Fully Cloud-Based Phone System

Montcalm Area Intermediate School District (MAISD) in Michigan has issued a Request for Proposal for a fully cloud-based Voice over IP (VoIP) phone system to replace its existing telephone infrastructure. The procurement seeks a modern, cloud-hosted solution that includes handsets for all users, softphone capabilities, voicemail services, fax support, and number porting capabilities. The system must support approximately 191 full-featured users with both handsets and softphone access, 4 voicemail-only users, and 10 or more fax lines. Vendors must provide itemized pricing that encompasses one-time implementation costs (installation, configuration, training, and number porting), recurring monthly costs per user, voicemail-only account charges, per-fax-line costs, licensing fees, support and maintenance charges, and hardware costs for handsets. The selected system must demonstrate high availability with 99.99% uptime or better, include data encryption in transit and at rest, comply with applicable education and data privacy standards, and feature a web-based management portal with role-based access controls and reporting capabilities. Evaluation criteria include total cost of ownership, functionality and features, vendor experience and references (preferably K-12 or public sector), implementation approach and timeline, and support and service quality. The RFP timeline includes questions due by May 15, 2026, proposals due by May 30, 2026, vendor selection targeted for June 12, 2026, and a project start date of July 1, 2026.

The RFP does not explicitly identify set-aside designations or restrictions limiting responses to specific categories of organizations, though vendor experience with K-12 or public sector clients is preferred. Proposals must be submitted in sealed envelopes to MAISD's Central Office at 621 New Street, Stanton, Michigan 48888, or electronically to Brandon Richmond, Director of Technology, at brichmond@maisd.com, with all bids publicly read aloud immediately after the May 30, 2026 due date and time. Required submission documents include a completed bid form, Familial Disclosure Statement, and Iran-linked business certification. No incumbent vendor or current infrastructure integration requirements are specified in the RFP summary. The document does not provide a specific award value or budget range; vendors must submit itemized proposals for cost evaluation as part of the selection process.