CRB_HP_WEBINSPECT_BNJ_9-7.pdf

BRAND NAME JUSTIFICATION

Departmentof Education- Federal Student Aid

HP WebInspect Software Maintenance

This acquisition is being conducted in accordance with FAR subpart 13, Simplified Acquisition Procedures.

1. Identification of the agency and the contracting activity.

United States Department of Education, Federal Student Aid

2. Nature and/or description of the action being approved.

The purpose of this acquisition is to renew Federal Student Aid’s (FSA) HP WebInspect software maintenance. FSA utilizes HP WebInspect as a vulnerability scanner that allows it to performs web application security testing and assessment for web applications. It also identifies security vulnerabilities that are undetectable by traditional scanners by utilizing an unique simultaneous crawl and audit though a selected website.

3. A description of the supplies or services required to meet the agency's needs (including the estimated value).

FSA will be renewing the software maintenance for the following software product:

Software Product: HP WebInspect Software Enterprise Basic Software Maintenance

License Type: Standard Edition

Quantity: 1

The estimated price is $XX,XXX, if all options are exercised. The purchase order will include a one-year base period and four one-year options.

4. An Identification of the statutory authority and support rationale.

This acquisition will be conducted under statutory 41 U.S.C. 1901 – Simplified Acquisition Procedures (SAP).

5. A demonstration that the proposed contractor's unique qualifications or the nature of the acquisition requires use of the authority cited.

Federal Student Aid (FSA) acquired software licenses for HP WebInspect in September 2011 and the software maintenance was last renewed in September 2014. The WebInspect software is a vulnerability scanner that performs web application security testing and assessment for web applications. It performs scanning capabilities, broad security assessment coverage, provides regular vulnerability plug-in updates, and reports web application security scanning results for FISMA security considerations. It also identifies security vulnerabilities that are undetectable by traditional scanners by using a simultaneous crawl and audit (SCA) through a selected website. FSA uses this software to ensure its is meeting FISMA requirements for proactive risk reduction and continuous system monitoring for web applications housed at the VDC.

Name Brand Justification WebInspect Software Maintenance

There are other software products that provide similar functionality that the HP WebInspect software offers. The price these software licenses range from $420 with an additional $30 fee per endpoint (that would be in the thousands of dollars due to the number of endpoints FSA requires) users to $60,000.00. This price does not reflect the cost of configuring the software; re-purchasing of licenses, required technical support; retraining the staff in the operations of the new software; and software maintenance. Any cost savings achieved in conducting a competition would be offset by these expenses. Therefore, FSA will renew the software maintenance for its perpetual licenses.

6. A description of efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as is practicable, including whether a notice was or will be publicized as required by and, if not, which exception under 5.202 applies.

The HP WebInspect software licenses were purchased in September 2011 and the software continues to meet FSA’s business requirements. Therefore, software maintenance is required. Therefore, no other potential sources were solicited.

7. A determination by the contracting officer that the anticipated cost to the

Government will be fair and reasonable.

Price reasonableness will be determined by using historical pricing that FSA has paid in the past for the HP WebInspect software maintenance..

8. A description of the market research conducted and the results or a statement of the reason market research was not conducted.

Market research was conducted, but it was determined that it was not in the government’s best interest to move to a new software platform for the functionality that the HP WebInspect software provides. Therefore, FSA will acquire software maintenance for the HP WebInspect software licenses it currently owns.

9. Any other facts supporting the use of other than full and open competition.

There is no addition facts needed to support this Brand Name Justification.

10. A listing of the sources, if any, that expressed, in writing, an interest in the acquisition.

No other sources have expressed interest as of the date of this justification.

11. A statement of the actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers to competition before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services required.

In the near term it is the intention of FSA to continue to use the HP WebInspect software outlined in Section 3 of this Brand Name Justification. The financial savings in moving to new software platform that provides the functionality that the HP Inspect software product would be minimal taking into consideration of expenses required to deploy a new software platform. If FSA business requirements change in the future, FSA will conduct new market research to determine if there are potential vendors that could support FSA’s new business requirements.

12. Technical Requirements Personnel Certification

I certify this requirement meets the Government's minimum need and that the support data, which forms a basis for this justification, is complete and accurate. The requiring FSA program office has provided written supporting data, which is contained in the contract file, that verifies the technical requirements and support the government ongoing need to use the aforementioned brand name commercial items.

Cynthia Freshley Contracting Officer's Representative FSA Technology Office

13. Certification

I certify that the data supporting this Brand Name Justification is accurate and complete.

Therefore, the Contracting Officer hereby determines that it is in the best interest of Federal Student Aid to move forward with this Brand Name acquisition.

Signed copy in file

Andrew Jernell Contracting Officer Federal Student Aid