Data Center Refresh

The City of Owensboro, Kentucky, located in Daviess County, is seeking proposals for a comprehensive Data Center Refresh project (RFP #4438) to modernize its enterprise network infrastructure across primary and secondary data centers. The procurement aims to refresh network infrastructure, structured and non-structured networkable storage, and processing capabilities serving approximately 40 locations and 600 end users. The selected vendor must present a best practice design prioritizing cybersecurity and ransomware protection, procure hardware and software, implement the agreed design, and migrate existing data and virtual machines. The current environment comprises 82 virtual servers on 294TB of storage, hosted on VMware ESXi Dell hypervisers with Dell Compellent SANs, a Dell Isilion HA pair for unstructured data, and five QNAP NASes. Proposals will be evaluated using a 100-point system: Experience & Qualifications (25 points), Methodology & Approach (40 points), Cost (25 points), References (5 points), and Timeline (5 points). Proposals are due Friday, August 22nd, 2025, at 5:00 PM CST via the City's Bonfire portal, with the City expressing a preference for Cisco network equipment and VMware virtualization solutions.

The procurement does not specify explicit set-aside designations or restrictions on responding organizations. The existing infrastructure indicates a multi-vendor environment with equipment from Cisco, Dell, QNAP, Unitrends, and Ubiquiti, suggesting potential integration requirements for the selected vendor. The design must separate primary and secondary data centers into different physical locations with real-time replication, incorporate network segmentation, ensure seven-year lifecycle management for storage solutions, and support both structured and unstructured data on the same hardware appliances. The contract will be firm-fixed-price with NET 30 payment terms, and the successful vendor must maintain specific insurance requirements, including $2,000,000 in cyber liability coverage. While no specific budget range is explicitly stated, the comprehensive nature of the refresh project, involving network infrastructure, storage, and virtual environment migration across 40 locations, suggests a significant capital investment. Vendors will need to demonstrate technical expertise in enterprise network design, virtualization, storage solutions, and data migration to be competitive.