Pre-Conference Meeting Minutes 12.12.16 Addendum 2.pdf

Salem State University RFP 2017-04 Outsourcing Res Net Wired and Wireless Addendum 2 Pre-Submittal Conference Minutes December 12, 2016

Salem State University Attendees: Patricia Ainsworth, CIO, Information Technology Services; Evelyn Wilson, Director, Purchasing and Vendor Relations; Yuniquie Robinson, Purchasing Assistant.

1. Introduction

All callers on the line were asked to identify themselves and specify where they were calling from as they joined the conference. Salem State attendees then introduced themselves to the vendors that were present in the conference call. Vendors were informed by Evelyn Wilson that the call was recorded and that any minutes from the call will be posted to COMMBUYS as well as the Salem State University website under the Purchasing Department’s page. She stated that the links for both websites were the following: www.commbuys.com/bso/login.sdo and www.salemstate.edu/3477.php.

2. Overview

Evelyn Wilson began the meeting with asking the callers if they had any questions or concerns that they would like to address with the Salem State University attendees.

3. Timetable and selection of award http://www.commbuys.com/bso/login.sdo http://www.salemstate.edu/3477.php

4. Pre-bid Conference Call Questions & Answers

- Q: Is there currently a residential net or does your current network still exist? Is this something you’re looking to build from scratch?

o A: The network already exists. This is just for the residence halls. We have some residence halls that need their equipment upgraded and we have two residence halls that were upgraded this past summer. We have 5 residence hall areas all together. We were using Xirrus as our access points and infrastructure, but recently we are moving to Aruba.

- Q: Are you looking for someone to take over management of those and to standardize on improving networks as far as access points go?

o A: We are resisting the urge to design the network for you. What we are looking for is a service level agreement in the contract rather than a technical design that we want you to implement. The fact that we do have two buildings now on brand new Aruba equipment, that’s the path that’ll make the most sense to the successful bidder.

- Q: In the RFP you say you’re looking for full wireless coverage. What exactly does that mean? What are you looking for in terms of that? Are you designing for a certain density in the residence halls, certain signal strength, etc.?

o A: We are looking for however you might articulate it in your response. We are looking for a service level agreement that would specify what service level you, as the vendor that’s managing the network, would choose to specify. Each residence hall has a different density and construction. So, we are looking for a deal that is talking about the level of service you are committing to deliver regardless of what equipment and design it would require.

- Q: Are you looking for the vendor to make recommendations around other projects they have implemented or seen in a higher educational environment?

o A: Yes, in your response you may make a recommendation of how you would implement that service. We are really looking to take our hands off this whole subject and to step back and to outsource the entire service to someone from the outside who’s going to help the Help Desk services, continuous upgrades, etc. to meet the service level agreement that you have chosen to offer us.

- Q: Are you tying the new active points back into the central controller for the campus or is this going to be completely separate?

o A: Completely separate.

- Q: Did you currently implement/have you implemented HTP with Aruba for switching or is it still up for discussion?

o A: It is an item that is in various states depending on which building you are looking at.

This is why we feel the need to take you all on a campus tour the first week of January so you all can see building by building what is there, what you have to build on and calculate what it’ll take to bring us up to speed for the service level you indicate.

- Q: Is there an approximate number of students per building and an approximately size of simultaneous users expected to be on this at the same time?

o A: Each of the building are very different. We have a total of about 2,500 residential students. The residence halls are not the same size and the structure of each differ as well.

- Q: Do we have any growth projections numbers or a number of students you’re going to have in the next 10 years?

o A: The goal is to be 50% residential. This would mean another 2,500 students on campus.

- Q: Is coverage in common areas, outside, lunch rooms, etc. in scope? Or is it something not require here?

o A: Yes it is. All areas of the residence halls should be in scope.

- Q: Is this only for indoors or outdoors as well?

o A: Only for indoors!

- Q: Is there a specific megabit we are targeting?

o A: No. We are looking for an excellent experience for the students. They are gaming, streaming, etc. so the amount of bandwidth that they require on a regular basis is substantial. It would be hard to guarantee a certain megabit level for all devices and all spaces within the buildings.

- Q: Do students bring their own hardware or do you provide that?

o A: We have always had a recommended laptop, but the amount of people who use that laptop has lowered over the years because students bring their own.

- Q: Is there anything hardwired currently or are all the dorms already wired?

o A: Yes. There is a wired network in all the residence halls but you may, when you do your design, decide that it is insufficient and that an additional cable needs to be run. In some of the buildings the cables are older. All of that can be seen first-hand by physically taking the tour.

- Q: These cables are Cat 5 or Cat 6 cables?

o A: Cat 5 cables.

- Q: Are they Cat 5 or Cat 5e cables?

o A: Both.

- Q: Are all the buildings connected by fiber or copper infrastructure?

o A: Fiber.

- Q: Where do those feedback to?

o A: Right now our Central Campus where we have our internet connection at this time.

Your solution can have its own connection. We recommend you design it. One of our benefits we hope to realize is to have the residence halls completely off the Salem State network for security purposes and bandwidth contention reasons. From access point to internet service that would be optimal.

- Q: Would the Central Campus location serve as the MDF location for the residential network or would a new MDF be established?

o A: We would use the existing MDF.

- Q: For the call center piece of the RFP, it seems like you are looking for someone who would be responsible for fielding the tech support calls from the students with things related to network connection. Is that accurate?

o A: Yes. We are looking for 7/24 call center support so that students can receive immediate assistants. We need to make sure the network service and system behind it are working along with our online learning management system, Canvas.

- Q: What level of support is expected for those students?

o A: The support we are expecting from this project is just getting the students on the network.

- Q: If someone can’t get on the network and we can’t figure it out on our end, what would be your ideal path for us in a situation like that?

o A: After a reasonable effort to get them on the network, a ticket may be opened with Salem State University with Student End Point Support.

- Q: Is there any opportunity for an earlier site visit?

o A: We are leaning towards choosing one of the days listed in the RFP and have all the vendors take the tour together. We feel as though it would benefit you because you can hear questions vendors are asking and it helps us ensure that all of you get the same information as fair as possible. I can inquire to see if we can accommodate a date sooner.

- Q: How is the population on campus over the summer break? Is there an approximate user count?

o A: Summer it really drops off. We have more commuter students than students living on campus and I believe only one or two of the residence halls remain open. The usage becomes very light.

- Q: Do you have floor plans that we can use to come up with feedback?

o A: Yes. I will make sure to get those out to everyone. Those will be in a PDF file.

- Q: Are there any ticket volume data we should know about?

o A: Our number one help desk ticket we get is residence hall student complaining about the Wi-Fi. It is our goal that with this service, the number of help desk tickets would be drastically reduced.

- Q: What type of fiber is used in the residence halls?

o A: It is single mode.

- Q: Is there a web-interface to allow students to upgrade their bandwidth. Can you comment more on that?

o A: It is possible. It would not be a requirement, but it is a structure that you could leverage in your math.

- Q: How would we be expected to interact with that such as a new building being built on campus? Would that fall in the scope of this project?

o A: There would then have to be an Amendment to the contract. Salem State does not own the residence halls on campus. They are the property of the Commonwealth under

MSCBA.

- Q: Is there a specific time for the onsite visit?

o A: There has not been one set just yet. Mike Rose is coordinating the tour. Please contact him to let him know you are interested in the tour. His email is mrose@salemstate.edu.

He is going to see what works best for everyone’s schedules because this tour will take almost a full day.

mailto:mrose@salemstate.edu