Emergency Extension Legacy Phone Maintenance

The Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology is entering into an emergency contract extension with Ficek Electric & Communications Systems, Inc., for telecom legacy phone maintenance services, with the extension period running from August 1 through October 31, 2026 under BidBuy Reference B-53519. This is a notice of emergency extension, not a competitive solicitation; the extension bridges the gap until a parallel competitive solicitation (B-52287) can be concluded, with bids on that competitive effort due August 20, 2026.

Ficek Electric is an active, certified Business Enterprise Program Participant. The scope covers Installation, Move, Add, Change (MAC) requests and maintenance services for the State's remaining analog phone systems, including warranty, replacement, and add/change requests with comprehensive maintenance coverage. Equipment spans legacy systems such as Centrex, Norstar, Nortel Meridian, Avaya IP Office, and various PBX systems across hundreds of statewide telecommunications sites. Major concentrations include Department of Corrections facilities, Department of Transportation maintenance yards, Illinois State Police districts, Secretary of State driver services locations, and other state agency offices distributed across Chicago, Springfield, and multiple regional locations. Station counts at major hubs exceed 3,000 (e.g., 100 W Randolph Street Chicago with 3,057 Centrex stations).

The estimated extension contract value is $700,000. Prior emergency extensions under this lineage include B-48614 ($1,376,111.50, July 31, 2025–January 31, 2026), B-50850 ($700,000, February 1–April 30, 2026), and B-52232 ($700,000, May 1–July 31, 2026). Three prior competitive solicitations (B-47777, B-48792, and B-51706) yielded no responsive bids; the BEP goal requirement was identified as a barrier to bidding, and the Agency Procurement Officer received waiver approval on June 29, 2026. The extension is justified by the risk of service lapse to public health and safety, particularly at Department of Corrections facilities. The Chief Procurement Officer approved the extension on July 29, 2026.