Brand Name Justification.pdf

BRAND NAME JUSTIFICATION

1. CONTRACTING ACTIVITY:

TRICARE Management Activity (TMA) 16401 E. Centretech Parkway Aurora, CO 80011-9066

Contracting Activity Points of Contact:

Sandra K. Cleveland, Contracting Officer (303) 676-3439 Alicia Broner, Contractor – Irving Burton Associates (303) 676-3893 Kathy Hamilton, Contractor – Irving Burton Associates (303) 676-3647

2. DESCRIPTION OF THE ACTION BEING APPROVED:

This requirement for a storage system that will consist of computer hardware such as a storage area network (SAN), and accessories with software, warranty, and installation and configuration services at TRICARE Regional Office South (TROS) located at 7800 IH-10 West, Suite 400, San Antonio, TX 78230 is approved as a brand name acquisition in accordance with FAR 13.106-1(b)(1) and the statutory authority stated in paragraph 4. In addition, the storage system requirement will include brand name or equal computer hardware with software, warranty, and installation services.

3. DESCRIPTION OF THE SUPPLIES OR SERVICES REQUIRED TO MEET THE AGENCY’S NEEDS:

The TROS has high availability network storage resources. The current environment consists of Dell servers with both internal hard drives and external disk arrays for storage and this hardware is nearing its end of life (EOL). Throughout the HA/TMA Internal domain, sites that include Falls Church, Aurora, TRO West, TRO North, and the Defense Center of Excellence (DCoE), a single hardware platform has been deployed in which the Xiotech Storage Area Network (SAN) is the standard. Based upon this standard and to maintain consistency, the existing hardware will be replaced with a Xiotech Emprise 5000 SAN and fiber channel switches including accessories and software.

4. STATUTORY AUTHORITY PERMITTING OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION:

The statutory authority identified for this requirement is 10 U.S.C. § 2304(c) (1) as implemented in FAR Section 6.302-1 “Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements” (including Brand Name).

5. EXPLANATION OF XIOTECH UNIQUE FEATURES:

Xiotech's Emprise storage solutions, built on patented Intelligent Storage Element (ISE™) technology, provide the capacity and performance with less hardware than other systems. The utilization of a single fan array eliminates the need for both internal server hard drives and external disk arrays. As new servers are acquired, they will be configured to not include internal hard drives and these servers will boot from a single SAN. This configuration offers the quickest recovery time from server hardware failure and will greatly reduce any hardware related downtime.

TROS is currently the only HA/TMA location that does not utilize a Xiotech SAN for storage and the boot from SAN feature. To reduce the overall maintenance burden to the government, the TRICARE Management Activity, Information Management, Technology and Reengineering Directorate, Network Operations Division (NOD) has utilized a specific make/model acquisition strategy to standardize, as much as practical, on a single Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), for workstations, desktops, laptops, and servers. By reducing the number/type of OEM equipment, the NOD is able to reduce help desk and desk-side support training requirements.

This also allows personnel to concentrate on and increase their knowledge of the specific OEM devices. This provides for more efficient and effective support through faster problem resolution because of the increased frequency of trouble calls that can be resolved by onsite support personnel vice having to escalate the problem to the offsite maintenance contractor.

6. DESCRIPTION OF EFFORTS MADE TO ENSURE THAT OFFERS ARE SOLICITED FROM AS

MANY POTENTIAL SOURCES AS IS PRACTICABLE:

This commercial requirement for a storage system consisting of brand name and brand name or equal items will be posted as a combined synopsis/solicitation on the Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) website in accordance with FAR Section 5.203 and in conjunction with FAR Section 12.603, using FAR Part 13 Simplified Acquisition Procedures. The requirement will be under the applicable NAICS 334112 Computer Storage Device Manufacturing which has a small business standard of 1,000 employees. Although Xiotech, the manufacturer of the SAN, is a small business, the two known manufacturers of the fiber channel switches compatible with the SAN are large businesses. Thereby, this requirement will not be set-aside for small business based on the non-manufacturer rule. By posting the solicitation, along with its brand name justification, on the FBO website and on an unrestricted basis, it will ensure that Xiotech and its dealers/resellers have the opportunity to provide quotations.

7. DETERMINATION BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER THAT THE ANTICIPATED COST TO THE

GOVERNMENT WILL BE FAIR AND REASONABLE:

It is the Contracting Officer’s determination that the anticipated cost to the Government for this requirement will be fair and reasonable, based on the published price lists, market research, and the comparison of anticipated quotations received in response to the solicitation.

8. DESCRIPTION OF THE MARKET RESEARCH CONDUCTED:

As HA/TMA has standardized on the Xiotech SAN, market research was not conducted to determine other manufacturers. TROS is the last location to integrate their storage. This enables the TROS to do native SAN replication with other HA/TMA locations which currently use Xiotech SANs.

However, market research was conducted to identity Xiotech dealers/resellers for the solution.

9. EXPLANATION WHY TECHNICAL DATA PACKAGES, SPECIFICATIONS, STATEMENT OF WORK,

OR PURCHASE DESCRIPTIONS SUITABLE FOR FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION HAVE NOT BEEN

DEVELOPED OR ARE NOT AVAILABLE:

Specifications or purchase descriptions suitable for full and open competition have not been developed based upon the following:

TROS is attempting to replicate hardware specifications of all other TMA locations.

Xiotech has proven reliability at all other TMA locations

10. SOURCES, IF ANY, THAT HAVE EXPRESSED IN WRITING, AN INTEREST IN THE ACQUISITION:

Several resellers have submitted written estimates.

11. ACTIONS THE AGENCY MAY TAKE TO REMOVE OR OVERCOME ANY BARRIERS TO

COMPETITION BEFORE ANY SUBSEQUENT ACQUISITION FOR SUPPLIES OR SERVICES

REQUIRED:

It is not anticipated that TROS will move toward full and open competition. HA/TMA has standardized on the Xiotech SAN. TROS is the last location to integrate their storage. This enables the TROS to do native SAN replication with other HA/TMA locations which currently use Xiotech SANs. If HA/TMA were to have a mixed environment, they could not longer perform native SAN replication between sites. This is a Continuity of Operations (COOP) requirement.