Telecommunications_System_(Addendum_#2_Revision).pdf

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

2026-RFP-047

TELECOMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM

City of Palm Desert

73-510 Fred Waring Drive

Palm Desert, CA 92260

RELEASE DATE: July 8, 2026

DEADLINE FOR QUESTIONS: July 21, 2026

RESPONSE DEADLINE: August 19, 2026, 2:00 pm

RESPONSES MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY TO:

https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cityofpalmdesert https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cityofpalmdesert

City of Palm Desert

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Telecommunications System

1. Background and Introduction

2. Notice Inviting Proposals

3. Scope of Services

4. Requests for Clarification

5. Content and Format of Proposal

6. Submittal Requirements

7. Evaluation Criteria

8. Selection Process

9. General Conditions

10. Protests

Attachments:

A - Scope Compliance Matrix

B - Pricing Proposal

C - Sample Professional Services Agreement

D - Pricing Proposal REVISED

Request For Proposal #2026-RFP-047 Title: Telecommunications System

1. Background and Introduction

1.1. Summary

The City of Palm Desert plans to replace its current Mitel/ShoreTel on-premise phone system with a modern, cloud-based VoIP/UCaaS telecommunications solution. Incoming calls to main City numbers will continue to be answered by a live receptionist, while department lines may use automated attendants and staff will remain reachable through direct dial numbers.

The selected vendor will be responsible for delivering, staging, installing, programming, and testing all required phone hardware and related system components on-site. The proposed solution must align with the City’s technology standards, including the City’s use of Microsoft Office 365 and Microsoft

Teams for collaboration, directory access, calendaring, and related integrations.

Zoom will continue to serve as the City’s platform for public meetings, including live streaming, public comment, and required transparency functions. The City also uses the Revolution Activate ENS mass-notification system and requires seamless, documented integration with the new telecommunications platform to support real-time alerts across voice, SMS, and email, including bi-directional communication and continuity of existing emergency notification workflows.

1.2. Background

The City of Palm Desert intends to replace its existing Mitel/ShoreTel premise-based telecommunications system with a cloud-based VoIP/UCaaS solution.

Incoming call flow is structured to route callers efficiently based on their needs. Calls to the City’s main line are first answered by a live receptionist. Calls to specific department lines may be handled by an automated attendant, and City staff may be reached directly through their individual direct dial numbers.

The selected provider will be responsible for delivering, staging, installing, programming, and placing all telephone sets at their designated locations as part of the on-site implementation of the new telephone system.

The proposed telecommunications solution must align with the City’s established technology standards, including the City’s use of Microsoft Office 365 (O365) and Microsoft Teams as preferred strategic platforms for collaboration, communications, directory access, calendaring, and related integrations.

The City utilizes Zoom as its standard platform for hosting public meetings. Zoom will continue to support live streaming, public comment, and recording capabilities in compliance with applicable open meeting laws and transparency requirements.

The City owns and intends to continue using its Revolution Activate ENS mass-notification system. The selected solution must provide documented integration with this system, enabling real-time message initiation across voice, SMS, and email without requiring significant modification to the current

Revolution deployment. The system must also support bi-directional communication to maintain continuity of operations during emergency and high-volume notification events.

External paging systems are currently used at City Hall and the Public Library. The new system must support these existing analog paging interfaces.

1.3. Contact Information

Project Contact:

Clayton von Helf

Information Technology Manager

73510 Fred Waring Drive

Palm Desert, CA 92260

Email: cvonhelf@cityofpalmdesert.org

Phone: (760) 346-0611 Ext: 338

Procurement Contact:

Celina Cabrera

Senior Management Analyst

73510 Fred Waring Dr

Palm Desert, CA 92260

Email: ccabrera@palmdesert.gov

Phone: (760) 776-6449

Department:

Finance - Information Technology

1.4. Timeline

The above scheduled dates are tentative and City retains the sole discretion to adjust the above schedule.

Nothing set forth herein shall be deemed to bind City to award a contract for the Services and City retains the sole discretion to cancel or modify any part of or all of this RFP at any time.

Release of Request for Proposal July 8, 2026

Last Day to Submit Questions for

Clarification

July 21, 2026, 3:00pm

Clarifications Issued by City on or before July 31, 2026, 5:00pm

Deadline for Receipt of Proposals submitted on or before

August 19, 2026, 2:00pm

2. Notice Inviting Proposals

2.1. NOTICE

RFP No.: 2026-RFP-047 mailto:cvonhelf@cityofpalmdesert.org tel:(760)346-0611;ext=338 mailto:ccabrera@palmdesert.gov tel:(760)776-6449

Project Title: Telecommunications System

PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that proposals will be received by the City of Palm Desert (“City”) electronically through the City of Palm Desert’s ("City") online bid management provider (“OpenGov

Procurement”), until 2:00 pm, Wednesday, August 19, 2026. Proposals may not be submitted by fax, email, telephone, mail, hand delivery, or other means; any proposals received through any means other than OpenGov Procurement will be returned to the proposer unopened.

The City is requesting proposals to provide: The City of Palm Desert plans to replace its current

Mitel/ShoreTel on-premise phone system with a modern cloud-based solution. Incoming calls to main numbers will continue to be answered by a live receptionist, while department lines will use automated attendants, and staff will remain reachable via direct dial numbers. The selected vendor must deliver, stage, and install all phone hardware onsite. The new system must align with the City’s technology standards, particularly its strategic use of Microsoft Office 365 and Microsoft Teams. Zoom will continue to serve as the City’s platform for public meetings, supporting live streaming, public comment, and required transparency functions. The City also uses the Revolution Activate ENS mass-notification system and requires seamless, documented integration to support real-time alerts across voice, SMS, and email with bi-directional communication.

The award of this contract is subject to available budget adequate to carry out the provisions of the proposed Agreement including the identified scope of work. The City reserves the right to reject any or all proposals determined not to be in the best interest of the City.

The City of Palm Desert is committed to inclusion and diversity and welcomes proposals and bids from contractors, consultants, and vendors of all faiths, creeds, ancestries, and ethnicities without regard to disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, or immigration status. The City condemns and will not tolerate prejudice, racism, bigotry, hatred, bullying, or violence towards any group within or outside of our community.

2.2. SCOPE OF SERVICES

The Services sought under this Request for Proposals (“RFP”) are set forth in more detail in the Scope of

Services Section, incorporated herein by this reference. Notwithstanding the inclusion of such Services in the Scope of Services Section, the final scope of Services negotiated between City and the successful

Proposer shall be set forth in the Professional Services Agreement (“Agreement”) executed by and between City and the successful Proposer. A copy of the Agreement is attached and incorporated herein by this reference.

2.3. REGISTRATION

Interested proposers may register as vendors and download the Request for Proposals (“RFP”). To register, visit the City's electronic bidding website, OpenGov Procurement, and proceed to "Subscribe" as a vendor with the City to receive new project notifications. Interested proposers may "Follow" the RFP to view and/or download the RFP details, receive addenda alerts and notices, and draft and submit a response.

2.4. PRE-PROPOSAL MEETING

For this RFP, there is no pre-proposal meeting.

https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/cityofpalmdesert

3. Scope of Services

3.1. Project Overview and Intent

The City is seeking proposals for a hosted, cloud-based Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) / Unified

Communications as a Service (UCaaS) telecommunications solution capable of meeting the City's voice, data communications, unified messaging, emergency notification, paging, reporting, and system administration requirements.

3.2. General Requirements

1. Equipment must be new and fully eligible for manufacturer’s warranty. F.O.B. inside delivery.

Vendor must provide inside delivery of equipment to the physical address where the equipment will be placed into service, as defined in this Proposal Request. Equipment delivery must be coordinated with City.

2. Freight should be included in the unit price. Inside delivery to the City. Pallets must be broken down and boxes disposed of by the selected vendor.

3. The quantities specified provide sizing, component, feature/function specifications and

Implementation-Installation requirements necessary for the proposer to develop system pricing that must be detailed. However, all proposers should note the following:

A. The user and license quantities detailed in this proposal are not necessarily the final quantities the City will purchase. Exact quantities may increase or decrease subsequent to the release of this document.

B. While the pricing information provided in response will be used to evaluate the various proposals received, the City will not enter into a contract for those quantities upon contract award, C. The City will not be responsible for any equipment or services order placed by the vendor prior to the completion and acceptance of the system design and station review process.

3.3. Existing Data Network Environment

1. The existing LAN and WAN operate well with the existing premises-based VoIP system. As a result, we do not believe there will be any hardware needed changes to the City’s data network.

2. Vendors should assume the City’s data network will provide the required Power over Ethernet

(PoE) and Quality of Service (QoS) capabilities for VoIP deployment.

3. Although the existing data network is built to deploy VoIP, the selected vendors should actively participate in identifying, documenting, and coordinating all system-specific data network set up requirements needed for the proposed solution.

3.4. City Locations and System Configuration

The City is replacing its existing telephone systems at the following locations:

Location Street Address

City Hall 73510 Fred Waring Drive

Corporation Yard 74705 42nd Avenue

City Library 73300 Fred Waring Drive

System configuration shall be based on the following estimated quantities:

Location Elevator

Lines

External

Paging

Access

Type 1

Analog

Devices

Type 2

Basic

Telephone

Type 3

WiFi

Enabled

Type 4 Attendant

Answering

Position

City Hall 1 1 1 180 0 1

Corporation Yard 1 0 0 17 0 0

City Library 0 1 1 13 1 0

TOTAL 2 2 2 210 1 1

3.5. Telecom System Specifications - General Requirements

1. Hosted Telephony Solution: The City requests a hosted telephony solution.

2. Unified Messaging: The proposed system should provide the ability for the City to integrate voicemail and related messaging services. The solution shall address the convergence of voicemail, email, fax, and other messaging systems.

3. SMS/MMS Texting: The hosted telephony solution should include SMS/MMS texting capabilities, including, as available, inbound and outbound SMS and MMS, two-way messaging, group or bulk messaging, and integration with voice and unified communications services. The solution should provide appropriate scalability, security measures, administrative tools, end-user management tools, and clear pricing structures for these capabilities.

4. Microsoft Office 365 and Microsoft Teams Integration: The proposed hosted telephony solution should provide robust integration with Microsoft Office 365 to enable seamless access to organizational contacts within the telephony interface.

A. The solution must support synchronization of user directories, including Active Directory and Outlook contacts, so employees can search, view, and interact with up-to-date contact information.

B. The solution should include intuitive click-to-call functionality directly from O365 applications and integrated interfaces, such as Outlook, Teams, and web browsers, allowing users to initiate calls with a single action.

C. The proposed hosted telephony solution should align with the City’s strategic preference to leverage Microsoft Teams as the primary platform for collaboration, including meetings, chat, and presence.

D. The solution should support calendaring, meeting scheduling and invites, contact synchronization, Outlook calendar interaction, Teams-based meeting creation and participation, and consistent user contact information across platforms. Proposers shall identify whether integration is native or requires third-party components and whether functionality is seamless and bi-directional.

5. Telephone System Paging: The proposed system shall provide the ability for users with appropriate rights to perform paging through the speakers on the telephones. The system shall allow a user to dial a code and page through all phone speakers or a zoned subset of speakers on the phones installed in a specific location.

6. External Paging System Access: The proposed system shall provide integration/access port capability for external paging systems used by the City.

A. Existing analog paging systems are located at City Hall and the Public Library.

7. Revolution Activate ENS Mass Notification System Integration:

A. The proposed solution must fully integrate with the City’s existing Revolution Activate ENS mass notification system and provide seamless interoperability with the new hosted telephony platform.

B. The proposed solution will enable real-time message initiation, escalation workflows, and multi-channel delivery, including voice, SMS, and email, without requiring significant modification to the current Revolution deployment.

C. The solution must support bi-directional communication, including automated alerts, voice broadcasts, and real-time status updates, without disrupting current emergency notification workflows.

D. The integration must preserve existing functionality, including contact list management, escalation paths, and message prioritization, while enhancing reliability, scalability, and performance through the hosted environment.

E. The solution should outline any required interfaces, APIs, or middleware, and clearly describe how the solution will maintain data security, system redundancy, and high availability. Additionally, the solution must support future expansion and provide comprehensive monitoring, reporting, and administrative controls to ensure continued operational effectiveness of the Revolution mass notification system within the new telephony architecture.

F. The selected vendor must proactively work with the City and any third-party vendors responsible for or associated with the Revolution mass notification system or components.

The selected vendor is responsible for minimizing disruption of service where possible.

8. AI Tools: The proposed solution should identify standard AI capabilities included in the hosted telephony solution, which may include conversational AI/virtual agents, speech-to-text and text-to-speech functionality, call transcription and summarization, sentiment analysis, intelligent call routing or automation, integration with CRM or business applications, customization and training options, real-time and post-call analytics, and built-in reporting tools. The solution must address data security, privacy, compliance considerations, pricing models, scalability, and ongoing support related to AI usage.

9. System Administration: A single point of management through a vendor-provided portal is preferred to provide access to operational programming, voicemail, auto attendant, unified messaging, and E911 notification services. The management interface shall provide the capability and flexibility for rapid, efficient, and cost-effective configuration changes to user profiles.

3.6. Telephone Device Requirements

1. Telephone sets shall be Gigabit devices that provide a switched Ethernet port to an attached computer at Gigabit Ethernet speeds.

2. Elevator Lines: These lines will be used to connect to existing elevators and must be compliant with California Code of Regulations Title 8 (Elevator Safety Orders) and the California Building

Code (Title 24).

3. Paging Access: Analog connection to existing peripheral paging systems.

4. Type 1 Analog Device: Single-line analog station ports for existing analog applications such as physical fax machines.

5. Type 2 Basic Telephone Set: A minimum 8-line telephone with color multi-line display; fixed or flexible feature keys for conference, transfer, forward, and hold capabilities; headset jack; and speakerphone.

6. Type 3 WiFi-Enabled Cordless Phone: WiFi-enabled cordless phone to be used in the Library for mobility throughout the building using the City's wireless LAN data network.

7. Type 4 Attendant Answering Position: Ability to answer multiple calls and easily transfer calls to users and departments.

8. License Only: The City owns SIP-enabled wireless conference phones used in conference rooms.

These devices will be reused on the new system.

3.7. Required Telephony Features

1. Outbound Caller ID: Ability to assign outgoing caller ID individually by station. For example, departments may decide to send out their own main list number, while the City office users may choose to send out their own DID number on outgoing calls.

2. Outbound Calling Name ID: Ability to assign names, such as department identifiers, to outbound calling displays.

3. Incoming Caller ID: Assuming carrier support for name and number on inbound caller ID, the system shall provide this information on user displays.

4. Inbound Caller ID shall follow the call and display on transferred-to telephones even if the call is transferred multiple times.

5. When a call is transferred, the carrier should not see the transferred-to number.

6. The system must accommodate a programmable call-forward timer so that any call transferred to, or simultaneously ringing a user’s cell phone will forward to system voicemail rather than the cell phone voicemail, regardless of the provider.

7. Call Routing: Ability to route calls differently based on time of day, day of week, holidays, or other scheduling.

A. Proposals should address if voicemail greetings can be different for internal and external calls.

8. Departmental Answering: Ability to designate users or groups to function as departmental answering positions responsible for receiving, managing, and routing inbound calls.

9. Ability to route calls to multiple phones concurrently or to hunt groups.

10. Standard Conferencing should be available to all users to add or drop participants. Proposers shall identify the total number of participants supported on a standard conference call.

11. User Directory: Ability to access and dial from a Citywide name/extension database from IP station sets.

12. Call History: Ability for users to view call historyon telephone set display.

13. Music on Hold: Ability to apply music-on-hold on a station-selective or location-selective basis.

14. Variable ringtones on Telephone Sets

15. Station Paging: Ability to provide paging functionality through the speakers on proposed phones, including individual telephones, paging groups, all phones in a building, and all phones

Citywide.

16. Voice Announce Intercom: Ability to dial a one- or two-digit number and automatically connect to another phone in hands-free mode.

17. Variable Call Recording: Ability to record calls to a station on demand with easy access to retrieve those recordings.

3.8. Automated Attendant Requirements

1. Routing by dialed number.

2. Time-of-day, day-of-week, and holiday routing options by department or telephone number.

3. Ability to use text-to-speech to record voicemail and automated attendant greetings.

4. Multi-language support for automated attendants.

5. Preprogrammed override options for closures due to scheduled, emergency, or weather-related events, with the ability to initiate the override remotely.

6. Custom greetings for special events.

7. The system must allow the caller to dial his or her choice at any time during the message.

8. The City may use the automated attendant at each location as overflow coverage. If local City administrative support is busy on another telephone call, the automated attendant for that specific location shall answer the incoming call and offer the standard choices defined by that location.

9. Reporting capability for traffic, including total calls, options selected by callers, hang-ups, and related statistics.

3.9. Voicemail Requirements

1. Voicemail Message Integration

A. The City utilizes Microsoft O365.

B. Direct dialing from the Contact list.

C. Option to integrate with Outlook contacts.

D. Caller ID included in mail subject line.

E. Ability to listen to voice messages through email.

2. Required Voicemail Features

A. Messages automatically forwarded to email as audio files, often MP3/WAV, and, where available, with transcription.

B. Voicemail transcription that converts voice messages into readable text so users can scan instead of listening.

C. Custom greetings, including the ability for users to switch between business hours, after-hours, holidays, and other greetings.

D. Ability for caller to zero-out of voicemail to a City-defined destination if the caller chooses not leave a message.

E. Speech recognition providing command access through user speech.

F. Optional multi-language greetings.

3.10. Required 911 Operations

The proposed 911 solution shall provide building, room, cube, and device-specific address information to the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). All costs must be included.

1. The proposed solution must comply with federal laws specific to Kari’s Law and RAY BAUM’S

Act.

2. The solution shall provide on-network notification to any endpoint on the City data network.

3. The solution shall provide notification to City-owned smartphone mobile devices.

4. The proposer shall provide specific documentation indicating that the proposed system complies with all 911 regulations of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the

State of California.

5. The solution must distinguish calls placed from City facilities versus home offices, hotels, and other non-City locations.

6. Softphone users must be able to define, update, and manage their location settings within the system at different locations.

3.11. Call Detail Reporting

1. The System should provide reporting on incoming, outgoing, and station to station calls, including call duration, frequently called numbers, and similar call detail infomration.

2. Reports must be accessible by designated City staff.

3.12. System Management

The following system administration features and capabilities, or functional equivalents, are preferred as part of the proposed system and must be available at all locations:

1. Support for tiered levels of system administration assigned based on role-based permissions, including:

A. Basic Administrative Access for help desk and operations staff to manage user accounts and reset passwords, B. Advanced Administrative Access for technical specialists to configure call routing, system integrations, reporting, and performance monitoring.

C. Full System Administrative Access for senior administrators to manage core system settings, security policies, and vendor-level configurations.

2. Single Sign-on integrated with the City’s Active Directory/LDAP.

3. Recent and past change history, including an audit trail of log-ins and when and what system changes were made.

3.13. Training Requirements

1. User Training: Classroom training, on working telephones, led by vendor-provided instructors, for all users, on-site at the City is required.

2. Digital training resources, including video training and quick reference cards customized for the

City, should be provided.

3. Administrator Training: System programming, reporting, management, and configuration training, led by vendor-provided instructors, shall be provided for four (4) City staff members.

4. Additional system administration and technical training options, including projected costs, location, and provider, shall be described in the proposal.

3.14. Maintenance, Warranty, and Service Response

1. The selected vendor shall provide warranty and maintenance support for the proposed system.

2. The proposal shall identify the hourly rate the City can expect for service not covered by warranty or service contract.

3. The proposal shall identify lead time required for moves, changes, additions, and deletions.

4. The proposal shall describe expected and guaranteed response times for regular and emergency services and define regular and emergency services. Guaranteed response times greater than four (4) hours for emergency services and next business day for regular services will not be acceptable.

3.15. Implementation and Installation

1. The selected vendor shall conduct regular project status meetings, including calls or meetings with City stakeholders.

2. The selected vendor shall conduct a thorough and complete departmental station review and system design process. This station review shall identify:

A. The type and quantity of all telephone stations, by City location, to be installed for City users during implementation.

B. Telephone station programming by user, including telephone numbering, programmed features, call flow, recordings, detailed automated attendant operation, and voicemail capability.

C. A detailed schedule for the selected vendor to install, place, and test each telephone.

D. Full coordination of the porting of all applicable telephone numbers to ensure minimal disruption to business operations.

E. Complete system documentation regarding installed equipment.

3. The selected vendor is responsible for programming, placement, and testing of all telephones;

station-to-station dialing; external dialing; automated attendants; unified communications and messaging configurations; and telephone station programming.

4. The selected vendor shall work with City staff to ensure that the Revolution Activate ENS system is working as expected.

5. The selected vendor is responsible for on-site placement and testing of all telephone sets.

6. Test Plan: The proposer shall develop and execute a test plan with the City's project manager.

The test plan will include integration between voicemail and Outlook/Exchange mail/unified communications, completion of punch list items and request for final acceptance with the City's project manager, and final acceptance of the installation.

3.16. Acceptance Period

The City requires an acceptance period of at least thirty (30) days after completion of the cutover.

During this thirty (30) day period, the system must perform without interruption of services and in compliance with all representations offered in the vendor’s proposal. If the system or other associated devices fail to perform satisfactorily, the thirty (30) day acceptance period will restart until the system performs satisfactorily for thirty (30) consecutive days.

3.17. Delivery and Installation

The City anticipates cutover of all locations to be completed in 2026. The proposer shall identify whether it accepts this schedule and identify the tasks, including site preparation, that the City and the vendor will perform or be responsible for to accomplish delivery and installation within this timeframe.

Any task not specifically stated to be the City's responsibility will be assumed to be the vendor's responsiblitiy.

A. Equipment Reduction - Explain any penalty or liability charge for reducing equipment or telephone instrument prior to and after installation of the proposed system.

B. Equipment Delivery - The vendor will be responsible for making necessary arrangements with the management of the building for delivery of equipment to the premises. The vendor must comply with all building regulations regarding hours, any delivery rigging and method and location of equipment delivery.

4. Requests for Clarification

All questions, requests for interpretations or clarifications, either administrative or technical must be requested in writing via the "Questions & Answer" tab through the City’s online bid management provider

(“OpenGov-Procurement”).

All written questions, if answered, will be answered in writing, conveyed to all interested firms, and posted through OpenGov-Procurement. Oral statements regarding this RFP by any persons should be considered unverified information unless confirmed in writing. To ensure a response, questions must be received in writing by 3:00 pm (local time) on Tuesday, July 21, 2026.

5. Content and Format of Proposal

5.1. Proposal*

Proposals shall be clear, concise, complete, and organized in the order specified below. The proposal should demonstrate the proposer's understanding of the City's telecommunications needs and the proposer's ability to provide a complete, turn-key hosted telephony solution, including all system components, services, integrations, implementation, training, support, warranty, and pricing necessary to meet the Scope of Services.

The City may deem a proposal nonresponsive if it fails to provide sufficient information to evaluate the proposer's qualifications, proposed solution, compliance with required features, implementation approach, support model, or pricing.

Proposal Submission and Organization

• Submit the proposal as a single, searchable PDF file.

• Organize the proposal using the same section headings and sequence listed in this Content and

Format of Proposal section.

• Provide concise, direct responses. Marketing materials may be included only if they are directly relevant to the proposed solution and clearly referenced in the response.

• Clearly identify any exceptions, deviations, assumptions, third-party dependencies, optional features, or services not included in the base proposal.

• All pricing must be submitted using the attached pricing spreadsheet and must include all recurring and non-recurring costs, taxes, fees, shipping, handling, delivery, installation, configuration, training, and any other charges necessary for a complete turn-key solution.

• The City reserves the right to request clarification or additional information during the evaluation process.

Required Proposal Sections

1. Cover Letter

A. Legal name of proposer and, if applicable, names of any subcontractors, partners, carriers, or third-party providers included in the proposed solution.

B. A brief introduction of your firm. Summarize general qualifications.

C. Statement confirming that the proposal is valid for the period required by the RFP.

D. Include name, title, address, phone number, and email address of the proposer's primary

City contact.

E. Signature and contact information of authorized representative with the authority to bind the proposer and negotiate Agreement terms and compensation.

2. Executive Summary

A. Provide a concise summary of the proposed hosted telephony solution, including the proposed platform, carrier/provider relationship, primary system architecture, and implementation approach.

B. Identify the major benefits of the proposed solution for the City, including reliability, scalability, user experience, administrative ease, Microsoft O365/Teams integration, E911 compliance, Revolution Activate ENS integration, and support model.

C. Identify any notable assumptions, dependencies, third-party components, optional services, or recommended alternatives.

3. Company Background and Qualifications

A. Age of company and length of time in the telecommunications industry.

B. Company ownership and organizational structure.

C. Address of the local office responding to the RFP.

D. Description of the proposer's experience providing cloud-based VoIP, hosted telephony, and/or UCaaS solutions for municipalities, public agencies, or comparable multi-location organizations.

E. Description of the proposer's ability to support the City during design, implementation, cutover, training, warranty, and ongoing maintenance.

4. Relevant Experience and References

A. Provide at least three (3) municipal references of similar installed systems. Local city references are preferred where available.

B. References should involve hosted telephony, VoIP, UCaaS, Microsoft O365/Teams integration, E911 compliance, multi-location implementation, paging, and/or similar features where applicable.

C. For each reference, provide:

I. Customer Name

II. Contact Name

III. Contact Address

IV. Contact Telephone Number

V. Contact Email

VI. Installation Date of Comparative System

VII. Description of Comparative System, including number of locations, number of hones, key integrations, and scope of services provided.

5. Proposed Solution and Technical Approach

A. Provide a detailed technical narrative describing how the proposed solution will meet the

Scope of Services. At minimum, address the following:

I. Hosted Telephony/UCaaS Platform

a. Describe the proposed cloud-based VoIP/UCaaS platform, system architecture, licensing model, carrier/provider capabilities, redundancy, availability, scalability, and administrative model.

II. Data Network Coordination

a. Describe any City network requirements, assumptions, quality of service requirements, Power over Ethernet requirements, firewall or security requirements, bandwidth considerations, and proposer responsibilities for identifying required system set-up requirements.

III. Microsoft O365 and Microsoft Team Integration

a. Describe how the solution integrates with Microsoft O365, Outlook contacts, Active

Directory, user directories, calendars, meeting scheduling, Microsoft Teams, click-to-call, presence, and related collaboration tools. Identify whether integration is native or requires third-party components and whether it is seamless and bi-directional.

IV. Unified Messaging and Voicemail

a. Describe voicemail integration, voicemail-to-email, audio file delivery, transcription, Outlook contact integration, caller ID in email subject line, custom greetings, zero-out options, speech recognition, and multi-language greeting capabilities.

V. SMS/MMS Texting

a. Describe inbound and outbound SMS/MMS capabilities, two-way messaging, group or bulk messaging, integration with voice and unified communications services, scalability, security, administration, end-user tools, and pricing.

VI. Paging and External Paging Access

a. Describe phone-based paging, zoned paging, page-all functionality, integration/access ports for existing external analog paging systems at City Hall and the Public Library, and any equipment or interface requirements.

VII. Revolution Activate ENS Integration

a. Describe how the proposed solution will integrate with the City’s existing Revolution

Activate ENS mass notification system, including bi-directional communication, real-time message initiation, escalation workflows, multi-channel delivery, voice broadcasts, SMS, email, contact list management, message prioritization, APIs, middleware, security, redundancy, availability, monitoring, reporting, and coordination with third-party vendors.

VIII. AI Tools

a. Describe standard AI capabilities included in the proposed solution, including conversational AI/virtual agents, speech-to-text, text-to-speech, call transcription, call summarization, sentiment analysis, intelligent call routing, automation, analytics, reporting, security, privacy, compliance, pricing, scalability, customization, and support.

IX. System Administration

a. Describe the administrative portal, operational programming, voicemail administration, auto attendant administration, unified messaging administration, E911 notification services, role-based permissions, audit trail/change history, single sign-on, and Active Directory/LDAP integration.

X. Telephone Devices and Licenses

a. Describe each proposed device type, including elevator line support, analog station ports, Type 2 basic telephone sets, Type 3 WiFi-enabled cordless phone, Type 4 attendant answering position, and license-only support for the City’s SIP-enabled wireless conference phones.

XI. Telephony Features

a. Describe compliance with required features, including caller ID, calling name ID, transferred caller ID behavior, transfer display behavior, call-forward timer, call routing, departmental answering, hunt groups, standard conferencing, user directory, call history, music on hold, variable ringtones, station paging, voice announce intercom, and on-demand call recording.

XII. Automated Attendant

a. Describe routing by dialed number, time/day/holiday routing, department or telephone-number routing, text-to-speech greetings, multi-language support, remote override capability, special-event greetings, caller menu behavior, overflow coverage, and reporting.

XIII. E911 and Regulatory Compliance

a. Describe compliance with Kari’s Law, RAY BAUM’S Act, FCC requirements, State of

California requirements, PSAP address information, on-network notification, City-owned smartphone notification, softphone user location management, and the ability to distinguish City facilities from remote locations.

XIV. Call Detail Reporting

a. Describe reporting for incoming, outgoing, and station-to-station calls, call duration, frequently called numbers, automated attendant traffic, hang-ups, and access for designated City staff.

XV. Security, Privacy, and Compliance

a. Describe security controls, identity management, data protection, privacy measures, retention options, audit capabilities, AI-related privacy protections, and any applicable compliance standards.

6. Scope Compliance Matrix

A. Proposers shall include a compliance matrix identifying whether the proposed solution meets each major requirement in the Scope of Services. The matrix should include sufficient detail for the City to understand whether the requirement is included in the base proposal,, available as an optional item, requires third-party services, or is not available.

B. Sample matrix layout is provided as Attachment A.

7. Implementation, Cutover, and Project Management

A. Provide a detailed implementation plan for all City locations, including City Hall, Corporation

Yard, and City Library.

B. Describe the departmental station review and system design process, including how user requirements, telephone station types, numbering, programmed features, call flows, recordings, automated attendant operation, and voicemail requirements will be documented and approved.

C. Provide a proposed project schedule that supports the City’s anticipated 2026 implementation and cutover timeline.

D. Describe the proposer’s approach to number porting, four-digit dialing coordination, cutover planning, business-continuity planning, rollback planning, and minimizing disruption to City operations.

E. Provide a responsibility matrix identifying vendor responsibilities, City responsibilities, and any third-party responsibilities, including any site preparation or network configuration activities required before installation.

F. Describe the test plan to be developed and executed with the City’s project manager, including voicemail/O365 integration, phone placement and testing, station-to-station dialing, external dialing, automated attendants, unified communications, Revolution

Activate ENS, E911, reporting, and completion of punch-list items.

G. Describe how the proposer will support the City during the thirty (30) day acceptance period and how performance issues will be tracked, corrected, and retested if the acceptance period restarts.

8. Training, Documentation, and Knowledge Transfer

A. Describe the proposed on-site user training for all users, including format, number of sessions, class size, training materials, and use of working telephones.

B. Describe administrator training for four (4) City staff members, including system programming, reporting, management, and configuration training.

C. Provide information on any additional system administration or technical training available, including projected cost, location, provider, and format.

D. Describe digital training resources, including video training and City-customized quick reference cards.

E. Identify all system documentation to be provided, including as-built configuration documentation, phone lists, call flows, automated attendant menus, administrator guides, user guides, support procedures, and warranty/support contacts.

9. Maintenance, Warranty, and Support

A. Describe manufacturer warranty and vendor warranty coverage for equipment, software, licensing, implementation services, and related components.

B. Identify the hourly rate for service not covered by warranty or service contract.

C. Specify lead time required for moves, changes, additions, and deletions.

D. Describe regular and emergency service, including definitions, support hours, response times, escalation process, after-hours support, and guaranteed response times. Guaranteed response times greater than four (4) hours for emergency services and greater than next business day for regular services will not be acceptable.

E. Describe support ticketing, account management, monitoring, reporting, service-level commitments, and customer communication procedures.

F. Identify any support limitations, exclusions, optional support tiers, or additional charges.

10. Pricing Proposal

A. Complete and submit the Pricing Schedule attached to this project solicitation as

Attachment B.

B. Provide an itemized schedule of all recurring and non-recurring costs for the proposed system.

C. Include all taxes and fees, both recurring and non-recurring.

D. Include all costs necessary for a complete turn-key system, including comprehensive station reviews, determination of user requirements, installation, programming, onsite placement of telephone devices, testing prior to cutover, and coordination of four-digit dialing between stations.

E. Provide cost detail for non-standard features and optional items identified in the Scope of

Services.

F. Identify any shipping, handling, delivery, disposal, or inside-delivery charges. If included in unit pricing, state that clearly.

G. Provide a recommended payment schedule and state when monthly billing will commence.

H. Provide an add/delete cost schedule for all system components, user licenses, and station equipment, including how future additions will be handled and whether additions will be coterminous where reasonable.

I. Identify any penalty, liability charge, or other cost for reducing equipment, telephone instruments, user licenses, or system components before or after installation.

J. Clearly identify any assumptions that affect price, including minimum quantities, license terms, usage limits, third-party costs, optional items, or services not included in the base price.

11. Exceptions, Assumptions, and Additional Information

A. List all exceptions to the Scope of Services, RFP requirements, contract terms, delivery requirements, warranty requirements, service-level requirements, or pricing requirements.

B. For each exception, identify the specific requirement, proposed alternative language or approach, and the reason for the exception.

C. Identify any assumptions that the City should consider during evaluation, including network readiness, third-party access, Revolution Activate ENS coordination, carrier dependencies, City-provided data, training attendance, or scheduling constraints.

D. Identify any optional services, enhancements, or recommended alternatives that may benefit the City, including AI features, advanced analytics, enhanced security, monitoring, additional training, or support options.

*Response required

5.2. Price Proposal*

Complete pricing proposal provided as Attachment B and upload document here.

*Response required

5.3. Non-Collusion Declaration*

The undersigned declares:

I am an authorized representative of my company, the party making the foregoing Bid, to certify the following.

The Bid is not made in the interest of, or on behalf of, any undisclosed person, partnership, company, association, organization, or corporation. The Bid is genuine and not collusive or sham. The Bidder has not directly or indirectly induced or solicited any other Bidder to put in a false or sham bid. The Bidder has not directly or indirectly colluded, conspired, connived, or agreed with any Bidder or anyone else to put in a sham bid, or to refrain from bidding. The Bidder has not in any manner, directly or indirectly, sought by agreement, communication, or conference with anyone to fix the Bid Price of the Bidder or any other

Bidder, or to fix any overhead, profit, or cost element of the Bid Price, or of that of any other Bidder. All statements contained in the Bid are true. The Bidder has not, directly or indirectly, submitted his or her

Bid Price or any breakdown thereof, or the contents thereof, or divulged information or data relative thereto, to any corporation, partnership, company, association, organization, bid depository, or to any member or agent thereof to effectuate a collusive or sham bid, and has not paid, and will not pay, any person or entity for such purpose.

Any person executing this declaration on behalf of a Bidder that is a corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, or any other entity, hereby represents that he or she has full power to execute, and does execute, this declaration on behalf of the Bidder.

I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California that the foregoing is true and correct.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

5.4. SAM.gov*

Please enter your legal entity name for SAM.gov verification.

*Response required

5.5. Type of Business*

☐ C Corporation (if corporation, two signatures are required)

☐ S Corporation (if corporation, two signatures are required)

☐ Limited Liability C Corporation (if corporation, two signatures are required)

☐ Partnership

☐ Limited Liability Partnership

☐ Sole Proprietor/Individual

☐ Other

*Response required

5.6. Litigation*

Provide litigation history for any claims filed by your firm or against your firm related to the provision of

Services in the last five (5) years (or type "N/A").

*Response required

5.7. Changes to Agreement*

The City standard professional services agreement contract is included as an attachment herein. The

Proposer shall identify any objections to and/or request changes to the standard contract language in this section of the proposal (or type "N/A"). If you are identifying changes here ALSO upload a copy of the redlined Language/Agreement with your Proposal. Changes requested may affect theCity's decision to enter into an Agreement.

*Response required

5.8. No Deviations from the RFP*

In submitting a proposal in response to this RFP, Proposer is certifying that it takes no exceptions to this

RFP including, but not limited to, the Agreement. If any exceptions are taken, such exceptions must be clearly noted here, and may be reason for rejection of the proposal. As such, Proposer is directed to carefully review the proposed Agreement and, in particular, the insurance and indemnification provisions therein (or type "N/A").

*Response required

5.9. Project Team Resumes*

Submit resumes of all key personnel/support staff that will produce work product for the Services.

Describe their qualifications, education, and professional licensing.

*Response required

5.10. List the Signatory(s) Authorized to Sign and Bind an Agreement.* (If two (2) signatures are required, include the following information for both signatories)

1. Full Name

2. Title

3. Physical Business Address

4. Email Address

5. Phone Number

Corporation (C-Corp): Requires two signatures from authorized officers— one from President or Vice

President, and the other from the Secretary or Treasurer.

An alternate signatory may be used if authorized by a Notarized Corporate Resolution or Article of

Authority.

LLC: Usually requires one signature from an authorized member or manager. For significant contracts

(e.g., over $50,000 for construction or over $25,000 for service agreements), additional approvals or signatures may be required.

Sole Proprietorship, Non-Profit, Single LLC: Only the one signature is necessary.

*Response required

5.11. Conflict of Interest Disclosure*

The proposer understands that any and all relationships with construction firms that may submit bids for projects developed under this agreement will require full disclosure of any direct or indirect conflicts of interest, financial interests, relationships, and the nature of any relationships with any related project bid submitters; and that any violation of this provision may result in the immediate termination of the

Agreement

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

5.12. Certification of Proposal*

The undersigned hereby submits its proposal and, by doing so, agrees to furnish services in accordance with the Request for Proposal (RFP), and to be bound by the terms and conditions of the RFP.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

6. Submittal Requirements

6.1. General

It is strongly recommended that the Proposer submit proposals in the format identified in this RFP to allow the City to fully evaluate and compare the proposal. All requirements and questions in the RFP should be addressed and all requested data shall be supplied. The City reserves the right to request additional information which, in the City’s opinion, is necessary to assure that the Proposer’s competence, number of qualified employees, business organization, and financial resources are adequate to perform according to the Agreement.

6.2. Preparation

Proposals should be prepared in such a way as to…