LSJ redacted.pdf

LIMITED SOURCE JUSTIFICATION

1. Contracting Activity.

Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWC-AD) Patuxent River, MD

2. Nature and/or Description of Action Being Approved.

This Limited Source Justification (LSJ) authorizes and approves the issuance of a limited source order for brand name Net IQ maintenance products to maintain a consistent architecture and streamlined support for the Naval Air Warfare Center, Aircraft Division (NAWCAD), Digital Analytics Infrastructure & Technology Advancement (DAiTA) Group, Digital/Network Applications (DNA) Department, Infrastructure and Operations Division Patuxent River (PaxR) Data Center.

The PaxR Data Center has a requirement for renewal of Net IQ software maintenance and software assurance. The Navy intends to award this Firm Fixed Price (FFP) order through General Services Administration (GSA) Advantage. The Period of Performance (POP) for this procurement will be 1 January 2020 - 31 December 2020. Proposed source is Net IQ and its authorized reseller partners.

3. Description of the Supplies or Services Required to Meet the Agency’s Needs (including the estimated value).

PaxR Data Center requires the renewal of Net IQ Software Maintenance for AppManager, Net IQ AppManager Suite 8.0 Operation Portal (AMOP) and Sentinel Enterprise.

Net IQ AppManager Suite 8.0 is an Enterprise Systems Management (ESM) and Monitoring tool used to support the management of the 7.2 Data Center Information Technology (IT) infrastructures. Net IQ provides the PaxR Data Center with the ability to perform 24x7 monitoring on all systems in the data center.

Net IQ AMOP is an extension that seamlessly integrates with Net IQ AppManager to provide web-enabled access, tailored Executive Dashboard views and run-time consolidation and aggregation of technical events occurring across the PaxR Data Center.

Net IQ Sentinel has combined log collection and event management. This automated review looks for key pieces of information and event correlation. Sentinel is set up to do much of the repetitive log analyses more efficiently and accurately than possible with manual log review. Event correlation rules can associate with actions- such as sending Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) traps, sending messages, running scripts, or all three.

Net IQ annual software maintenance renewal is required in order to receive technical updates provided by the manufacturer and to receive assistance from the manufacturer for any issues that arise with the usage of the software. The manufacturer updates the software when users request increased functionality or if issues arise. The updates are provided to users as part of the annual maintenance.

The PaxR Data Center is a designated Department of Navy (DON) regional hosting facility responsible for providing 24/7 support for several mission critical systems. As such, the proactive management of end-to-end availability of the critical data center infrastructure components that support the mission-critical DON systems is essential. The data center holds responsibility to host, develop and maintain various software/hardware equipment solutions enabling customers NAVAIR wide to perform their technical missions. These monitoring tools enable the data center to meet service level agreements and proactively respond to system performance indicators to mitigate failures.

The estimated total dollar amount for this acquisition is $318,024.27

4. Identification of the Justification Rationale (see FAR 8.405-6(b)) and, if applicable, a Demonstration of the Proposed Contractor’s Unique Qualifications to Provide the Required Supply or Service:

(3) The item is peculiar to one manufacturer.

Supporting Information:

In accordance with FAR 8.405-6(b), the items described in paragraph 3 are peculiar to one manufacturer. A brand name item, whether available on one or more schedule contracts, is an item peculiar to one manufacturer.

Net IQ Software is currently fully integrated into the data center to provide Enterprise Systems Management/Infrastructure Monitoring. Initial investment cost for the software was $804,000.00 plus additional labor costs incurred to install, integrate and deploy the software. Over the last four years, we have continued to configure and customize Net IQ to meet our requirements with a total cost to us of $3,274,733.20

Although other Enterprise Infrastructure Monitoring software systems are commercially available, none of them would be interoperable with the current PaxR Data Center configuration. This presents a significant risk of data corruption and, consequently, degraded data integrity. Procuring another Enterprise Infrastructure Monitoring tool would require a restructure of the entire infrastructure to ensure compatibility.

This would result in increased costs and unacceptable schedule delays while the PaxR Data Center team determines what other existing areas would need to be updated to maintain interoperability with new software, alterations which would also increase cost.

There would be a significant cost to the Government to procure, integrate, and deploy a different Enterprise Infrastructure Monitoring tool. Procuring a different security management tool would result in the need to procure new licenses for a different Enterprise Infrastructure Monitoring tool and the labor required to integrate and deploy a new tool in the PaxR Data Center. Disparate Enterprise Infrastructure Monitoring tools present a significant risk of data corruption due to a lack of interoperability, consequently degrading data integrity. Net IQ has proprietary rights to the software code for the Net IQ software and, as such, is the only vendor that can provide the needed service. The Government requested to purchase the proprietary data from Net IQ, which was declined. Only Net IQ possesses the proprietary property to provide the maintenance services the Navy requires.

5. Determination by the Ordering Activity Contracting Officer that the Order Represents the Best Value

Consistent with FAR 8.404(d):

The Contracting Officer has determined that this purchase order represents the best value and results in the lowest overall cost alternative to meet the Navy’s needs. NAWCAD will seek additional discounts from lauren.anderson Highlight the schedule holder, if the price of the order exceeds the maximum order threshold, in accordance with FAR 8.405-1(d).

6. A description of the market research conducted among schedule holders and the results or a statement of the reason market research was not conducted.

In accordance with FAR 10.002, market research was conducted by technical representatives to accomplish research and analysis in connection with the development of the Government’s requirements, and to determine availability of the functionality required to meet the Government's needs.

Market research revealed that Net IQ is no longer available on the Enterprise Software Initiate (ESI) Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA). The National Aeronautics and Space Administration Solutions for Enterprise Wide Procurement (NASA SEWP V) and General Services Administration (GSA) Advantage were evaluated as potential contract vehicles for use in obtaining the required Net IQ software maintenance. Market research and product lookup has determined this requirement is suitable for multiple contract holders in groups B, C and D on NASA SEWP V, and through open market resellers on GSA Advantage. There are multiple available resellers on SEWP V (131400) with seven (7) placing market research quotes, and two (2) quotes were provided though GSA (1394775).Although we were able to get more authorized resellers in SEWP V the best pricing and value to the government was through GSA.

7. Any Other Facts Supporting The Justification.

The PaxR Data Center holds responsibilities to host, develop and maintain various software/hardware equipment solutions enabling customers NAVAIR wide to perform their technical missions. This requested contract action is for renewal of the annual maintenance support of the Net IQ software infrastructure to maintain current support of mission critical programs for the Office of Naval Research (ONR) deployment of Navy ERP, Airworthiness, JDRS, RAMP 6.8.5, various PMAs and Air Force customers, and other NAWCAD Customers. These monitoring tools enable the Data Center to meet service level agreements and proactively respond to system performance indicators to mitigate failures.

Net IQ annual software maintenance renewal is required in order for the PaxR Data Center to receive technical updates provided by the manufacturer and to receive assistance from the manufacturer for any issues that arise with the usage of the software. The manufacturer updates the software when users request increased functionality or if issues arise. The updates are provided to users as part of the annual maintenance.

Current investment in Net IQ software is over $3.0M, which includes the initial investment cost for the software, labor costs incurred to install, integrate, and deploy the software. Over the last five years, the PaxR Data Center has continued to configure and customize Net IQ to meet its requirements.

If the current architecture were replaced with another ESM system, it would present a significant risk of data corruption due to lack of interoperability and, consequently, degraded data integrity. Procuring another enterprise infrastructure-monitoring tool would require restructure of the entire Data Center infrastructure to ensure compatibility. This would result in increased costs and unacceptable schedule delays while the PaxR Data Center team determines what other existing areas would need to be updated to maintain inoperability with new software, alterations which would also increase cost.

Failure to approve this procurement request will inhibit performance and efficiency, putting all mission critical systems/applications at risk of failure as a result of extended outages. Thus, impacting our War Fighters and other customer’s ability to access and utilize these systems, and compromising our compliance to various DON and NAVAIR regulations.

A Statement of the Actions, if any, the Agency May Take to Remove or Overcome any Barriers that Preclude the Agency from Meeting the Requirements of FAR 8.405-1 and FAR 8.405-2 before any Subsequent Acquisition for the Supplies or Services is Made:

The Subject Matter Experts (SME) will continue their market research efforts and attend information technology trade fairs and conferences, conduct research via the internet to monitor the commercial market place for unique and innovative information technology solutions, and promote future competition that is not limited to certain brand products when practical.

CERTIFICATIONS AND APPROVAL

TECHNICAL/REQUIREMENTS CERTIFICATION

I certify that the facts and representations under my cognizance which are included in this Justification and its supporting acquisition planning documents, except as noted herein, are complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Technical Cognizance:

Lesley Brooke Date

LEGAL SUFFICIENCY REVIEW

I have determined this Justification is legally sufficient.

Autumn Webster Date

CONTRACTING OFFICER CERTIFICATION

I certify that this Justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Colleen Coombs Date