Annual Maintenance and Support for Oracle Software

This is a brand name requirement for support of existing Oracle Database Enterprise Edition licenses. Please see the attached solicitation document for the detail of the products needed. Below is a desctiption and explanation as to why we need this product.

A. The GBS (Global Broadcast Satellite) system is a COTS intensive system and depends on regular support and updates of the software by many vendors. The C&A (Certification and Accreditation) is the certification process of all the hardware and software used within this weapon system. Once everything has been certified by DOD, it is assigned an EITDR (Enterprise Information Technology Data Repository) number. GBS's EITDR number is 0880. In other words, the program office has mandated the components that are required to be in this system.
B. Oracle Database Enterprise Edition/Server software support is critical to support Oracle database software licenses that are included in the GBS system. Any Oracle database problems in the field would mean GBS service interruption or even total system failure. This causes unacceptable delays in service and critical impacts to ongoing and future war fighting missions around the world. This annual maintenance & support renewal from Oracle gives us on demand 24/7 technical support and rights to software updates for a year.
C. The Oracle technical support staff are the only ones capable and qualified to support the proprietary Oracle software that is used in the the GBS system. They have an intricate knowledge of how other software packages communicate and function with their base line program.
D. The 520th SMXS cannot award to any other source; however, if they could it would result in substantial duplication of cost to the Government that is not expected to be recovered through competition and unacceptable delays in fulfilling the Air Force's requirements. The only alternative would be to develop a completely new satellite system software which would not be technically advantageous or cost effective. In other words, we would have to change out our current COTS product and develop something specifically to meet the need of the government. Many other system architecture changes would also result if the Oracle software were to be replaced which only adds to further increased costs to the government.
E. Accordingly, Oracle is the only firm capable of providing the supplies and services described above without the U.S. Air Force experiencing substantial duplication of cost that could not be expected to be recovered through competition.