Att 0008 QA from DRFP_1 26Feb2025.pdf

# Question Government Response

1 Will the existing contracts be extended until AIT-7 is competed?

AIT-6 has been extended and the Government is planning for AIT-7 to be released prior to the extension being completed.

Draft PWS 3.12, Warranty and Maintenance, Page 23 Is the 3-year warranty only required for the HHTs or is applicable to other categories (Printers, Imagers, RFID equipment)? Is there value in Advance Exchange offer for products, where US Army is provided a fully commissioned ready to go replacement device by next business day as part of the Warranty and Maintenance plan

The 3-year Warranty is applicable to other categories (Printers, Imagers, RFID equipment). Warranty requirements are detailed in section 8.2, Warranty Support.

Draft PWS 4.14, Paragraph 1, Page 30 For the Enable/Disable of radios requirement, Will that be acceptable to be managed by an MDM Software instead of firmware?

No due to security requirements firmware disable is requirement of this contract.

Draft PWS 4.15, Page 30 Can a rubberized bezel allow it to be considered rugged?

To be ruggedized it must meet the requirement of Section 3.4.5

Draft PWS, Section 3.13, Paragraph 2, Page 24 The Draft PWS states all delivery orders that contain only supplies that be inspected and accepted at origin by DCMA. In the past, it has been up to the discretion of contracting on each delivery order to decide if inspection should be at origin or destination. Will the Government consider making inspection at origin optional as determined by contracting?

PWS 3.13: Was updated to say “acceptance of the supplies at origin or destination.”

Draft PWS, Section 4.1.3.j, Page 29 The Draft PWS states the separately orderable carrying case for HHTs shall have a minimum IP54 rating. The HHTs already have an IP rating well above IP54. It has been our experience on the past contract that customers do not want this type of carrying case.

They prefer a material “laptop bag” type case. Will the Government consider remove the IP54 rating?

PWS 4.1.3.j.: Was updated to remove IP54 rating on carrying case

Draft PWS & Price Model, Section 4.1 The Draft PWS is missing the requirements for HHT-H and HHT-J which are the “mobile computer” form factor HHTs with the small display and physical keypad. We have had and continue to have customers with this requirement. Will the Government consider adding the requirement for these HHTs back to the AIT-7 PWS?

Upon further review of the requirements there is a need for android devices. HHT-H and HHT-I were added to this PWS.

Draft PWS, Section 4.4.9, Page 40 Additional information is needed to spec in the appropriate Iridium modem as there are several. What is the use case?

PWS Section 4.5.1.e e. was updated to state, "The Iridium modem will be used in the active RFID Portable Deployment Kit (PDK) and Radio Frequency In-transit Visibility (RF-ITV) Read sites.”

AIT-7 DRFP Q&A Oct 2024

Can Army specify the expected quantities per year to be purchased over the 5 year term of the RFP for all categories requested in the RFP?

The Government is not able to project this information because this contract is open to all DOD organizations and expectations for each group is not known by the PMO. The government does plan to provide the historically quantities sold on prior contracts.

10 Can products be proposed that are in process of undergoing C1D2 testing?

Vendors can propose products that are in the process of undergoing C1D2 testing if the results and testing will be complete prior to contract award.

Draft PWS Section 4.1 For all Handheld categories (HHTs): For all Handheld categories (HHTs) – Army and DoD users will benefit with the option of Android and Windows, would AIT-7 allow for Android devices that will offer a wider range of secure product offering along with good O/S ongoing support?

Each HHT specifies whether it should be Android or Windows OS.

For Stationary Printers:

A. What is the duty cycle – how many labels are printed/day?

B. Is it 203 dpi or 300 dpi?

C. Do you require a liner take-up or do you require full rewind?

A. Max print speed: 12 inches per second (ips) /305 millimeters per second (mm) per second. For max label printing in one day would be around 10,000 to 15,000.

B. The minimum resolution of 203 dots per inch. The vendors can propose higher dpi.

C. Stationary barcode label printer with an installed take-up reel that rewinds an entire 8-inch diameter roll of label stock and has the capacity to dispense a self-stripped label on demand.

The AIT-7 PWS omits Technical Engineering Services, which were included in previous AIT contract versions. Given the implementation of passive Radio Frequency Identification (pRFID), these services are more crucial for a comprehensive technical solution for customers. Was the exclusion of Technical Engineering Services from AIT-7 intentional?

Technical Engineering Services have been added to the AIT-7 contract.

Draft PWS Forklift Mounted RFID Reader, Section 4.4.2.

The CLIN states the RFID Mount requires two internal antennas, but due to the size and how the reader is an All-In One, two antennas will not increase the read zone of RFID tags.

Will Army please consider restating the requirement to RFID Forklift Mount Reader with an integrated antenna to allow for better product selection?

PWS Section 4.4.2: Was updated to say, “The Reader shall include an integrated antenna with a minimum of two external antenna ports.”

Draft 1 PWS 4.1 For all Handheld categories (HHTs):

A. Considering the benefits to the end customer from utilizing both Android and Windows platforms, will AIT-7 allow for the inclusion of Android devices? These devices would provide a broader range of secure product offerings with consistent support from Google and Android.

B. Is it a requirement for the CAC reader to be integrated into the device, or is an external CAC reader accessory acceptable?

C. 4.1.4: Can products still undergoing C1D2 testing be proposed for the RFQ??

D. 4.1.6: The specifications for HHT-C do not mention a requirement for C1D2 compliance, but the Attachment 4 BOM spreadsheet references 'NI.' Could the Government please clarify the specific requirement in this case?

A. Each HHT specifies whether it should be Android or Windows OS.

B. External CAC readers are acceptable. For NI it will need a warning label see PWS 4.1.

C. Vendors can propose products that are in the process of undergoing C1D2 testing if the results and testing will be complete prior to contract award.

D. The government removed the NI HHT due to lack of sales on AIT-6.

The NI requirement was left in contract for possible future demand.

Government removed the NI from the BOM Spreadsheet

Draft 1 PWS 4.3.4 For Stationary Barcode Label Printers A. Labels can be attached to RFID transponders, vehicles, and cardboard boxes. What is the expected duty cycle for the stationary printers? Specifically, how many labels are anticipated to be printed per day?

B. Does the Government require the printer resolution to be 203 dpi or 300 dpi?

C. Does the Government require a liner take-up feature or a full rewind capability?

A. 10,000 to 15000 label per day B. MIN requirement is 203 dpi.

C. Stationary barcode label printer with an installed take-up reel that rewinds an entire 8-inch diameter roll of label stock and has the capacity to dispense a self-stripped label on demand.

Draft PWS 4.4.2 pRFID Vehicle Mount Fixed Reader w/ Antennas The requirement states the RFID Mount requires two internal antennas, but due to the size and how the reader is an All-In One, two antennas will not increase the read zone of RFID tags. Will Army please consider restating the requirement to RFID Forklift Mount Reader with an integrated antenna to allow for better product selection?

PWS 4.4.2: Was updated to say, “The Reader shall include an integrated antenna with a minimum of two external antenna ports.”

Draft PWS 4.3.3.2, and 4.3.4.1 Consumable Supplies - Labels A. To determine the appropriate adhesive, can the Government clarify what type of surface will the labels need to adhere?

B. Will the label need to be housed indoors, outdoors or both?

C. Will the label be subjected to any chemical resistance, light resistance and abrasion resistance?

D. What model of printer does the Government intend to use for printing the labels?

E. Does the government require a 4x6 label and ribbon set for portable/wearable Barcode label printers? If so can the government advise on an offering?

A. Labels can be attached to RFID transponders, vehicles, and cardboard boxes.

B. Both C. Normally require light resistance and abrasion resistance D. This is a vendor choice that meets the requirements of the contract.

E. Yes. 4x6 is the size of Military shipping labels (MSL). Government is looking to vendors for offerings.

Draft PWS 4.4 pRFID Equipment A. Sec 4.4.1: The FX9600 RFID Reader is available in configurations with either four or eight antenna ports, with the eight-port configuration providing greater flexibility in antenna diversity. Which antenna port configuration does the Government prefer?

B. Sec 4.4.2: For the forklift reader, the FXR90 Ultra-Rugged Fixed RFID Reader contains an integrated, forward-facing cross-polarized linear antenna which is made up of 2 linear antennas built into the reader (in addition to 4 external antenna ports. Does this internal configuration meet the Government’s requirement for two antennas, or are externally cabled antennas also required?

C. Sec 4.4.2: The FXR90 forklift reader does not include a lift-specific mounting plate, nor does it feature pre-drilled holes for easy mounting. We recommend using third-party shock-absorbing pads between the reader housing and the forklift chassis. Does the Government find this mounting recommendation acceptable?

D. Sec 4.4.3: For the Smart Table, which includes an integrated RFID reader and antenna but does not include an external tablet or workstation, it appears the DISA STIGS requirement may not be applicable. Does the Government agree with this assessment?

E. 4.4.6: We are recommending an RFID printer model capable of printing tags that can be affixed to metal objects, in addition to standard paper RFID labels. If the Government does not anticipate a need for tags to be affixed to metal objects, we can offer a SKU that does not support this feature. Could the Government please advise on the preferred option?

F. 4.4.4: Handheld Terminal-Passive RFID: Regarding the CAC requirement from two potential options, which would be preferred by Government users: (1) a CAC tethered to the MC3330xR and attached to a special carrying case, or (2) a CAC tethered to a docking cradle to support offline use cases.

A. The vendor is required to meet or exceed the minimum requirements of the contract.

B. Yes, internal antennas will meet the requirement for antennas.

C. Vendors shall include all necessary accessories including items to mount the reader. Instructions on how to install shall be included in their user guide documentation.

D. PWS has been updated to remove DISA STIG requirement.

E. Passive RFID tags shall be applied to case shipments and palletized unit load following Mil-STD 129r paragraph 5.9.2.1.a and yes they will be affixed to metal objects

F. PWS Section 4.4.4 was updated to include “If the CAC reader is not integrated to the handheld then is shall be tethered to the handheld.”