Brand Name Justification - Ruckus_Redacted_063025.pdf

CUI//SP-SSEL

“Source Selection Information – See FAR 2.101 and FAR 3.104”

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE EDUCATION ACTIVITY

BRAND NAME JUSTIFICATION FAR 13.5

For

Warranty Service for Network Infrastructure

1. Contracting Agency: Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA)

2. Description of Action: A firm fixed price contract is planned with a total estimated value of using Simplified Acquisition Procedures under FAR Part 13.5. The period of performance is for a 12-month base period and one 12-month option period. FY25 Operating and Maintenance (O&M) funds are available for the in the estimated amount of

3. Description of Supplies and Services: DoDEA requires a warranty and technical service for a suite of network infrastructure products deployed across 159 schools and offices worldwide.

This support service is critical to maintaining uninterrupted educational network operations and includes:

24x7x365 access to OEM-certified technical support engineers Support and Education Portal with Forum access Access to a Diagnostic Dashboard (ROD) Return to Factory (RTF), Next Business Day (NBD), and 4-Hour (4HR) advanced hardware replacement Maintenance activity process, firmware upgrades consultations, software updates, and OEM entitlement verification Warranty tracking, RMA initiation, and product registration assistance A dedicated Customer Success Manager (CSM) to support DoDEA’s operational environment Health check, case monitoring, asset management, operations calls, and reporting as necessary

Remote Support will be provided for the following existing equipment:

Ruckus ICX 7150 switch series (407) Ruckus ICX 7450 switch series (175) Ruckus ICX 7750 switch series (10)

Next Business Day Parts Support will be provided for the following existing equipment

Ruckus ICX 7750 series network switches (4115)

DoDEA Information Technology Division, which oversees enterprise-level network support for students, faculty, and staff across OCONUS and CONUS locations. The support is essential for ensuring that DoDEA’s globally distributed infrastructure remains secure, operational, and compliant with DoD standards such as DoDI

8500.01 and NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5.

4. Authority: 41 U.S.C. 1901. FAR 13.501(a)(1)(ii)

5. Demonstration of Contractor’s Unique Qualifications or Nature of Acquisition Requiring the Authority Cited:

Based on the Government’s market research, it has been determined that non-certified contractors cannot perform warranty work on Ruckus Wireless equipment to maintain the validity of the warranty for the following reasons:

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE EDUCATION ACTIVITY

Warranty Terms are Strictly defined: Ruckus warranties whether limited lifetime or one year are tied to specific conditions, including who is authorized to perform service. The warranty terms explicitly state that service must follow Ruckus’s documented procedures.

Return Materials Authorization (RMA) Process: To obtain warranty service, customer must go through

Ruckus’s RMA Process. This typically involves working with Ruckus Technical Support or an authorized service provider. Unauthorized repairs or modifications can void the warranty.

Certified Partner Ecosystem: Ruckus maintains a network of certified partners and service providers who are trained to handle warranty claims. These partners have access to proprietary tools, firmware, and support channels that non-certified contractors do not.

Risk of Voiding Warranty: If a non-certified contractor attempts repairs or modifications, it may be considered tampering, which can void the warranty entirely. This is especially true if the product is returned to Ruckus and found to have been altered or improperly serviced.

6. Effort to Obtain Competition:

The Government posted an RFI to SAM.gov to determine if there are other non-Ruckus certified partners that can perform this warranty service. The Performance Work Statement and Brand Name justification will be posted, the results of that posting will be listed in Paragraph 8, Market Research.

7. Fair and Reasonable Determination: The contracting officer has determined the anticipated costs will be fair and reasonable based on _________________.

8. Market Research:

A Request for Information was posted to Beta.SAM to determine if there are other sources (Non-Ruckus Certified Partners) that can service Ruckus warranty equipment Ther results will be posted under this paragraph.

9. Other Supporting Facts:

N/A

10. Interested Sources:

N/A