DTMB NTSD - Unified Communications (UC) RFI

The State of Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget (DTMB) issued a Request for Information (RFI 21-0014) on October 15, 2021, to gather market intelligence regarding unified communications and voice infrastructure solutions to inform future RFP development. This non-evaluative RFI seeks vendor input on applications or suites of applications capable of streamlining operations for the State's Enterprise Voice Infrastructure, which currently supports over 40,000 IP endpoints. Key service areas include service monitoring, automation and provisioning, onboarding and offboarding capabilities, directory number management, remote phone control, help desk functionality, and reporting and logging. Required capabilities encompass monitoring for VMware vCenter and ESXi environments, Cisco UCS B-Series and C-Series hardware, and IPT platforms including Cisco Communications Manager, Cisco Unity Connections, and Oracle Enterprise Session Border Controllers; additionally, solutions must provide data encryption, notification capabilities, and a minimum one-year warranty with extended maintenance agreements available. The RFI explicitly encourages all vendors to respond even if they cannot provide all requirements, with the option to partner with other vendors to deliver a complete solution. The pre-response meeting was held on October 5, 2021, from 1:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET via Microsoft Teams, with the deadline for submitting questions at October 12, 2021, at 12:00 p.m. ET and answers posted by October 19, 2021; RFI responses were due by October 26, 2021, at 12:00 p.m. ET. The State reserves the right to invite selected vendors for oral presentations and will use all responses to inform the development and timeline of a formal RFP.

The RFI documentation does not specify set-aside designations or restrictions on the types of organizations eligible to respond. The current environment is managed in-house by DTMB and includes extensive Cisco infrastructure along with assorted applications, including Cisco IP phones, Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Cisco Session Manager, Unity Connections, Cisco Unified Contact Center Express, Cisco Packaged Contact Center Enterprise, Cisco Expressway, Cisco Emergency Responder, Cisco Room Kits, InformaCast, and Hamilton Captel. DTMB currently uses BMC Remedy for its ticketing system and does not outsource its Help Desk operations; additionally, the State does not currently utilize an authorized Cisco partner for Move/Add/Change/Delete (MACD) services. All RFI responses will be considered property of the State and subject to disclosure under Michigan's Freedom of Information Act. No specific award values, budget ranges, contract duration, renewal options, or pricing terms are detailed in the RFI, as the solicitation is information-gathering in nature to support future procurement planning.