Request_for_Information_Managed_Seat_Final.pdf

OMS II Request for Information

Pre-Solicitation Request For Information for Managed Seat Service

Issue Date: 11/21/2016 Due Date: 12/12/2016

Responses are due to: Colleen.Grinnell@usmint.treas.gov mailto:Colleen.Grinnell@usmint.treas.gov

Outline

1. Preface

2. Background

3. General Information

4. Questions

5. Federal Procurement Process

1.0 Preface

The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to obtain industry information and identify potential sources capable of providing managed seat/leasing services to update the United States Mint’s current desktop/laptop equipment.

Please note that this information is being requested for information and planning purposes and submission of a response to this RFI will not result in an award of a contract. The United States Mint at its sole discretion may choose to incorporate comments and suggestions for upcoming requirements. The United States Mint may use Contractor’s answers to the questions contained in this Request for Information (RFI) to help better define requirements for use in the a potential Request For Proposal.

Contractor Submission:

The United States Mint requests that contractors provide a brief overview of the available solutions as well as respond using the excel spreadsheet entitled Managed Seat Answers.Suggestions workbook. Below please find general background, general information, questions and notice of the federal procurement process as it relates to the Managed Seat project. Please note you will not be reimbursed for any expense(s) to reply to this announcement.

2.0 Background

The United States Mint's Information Technology Department (ITD) has identified a need to replace and upgrade desktop and laptop computers for its Headquarters and field site locations starting in FY17. The current equipment has reached or is approaching the scheduled life cycle refresh time period. With changing hardware and software requirements, the Mint desires to explore alternatives for a managed seat/lease approach to upgrade this hardware.

3.0 General Information

The United States Mint’s current environment has approximately 1700 devices consisting of 1000 desktops, 600 laptops, 50 executive laptops, and 50 tablets. This mix of computing equipment is spread across the following 6 facilities.

Washington, D.C.

Denver, CO

Philadelphia, PA

West Point, NY

Ft Knox, KY

San Francisco, CA

4.0 Questions

The United States Mint requests contractors provide a brief overview of the available solutions. In addition, the brief overview, the United States Mint asks contractors to respond to the following questions on the available solutions.

Are Available solutions must be PIV (Smartcard) compatible? If yes, what are the available options?

Do available solutions have a ““keep your hard drive” option?

What are options for Monitors?

Will the available solutions allow for the Government to keep responsibility for patching and imaging? All hardware must be Microsoft Windows 10 compatible.

All hardware must be Microsoft Office 2016 compatible.

What are the docking station options?

What are the available Warranty and Maintenance Options?

All hardware must meet the minimal specification to be in compliance with the federal core standards. The specification of the profiles can be found here:

http://www.sewp.nasa.gov/gss_techspecs.shtml do the available solutions meet these specifications?

Are the available solutions TAA Compliant.

Hardware vendors of the products supplied must published their required hardware drivers and firmware for use in building of images.

What are the available device options?

How will equipment be delivered? Individually boxed, palletized, etc.

Should returned equipment be packed in original box?

o Broken, warrantee, end of lease?

Will prepaid shipping labels be supplied for returned equipment?

o Broken, warrantee, end of lease?

What options exist for partial yearly refresh, particularly after first year or two?

What is the expected lifecycle refresh timeframe?

How does “keep your drive” work at the end of the lease terms? Would we return desktops and laptops with no drives?

Who manages the manufacturer warrantee returns and how would the keep your hard drive affect this process.

How are Microsoft Windows licenses managed?

How are equipment inventories reconciled between the vendor and the United States

Mint?

How is lost, stolen or broken equipment handled?

http://www.sewp.nasa.gov/gss_techspecs.shtml

How do most organizations manage initial deployment? We would not want to receive 1700 units at once and pay lease payments on equipment that would take 3-

6 months to deploy.

How does the leasing company determine if hardware had failed at the agency? Do they dispatch a tech to confirm, perform remotely via remote access (not likely in most hardware failures), do over the phone or do they simply rely on the agency’s technical assessment and arrange to swap the equipment?

What kind of cost model do you or have you utilized to determine cost per seat?

Can you provide an example of seat pricing for a managed service?

5.0 Federal Procurement Process

Although the United States Mint is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, in accordance with 31 U.S.C. § 5136, provisions of law governing the procurement or public contracts are not applicable to the procurement of goods or services that are necessary for carrying out United States Mint programs and operations. The intent and effect of the provision is to afford the United States Mint the flexibility to operate in a business-like fashion. Nonetheless, many of the same fundamental principles of federal procurement that apply to other federal agencies still apply to procurements conducted at the United States Mint and accordingly United States Mint contracts must include certain provisions that may not be familiar to venders who do not typically do business with the government. In addition, some provisions that may be standard in commercial contracts (such as provisions requiring the United States Mint to indemnify the vendor, or provisions requiring the United States Mint to submit to the jurisdiction of any state court) are unsuitable for United States Mint contracts.