FROM AS MANY POTENTIAL SOURCES AS DEEMED PRACTICABLE

Per FAR 6.305(a), a redacted copy of the Justification for Other Than Full and Open

Competition will be posted on FedBizOpps (FBO) within 14 days after contract award for

30 days.

VII. DETERMINATION BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER THAT THE ANTICIPATED

COST TO THE GOVERNMENT WILL BE FAIR AND REASONABLE

Prior to making award, the Contracting Officer will determine that the proposed price is fair and reasonable in accordance with FAR 13.106-3.

VIII. DESCRIPTION OF THE MARKET RESEARCH CONDUCTED AND THE RESULTS,

OR A STATEMENT OF THE REASONS MARKET RESEARCH WAS NOT CONDUCTED

Since only Forum authorized resellers can provide the requested upgrade on the Consortium II

Conference Bridge Server, market research was conducted by contacting Mr. Noel Schnell of

Forum Communications for a list of authorized resellers. Mr. Schnell identified multiple authorized resellers, but only one, FSPS, Inc., possesses the security clearance necessary to perform the installation and testing portion of the contract.

IX. ANY OTHER FACTS SUPPORTING THE USE OF OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN

COMPETITION

This is a purchase for a hardware and software upgrade for N-NC J664 Forum Brand Name

Consortium II. Support that is not Forum Brand Name could not only cause unacceptable service interruptions, but a substantial increase in training costs to bring current technicians up to speed on the new procurement.

X. LIST OF SOURCES, IF ANY, THAT EXPRESSED INTEREST IN THE ACQUISITION

FSPS, Inc.

11435 ALLENDALE DR

PEYTON, CO, 80831-6877

UNITED STATES

CAGE: 3L2D8

XI. A STATEMENT OF THE ACTIONS, IF ANY, THE AGENCY MAY TAKE TO

REMOVE OR OVERCOME ANY BARRIERS TO COMPETITION BEFORE MAKING

SUBSEQUENT ACQUISITIONS FOR THE SUPPLIES OR SERVICES REQUIRED

Barriers to competition consist of the fact that this is a recently designed and deployed system mandating conformity across the architectural structure utilizing Forum Name Brand hardware and support. It would be cost prohibitive as well as a serious degradation in mission support to attempt to redesign the system at this point. We will continue to monitor trends and examine the marketplace for alternative viable solutions for future acquisitions.

XII. CONTRACTING OFFICER’S CERTIFICATION

The Contracting Officer’s signature on the Coordination and Approval Document evidences that he has determined this document to be both accurate and complete to the best of his knowledge and belief.

XIII. TECHNICAL/REQUIREMENTS PERSONNEL’S CERTIFICATION

As evidenced by their signatures on the Coordination and Approval Document, the technical and/or requirements personnel have certified that any supporting data contained herein, which is their responsibility, is both accurate and complete.