P03 - RED JA.pdf

WiFi for Greenville Outpatient Clinic Control Number VA-20-00054305

5. Rationale Supporting Use of Authority Cited Above: Based on extensive market research, as described in Section 8, it is determined that limited competition is available for the brand name Cisco equipment. VA is reliant upon Wi-Fi technology in the delivery of healthcare services to Veterans. The VA deploys a wide variety of Wi-Fi-enabled equipment to support patient care services including, but not limited to: Medication Carts, Vital Signs Monitors, Electrocardiogram Carts, Intravenous Pumps, Portable X- Ray Machines, Sonography carts, Temperature/Environmental Controls, Logistics/Canteen Scanners, Patient Information Boards, Barcode Printers, Vo-Fi handsets, and desktops computers and laptops. VA utilizes Wi-Fi communications so that healthcare providers and administration staff can connect remotely to the Veterans Information Systems and Technology Architecture to access patient records, treatment plans, and other healthcare support data without being tied to a deskbound solution.

VA OI&T Service Area’s existing CUWN is an enterprise class wireless system wherein centralized hierarchical hardware configuration, management, monitoring, and alerting occurs. This top down architecture provides a mechanism and methodology to provide Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 validated communications for the enterprise, which is scalable, flexible, and secure. The CUWN utilizes a suite of proprietary product hardware, features, and licenses. Cisco APs and WLCs are part of this unified hardware and software solution that enables the VA to wirelessly communicate information through OI&T’s enterprise network. Only brand name Cisco APs and WLCs are compatible and interoperable with the existing CUWN infrastructure, which is proprietary to Cisco.

Due to the proprietary nature of Cisco’s code, no other manufacturer’s APs or WLCs are compatible and interoperable with the existing Wireless infrastructure. The Wi-Fi network for this VA Enterprise Wi-Fi activation is required to leverage and connect the parent VA Medical Center service area’s existing CUWN infrastructure and or the Cisco Prime Infrastructure. Therefore, the solution must be fully interoperable and compatible with the existing CUWN infrastructure. Additionally, VA leverages the Cisco Mobility Service Engines to perform Real Time Location System (RTLS). These are a proprietary component of the CUWN architecture. The use of this technology produces Radio Frequency fingerprinting of devices to locate its position within a site campus with a 30’ accuracy. Disruption in Wi-Fi communications has a very visible and tangible adverse impact to patient care and administrative operations of the affected area(s).

Further, market research has determined that only the CUWN provides the end-to-end comprehensive FIPS 140-2 Validated configuration, management, monitoring, alerting and RTLS solution that the VA needs to perform its mission. Therefore, only Cisco hardware and associated installation and configuration services can meet VA’s requirements.

WiFi for Greenville Outpatient Clinic Control Number VA-20-00054305

6. Efforts to Obtain Competition: Market research was conducted, details of which are in section 8 of this justification. This effort did not yield any additional sources that can meet the Government’s requirements. However, the undersigned VA technical representative determined that limited competition is available among authorized resellers for brand name Cisco hardware and associated software and licenses. In accordance with FAR 16.505(a)(4)(iii)(A)(1), this justification will be provided with the solicitation to all appropriate NASA SEWP V GWAC holders. Furthermore, in accordance with FAR 5.301, 16.505(b)(2)(ii)(D), and 16.505(a)(4)(iii), the award notice for this action will be synopsized on the Federal Business Opportunities website and this justification will be made publicly available within 14 days of award.

7. Actions to Increase Competition: The Government will continue to conduct market research to ascertain if there are changes in the marketplace that would enable future actions to be competed.

8. Market Research: Market research was conducted by VA wireless technology subject matter experts in May 2020 by researching similar products via both direct outreach to other original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and internet catalog research and review. The subject matter experts found other similar products from the following manufacturers: Aerohive, Ubiquiti, and Hewlett Packard (Aruba). The subject matter experts concluded that both Aerohive and Ubiquiti failed to meet VA’s requirements because they are not FIPS 140-2 certified, nor are they interoperable and compatible with the existing CUWN. The subject matter experts determined that Hewlett Packard (Aruba) does offer FIPS 140-2 certified solutions; however, those solutions do not meet the VA’s requirements because they are not interoperable and compatible with the existing CUWN.

In addition, VA networking Subject Matter Experts regularly review industry trade publications and conduct internet research to ascertain if any other brand name hardware is available. As a result of the market research, the Government’s technical experts determined that none of these OEMs can meet the Government’s combined interoperability, compatibility, and security requirements, and as a result only the brand name Cisco APs and WLCs are capable of meeting all of VA’s requirements.

The Contract Specialist (CS) conducted market research in May 2020 by using NASA SEWP V GWAC Provider Look-up and Market Research tools to determine whether Cisco products are available from resellers that hold NASA SEWP V contracts.

It was determined that there are several resellers of Cisco brand name products and services that hold NASA SEWP V contracts. Therefore, limited competition is expected from NASA SEWP V GWAC resellers.

9. Other Facts: None