9280-27-R-IFBD-00010

The University of Southern Mississippi is requesting sealed bids for Cisco SmartNet Maintenance services under RFP 27-14, with bids due October 7, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. at Bond Hall, Room 214, 118 College Drive, Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

The scope covers managed maintenance and support for 108 Cisco enterprise-grade networking and computing assets, including network switches (Catalyst and Nexus series), firewalls (Firepower 1010 NGFW), wireless controllers (Catalyst 9800), unified computing systems (UCS), and collaboration endpoints (IP phones). Service levels vary across the inventory and include 8X5XNBD (business hours next business day), 24X7X4 (24-hour service with 4-hour response), SNTC (SmartNet Total Care), SSSNT (solution support), SSC4P (Small Systems Collaborative Performance), and SWSS (Software Subscription Service). The scope also includes subscription licenses for AnyConnect VPN (25 and 250 user tiers) and Cisco Identity Service Engine (Essentials at 25,000 units and Advantage at 250 units). The appendix provided specifies individual service levels and SKU identifiers for each asset.

The contract term is three years beginning October 1, 2026, with two optional one-year renewal periods. Bids may be submitted by mail, hand delivery, express mail, or through the MAGIC portal. Vendors must provide minimum three customer references from organizations implementing the proposed solution within the last 12 months, preferably from higher education. Proposals must follow the exact structure in the provided Excel appendix, be submitted in English with sequential page numbering, and quote pricing in U.S. dollars as a lump sum. The University will not necessarily award to the lowest-priced proposal; the Evaluation Committee and iTech Department will determine the most advantageous proposal. Payment will be processed within 45 days of invoice receipt, and the University may use VISA Purchasing Card without additional service fees. All vendors must comply with applicable local, state, and federal laws, University terms and conditions, and PII data protection regulations. Direct inquiries to Jacob Cochran, Director of Procurement and Contract Services.