IB08_EFOJ IBM SW Renewals -_Redacted.pdf

Control No: MICC 2020-11 Program/Equipment: IBM Licenses and Software Support Renewal

Version – September 2018 FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

Period of Performance: 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021 Total Value:

4. Authority Cited: Title III of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (41U.S.C. 251, et. Seq) and Title 40 U.S.C 501, Services for Executive Agencies, as implemented by FAR 8.405-6 and substantiated by FAR 8.405-6(b)(1) – Items peculiar to one manufacturer. An item peculiar to one manufacturer can be a particular brand name, product, or a feature of a product, peculiar to one manufacturer. A brand name item, whether available on one or more schedule contracts, is an item peculiar to one manufacturer.

5. Reason for Authority Cited:

a. Only IBM software provides a product that meets the salient characteristics required to be compatible with the current equipment and programs. This will ensure all systems are operating to meet HRC’s mission.

b. IBM Infosphere Datastage products cleanse and load tables in the Enterprise Data Warehouse that support command level reports vital to determining mission requirements. The Datastage tool has been used by this command since FY 2000.

Quality Stage and Information Analyzer are in the same software suite and are deployed together to work as a seamless process that allows developers to program a single process for extracting, transforming, performing data quality checks and loading into databases. USAREC, USACC, and AMRG analysts rely on IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Modeler, Statistics, and AMOS to perform advanced levels of statistical analyses and development of statistical models in support of accession and accessions marketing operations.

c. IBM WebSphere application software accelerates the development, quality, and deployment of Java, Web 2.0, mobile and service oriented architectures for the HRC datacenter.

d. HRC’s IBM InfoSphere products allows the command to virtualize data and provide information in a simplistic form that applications and users require versus displaying the underlying complex source data. Also, InfoSphere enables information to be accessed through a common interface that centralizes the control of data access.

e. The IBM Message Que suite of products enables the transfer of files between systems using a managed and auditable methodology regardless of file size or operating system. These products provides HRC with a method to reliably manage secure file transfers.

f. The renewal of the subscription and associated support ensures our ability to maintain current versions of the products employed and provides for continued technical support (both operational and analytical) without further investment in new software and extensive training for its workforce.

Control No: MICC 2020-11 Program/Equipment: IBM Licenses and Software Support Renewal

Version – September 2018 FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

g. Alternatives: A different software product will increase the risk of incompatibility issues with existing equipment and systems, incur greater cost for equipment and software, and the need for additional training for the HRC IT workforce. Further, HRC currently has an extensive financial investment of approximately in IBM software, all of which is used to support the HRC mission. An alternative would require extensive multiyear project planning and implementation to change this suite of software. Even if HRC procured an alternative, the maintenance support requested in this procurement would still be required while reprogramming of the alternative was ongoing.

h. IBM is the only manufacturer of the software listed in paragraph 3 and is the only source of patches and updates for the software. IBM provides both the software and maintenance support through multiple approved resellers on NASA’s Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP) contract suites.

i. Without this support, HRC will not be able to maintain and upgrade its SPSS applications for the 80 analysts who currently use the software. This will seriously degrade HRC’s ability to support decision-making and support within USAREC, USACC, and AMRG. The IBM Infosphere Datastage products and associated software suite are essential in order to provide effective business rules to records prior to loading into tables. The quality checks provided by this software are essential to the effective analysis of the data. Also, HRC will not be able to maintain the Java development and production environments within the Soldier for Life Transition Assistance Program (SFL- TAP). Also, a lack of support will severely diminish the Enterprise Service Bus team’s ability to support data conversion and data transfers for the HRC missions involving Standard Electronic Processing System (SEPS), Department of the Army Mobilization Processing System (DAMPS), Unemployment Compensation for Ex-Service members (UCX) and the HRC mainframe. Multiple essential mission partners depend upon HRC’s ability to perform these functions. Without this software maintenance contract, HRC would fail in its efforts to support these programs and would seriously degrade HRC’s ability to support decision making and support within USAREC, USACC, and

AMRG.

6. Actions to Increase Competition: Per AFARS 5139, all in-scope items must be procured through the Army CHESS contract vehicle unless a statement of non-availability (SONA) and Information Technology Approval System (ITAS) waiver exist for the product or services. The software is not available on CHESS or on the DoD ESI.

The government has obtained a SONA, requested an ITAS waiver, and identified authorized re-sellers within GSA Schedule 70.

7. Market Research: The items requested do not currently fall within scope of a CHESS/DOD-ESI BPA. Per AFARS 5139, all in-scope items must be procured through the CHESS contract vehicle unless a statement of non-availability and ITAS waiver exist for the product that the government obtained. HRC conducted a preliminary review of the Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (NASA SEWP) contract and results of