EFO Legal Concurred - Thinkmate.pdf

Department of the Army Justification for Exception to Fair Opportunity

For Computer Hardware Enterprise Software and Solutions (CHESS) Purchase below the Simplified Acquisition Threshold

1. Contracting Activity: The United States Army Contracting Command - Detroit

Arsenal (ACC- DTA) is the procuring activity for this action.

2. Description of Action: This action is to support the Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC) for the procurement of brand name ThinkMate server and storage hardware that will be purchased on a Firm Fixed-Price delivery order utilizing the Computer Hardware Enterprise Software and Solutions (CHESS) procurement system.

The type of funds is Fiscal Year 2020 Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation

(RDT&E)

3. Description of Supplies/Services: GVSC has a requirement to purchase Thinkmate servers and storage equipment. These servers and storage pieces of equipment will provide better processing power and greater memory capacity.

4. Authority Cited: The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition is: 10 U.S.C. 2304, as implemented by FAR 11.105 – Items Peculiar to One Manufacturer and 16.505(a)(4)(i) – Ordering procedures when procuring items from one manufacturer.

5. Reason for Authority Cited:

(a) Restriction of consideration to fewer schedule contractors than required in FAR 16.505(b)(2)

(1) 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.

(b) Supporting rationale

This requirement will be restricted to Thinkmate brand name equipment in order to conform to, and be fully compatible with, both the GVSC’s and DTA’s current IT environment, which consists of Thinkmate brand computers. GVSC engineering groups require high-level processing capabilities for these computers that are supported by the GVSC Defense Research, Engineering Network (DREN) and GVSC’s Scientific Computing Network (SCN). The continued acquisition of Thinkmate computers is essential to the current configuration management and standardization already in place within GVSC.

GVSC is currently using only Thinkmate brand computers and using equipment other than the brand name Thinkmate would cause GVSC to incur additional costs of over $66k in the following areas:

a. Army approved Army Gold Masters (AGM) images (per model purchased) would have to be built and maintained for each separate computer manufacturer across multiple GVSC networks. There are separate network environments that GVSC works within including the Installation Campus Area Network (DANICAN), Detroit Arsenal Secure Internet Protocol Router (SIPR) Installation Campus Network (DASICAN), GVSC instance Defense Research, Engineering Network (DREN) and GVSC’s Scientific Computing Network (SCN). Consequently, there is four times the work that needs to be done for every new brand of IT asset introduced into those constantly and simultaneously used systems.

b. New computer systems would have to be checked by the Government to insure they meet the security requirements of the CIO/G6 Information Assurance group.

c. Disruptions due to incompatible system integration with unique laboratory equipment and software packages would put modeling and simulation capabilities at risk. Often software packages are certified by vendors to run on Thinkmate computer equipment.

d. Current software packages are designed and certified by vendors to be compatible with Thinkmate Workstations using Independent Software Vendor (ISV) certification. Thinkmate ISV certified applications include: CATIA, SolidWorks, Autodesk, AutoCAD, 3D CAD, and PTC products including Creo and Pro/Engineer Wildfire, Windchill. These particular software packages are utilized within the GVSC environment and Thinkmate offers the most robust ISV certified software packages available that are the most useful to GVSC development and project efforts. ISV certification is expensive and time-consuming; efforts performed by hardware vendors are estimated at a cost of over $66K, resulting in unnecessary duplication of costs if a new platform were used.

e. PCMark8 is a hardware measurement toolset that measures overall system performance of laptop work-related productivity tasks within industry standard computer manufacturers. Higher scores mean better performance – here is the scoring for Thinkmate, HP and Lenovo laptops. Thinkmate laptops hold the highest rating for performance.

i. Thinkmate holds 4998 score.

ii. HP Zbooks holds 4424 score.

iii. Lenovo ThinkPad holds 4248 score.

6. Market Research: In April 2020, IT Specialist, Raymond Samul performed internet searches for the applicable licenses to determine if other products can meet this requirement; none were found. Of the Thinkmate hardware equipment available through CHESS, Thinkmate is essential to the Government’s requirement and market research indicated other companies’ similar products do not meet, or cannot be modified to meet, the Government’s requirement for standardization.

7. Actions to Increase Competition: GVSC would be open to considering other Brand Names in the future if they could effectively meet mission requirements, meet economic goals within budget constraints, and be compatible with their existing systems. Based on all of the foregoing, increasing competition within the current environment where all of

GVSC’s IT equipment is Thinkmate, and uniformity is being sought, is not presently advisable. GVSC will continue to periodically assess the marketplace for any changes in this information.

8. Technical Certification:

I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance which are included in the justification are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Typed Name: Raymond Samul Date: _08/26/2020 Title: GVSC Technologies Service Division Signature: _//signed//ras

9. Requirements Certification:

I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance which are included in the justification are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Typed Name: Raymond Samul Date: _ 08/26/2020 Title: GVSC Technologies Service Division Signature: _//signed//ras

10. Contracting Officer’s Fair and Reasonable Determination: I hereby determine the cost to the Government for this procurement action will be fair and reasonable.

Printed Name: Marie A. Drager Signature: /s/ Marie A. Drager Title: CONTRACTING OFFICER Date 16 Sep 2020

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

Printed Name: Marie A. Drager Signature: /s/ Marie A. Drager Title: CONTRACTING OFFICER Date: 16 Sep 2020

APPROVAL:

Based on the foregoing justification, I hereby approve the procurement of Thinkmate equipment, pursuant to the authority of FAR 11.105, subject to availability of funds, and provided that the supplies or services herein described have otherwise been authorized for acquisition.

/s/ Marie A. Drager 16 Sep 2020 Marie A. Drager Contracting Officer