RFP 28167-AW BCN Managed Network Services (main document)



Managed Network Services forBadgerNet Converged NetworkRFP # 28167-AWIssued: Wednesday, April 15, 2015Responses Due: 2:00:00 p.m. CT, Wednesday, June 17, 2015TABLE OF CONTENTS TOC \o "1-2" \h \z \u DEFINITIONS PAGEREF _Toc416869448 \h 41.GENERAL INFORMATION PAGEREF _Toc416869449 \h 81.1.Introduction and Purpose PAGEREF _Toc416869450 \h 81.2.Scope of Work PAGEREF _Toc416869451 \h 81.3.Background PAGEREF _Toc416869452 \h 91.4.Procuring and Contracting Agency PAGEREF _Toc416869453 \h 111.5.Clarifications and/or Revisions to the Specifications and Requirements PAGEREF _Toc416869454 \h 111.6.State of Wisconsin Point of Contact and Contact with State Employees PAGEREF _Toc416869455 \h 121.7.News Releases PAGEREF _Toc416869456 \h 121.8.Proposer Conference PAGEREF _Toc416869457 \h 121.9.Reasonable Accommodations PAGEREF _Toc416869458 \h 121.10.Calendar of Events PAGEREF _Toc416869459 \h 131.11.Contract Term PAGEREF _Toc416869460 \h 131.12.VendorNet Registration PAGEREF _Toc416869461 \h 132.PREPARING AND SUMITTING A PROPOSAL PAGEREF _Toc416869462 \h 142.1.General Instructions PAGEREF _Toc416869463 \h 142.2.Incurring Costs PAGEREF _Toc416869464 \h 142.plete Responses PAGEREF _Toc416869465 \h 142.4.Submitting the Proposal PAGEREF _Toc416869466 \h 142.5.Proposal Organization and Format PAGEREF _Toc416869467 \h 152.6.Oral Presentations PAGEREF _Toc416869468 \h 182.7.Bonds and Letters Of Credit PAGEREF _Toc416869469 \h 182.8.Withdrawal of Proposals PAGEREF _Toc416869470 \h 183.PROPOSAL SELECTION AND AWARD PROCESS PAGEREF _Toc416869471 \h 193.1.Preliminary Evaluation PAGEREF _Toc416869472 \h 193.2.Evaluation Committee PAGEREF _Toc416869473 \h 193.3.Accepted Proposals PAGEREF _Toc416869474 \h 193.4.Evaluation Criteria PAGEREF _Toc416869475 \h 203.5.MBE / DVB Proposals PAGEREF _Toc416869476 \h 213.6.Award and Final Proposals PAGEREF _Toc416869477 \h 213.7.Contract Negotiation PAGEREF _Toc416869478 \h 213.8.Contract Negotiations Impasse PAGEREF _Toc416869479 \h 213.9.Notification of Intent to Award PAGEREF _Toc416869480 \h 213.10.Appeals Process PAGEREF _Toc416869481 \h 224.MANDATORY ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS AND DOCUMENTATION PAGEREF _Toc416869482 \h 234.1.E-Rate PAGEREF _Toc416869483 \h 234.2.Data Ownership PAGEREF _Toc416869484 \h 244.3.Rights to Electronic Information PAGEREF _Toc416869485 \h 244.4.Rights to Data PAGEREF _Toc416869486 \h 244.5.Legal Proceedings PAGEREF _Toc416869487 \h 254.6.Contract Termination History PAGEREF _Toc416869488 \h 254.7.Bankruptcy PAGEREF _Toc416869489 \h 254.8.Debarment PAGEREF _Toc416869490 \h 254.9.Proof of Financial Stability PAGEREF _Toc416869491 \h 254.10.Insurance Coverage PAGEREF _Toc416869492 \h 265.GENERAL REQUIREMENTS PAGEREF _Toc416869493 \h 295.anization Background and Qualifications PAGEREF _Toc416869494 \h 295.2.Customer and Client Relationship Management PAGEREF _Toc416869495 \h 295.3.Account Personnel PAGEREF _Toc416869496 \h 305.4.Subcontractors (including Service Providers) PAGEREF _Toc416869497 \h 305.5.References PAGEREF _Toc416869498 \h WORK REQUIREMENTS PAGEREF _Toc416869499 \h 316.1.Service Delivery PAGEREF _Toc416869500 \h 316.work Traffic PAGEREF _Toc416869501 \h 326.3.Ethernet Service (Category D) PAGEREF _Toc416869502 \h 326.4.Architecture Validation (Proof of Concept) PAGEREF _Toc416869503 \h 327.MANAGED SERVICE PROVIDER REQUIREMENTS PAGEREF _Toc416869504 \h 327.1.Operations PAGEREF _Toc416869505 \h 337.2.Administration PAGEREF _Toc416869506 \h 357.3.Maintenance PAGEREF _Toc416869507 \h 377.4.Service Level Agreements PAGEREF _Toc416869508 \h 387.5.Plans PAGEREF _Toc416869509 \h 388.VALUE-ADD AND OPTIONAL SERVICES PAGEREF _Toc416869510 \h 398.1.Video, MCUs, Gateways and Session Scheduling PAGEREF _Toc416869511 \h 398.2.University of Wisconsin Transport and Hand-Off PAGEREF _Toc416869512 \h 398.3.Other Services PAGEREF _Toc416869513 \h 409.COST PROPOSAL PAGEREF _Toc416869514 \h 409.1.Cost Worksheets PAGEREF _Toc416869515 \h 409.2.F.O.B. Destination Freight Prepaid PAGEREF _Toc416869516 \h 409.3.Consideration of All Inherent Costs PAGEREF _Toc416869517 \h 409.4.Non E-Rate Services PAGEREF _Toc416869518 \h 419.5.Fees and Surcharges PAGEREF _Toc416869519 \h 4110.LIST OF REQUIRED FORMS PAGEREF _Toc416869520 \h 4211.ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS PAGEREF _Toc416869521 \h 4211.1.Attachments PAGEREF _Toc416869522 \h 4211.2.Appendices PAGEREF _Toc416869523 \h 42DEFINITIONSFor the purposes of this RFP and resulting Contract, words and terms shall be given their ordinary and usual meanings. Where capitalized in this RFP and resulting Contract, the following words and terms shall have the meanings indicated. The meanings shall be applicable to the singular, plural, masculine, feminine and neuter.“Additional Services” means Service or Deliverable within the scope of the Contract, but not specifically provided under any Statement of Work.“Agency” or “State Agency” means the Wisconsin Department of Administration or any other agency of the State of Wisconsin, as defined by Wis. Stats. 16.70.“Alarm” means a real-time indication or a signal that indicates an error condition or predefined threshold has been exceeded, i.e., an event or error has occurred. Usually includes a priority or severity code.“Alert” means a sound or message that indicates a predefined threshold is about to be exceeded or a selected operation is about to be performed, i.e., a warning in advance of an event or error.“BCN” means the BadgerNet Converged Network.“BCN Customer” means an entity that acquires services under this Contract through the MSP. Entities are defined under state statute Wisconsin Statute 16 subch IX, (agencies as defined in Wisconsin Statute 16.70 (1e), municipality as defined in Wisconsin Statute 16.70 (8), BadgerNet Authorized User as defined in state statute 16.97).“Class of Service” means network policies that align network resources with business objectives and are enforced by means of QoS.“Confidential Information” means all tangible and intangible information and materials, including all Personally Identifiable Information, being disclosed in connection with this Contract, in any form or medium (and without regard to whether the information is owned by the State or by a third party), that satisfy at least one of the following criteria: (i) Personally Identifiable Information; (ii) Proprietary Information; (iii) non-public information related to the State’s employees, customers, technology (including data bases, data processing and communications networking systems), schematics, specifications, and all information or materials derived therefrom or based thereon; or (iv) information expressly designated as confidential in writing by the State. Confidential information includes all information that is restricted or prohibited from disclosure by state or federal law.“Contract Term” means the initial term of the Contract and any renewals and/or extensions.“Contract” means the final version of any contractually binding agreement between DOA and the MSP relating to the subject matter of this RFP; references to the Contract include all exhibits, attachments and other documents attached thereto or incorporated therein by reference. “Contracted Personnel” means MSP’s employees or other personnel (including officers, agents and Subcontractors) provided by the MSP to perform work related to the Contract.“Contractor” means a Proposer awarded a Contract. The terms “Contractor” and “MSP” may be used interchangeably in this RFP. “Customer Edge” or “CE” means the device that is owned and managed by the BCN Customer. This device hosts the UNI-C interface port (e.g., a BCN Customer's firewall, router, switch or PC).“Customer Premise Equipment” or “CPE” means the Service Provider's managed device that resides at the BCN Customer's location. This device hosts an UNI-N interface port (e.g., a Service Provider's managed router, switch or cable modem).“Degradation” means the condition that occurs when communication performance parameters fall outside predetermined limits, resulting in a lower quality of services. A Service that suffers Degradation shall be considered to be suffering an Outage or Interruption for purposes of performance requirements (e.g., the SLAs).“Deliverable” means all project materials, including goods, software licenses, data and documentation created during the performance or provision of Services hereunder or identified as a “Deliverable” in an applicable Statement of Work of other contract document. “Department” means the Department of Administration, State of Wisconsin.“DET” means Division of Enterprise Technology.“Division” means a sub-unit of a state agency and is an organizational unit internal to a state agency.“DOA” means the Department of Administration, State of Wisconsin.“DVB” means a state-certified Disabled Veteran-Owned Business.“Effective Date” means the date the Contract has been fully executed by the MSP and the State.“Ethernet Service Port” means the UNI-N port used by a Service Provider to deliver BCN services to the BCN Customer.“Expected” means a State requirement should be present in the proposed solution, exactly as stated, but the lack of the requirement would not disqualify the solution. However, the lack of one or more expected requirements will reduce a solutions technical score. “Fault Management” means the set of functions that detect, isolate, and correct malfunctions in a network, compensate for environmental changes, and include maintaining and examining error logs, accepting and acting on error detection notifications, tracing and identifying faults, carrying out sequences of diagnostics tests, correcting faults, reporting error conditions, and localizing and tracing faults by examining and manipulating database information.“IP” means Internet Protocol.“Key Personnel” means Contracted Personnel who play leading and critical roles in providing Services during the Contract Term.“Managed Service Provider” (MSP) means a Contractor that is responsible for the provisioning and operation of a multi-sourced Service Provider environment. Specifically, for this RFP, the MSP facilitates, coordinates, and operates a multi-sourced network on behalf of the State. The State provides governance of the operation and management of the network and the MSP provides best-in-class practices, tools, and design/operation consultation. The terms “MSP” and “Contractor” may be used interchangeably in this RFP.“Market Basket” means a selection of services chosen as a representative sample of common purchases and used to measure and compare Proposer pricing.“Mandatory” means a requirement labeled as such must be present in the proposed solution, exactly as stated, or the solution will not be considered by the State of Wisconsin.“May” indicates something that is not mandatory but permissible.“MBE” means a state-certified Minority Business Enterprise.“Move, Add, Change, Delete” (MACD) means a service that provides moves, adds, changes and deletes of network hardware and software or services.“Multicast Services” means the ability to broadcast one or more media streams to multiple users simultaneously within a geographical region.“Multi-cast” means communication between a single device and multiple members of a device group.“Municipality” means any county, city, village, town, school district, board of school directors, sewer district, drainage district, vocational, technical and adult education district, or any other public body having the authority to award public contracts (Wis. Stats s. 16.70(8), Wis. Stats.) and Federally recognized Indian tribes and bands per Wis. Stats. ss. 66.0301(1) and (2).“Near Real Time Monitoring” means service that enables a Service Provider to record network traffic, check server availability, and monitor a network's performance, customize alarms which can send out notifications of problems or a specified threshold is being crossed.“Near Real Time” means the time delay introduced by network transmission between the occurrence of an event and the use of the processed data, such as for display or feedback. For example, a near-real-time display depicts an event or situation as it existed at the current time minus the processing time, at nearly the time of the live event. “NRC” means non-recurring charge.“Parties” means the State and the MSP, collectively.“Party” means either the State or the MSP, individually.“Personally Identifiable Information” means an individual’s last name and the individual’s first name or first initial, in combination with and linked to any of the following elements, if the element is not publicly available information and is not encrypted, redacted, or altered in any manner that renders the element unreadable: (a) the individual’s Social Security number; (b) the individual’s driver’s license number or state identification number; (c) the individual’s date of birth; (d) the number of the individual’s financial account, including a credit or debit card account number, or any security code, access code, or password that would permit access to the individual’s financial account; (e) the individual’s DNA profile; or (f) the individual’s unique biometric data, including fingerprint, voice print, retina or iris image, or any other unique physical characteristic.“Point to Point” means a connection with only two endpoints.“Proof of Concept” means a demonstration that proves an idea/technology works as proposed.“Proposal” means the complete response to this RFP submitted on the approved forms, in the required manner and setting forth the Proposer’s prices for providing the products and services described in the RFP.“Proposer” means the entity submitting a Proposal in response to this RFP. “Public Information” means information that (i) is collected, assembled or maintained under a law or ordinance or in connection with the transaction of official business by a governmental body or for a governmental body; and (ii) the governmental body owns or to which it has a right of access. “QoS” means Quality of Service.“RFP” means this Request for Proposal.“SBOP” means the Department of Administration State Bureau of Procurement.“Service Delivery Point” means the end point where the user receives the service.“Service Demarcation” means the dividing line that isolates the area of responsibility for the BCN service between the MSP and the BCN Customer. BCN demarcation point for the MSP is the UNI-N Ethernet interface port. BCN demarcation point for the BCN Customer includes both the UNI-C Ethernet interface port and cabling.“Service Provider” means the entity that provides bandwidth and network access.“Service Level Agreement” (SLA) means an agreement between two or more parties, where one is the BCN Customer and the others are Service Providers and specifying in measurable terms, what services the provider(s) must furnish.“Services” means all actions, recommendations, plans, research, customizations, modifications, documentation, maintenance and support provided by the MSP necessary to fulfill that which the MSP is obligated to accomplish under the Contract.“Shall” indicates a mandatory requirement.“State” means the State of Wisconsin.“Subcontract” means any contract, express or implied, between the MSP and another party or between a Subcontractor and another party delegating or assigning, in whole or in part, the making or furnishing of any material or any service required for the performance of the Contract. “Subcontractor” means a party to a Subcontract. For example, an entity that subcontracts with the MSP to provide bandwidth and network access to BCN Customers or other services required under the Contract.“TEACH” (Technology for Educational Achievement) the program established by the Wisconsin Legislature under Wis. Stats. 16.99 to provide support for investments in educational technology.“Time to Repair” (TTR) means the measurable time a trouble ticket is established at the MSP’s Network Operations Center (NOC) through any means until the MSP’s trouble ticket is changed to resolved status after site validation.“Unicast” means communication from one device to another device over a network.“User Network Interface” or “UNI” means the service demarcation between the responsibility of the Service Provider and the responsibility of the BCN Customer.“User Network Interface-C” or “UNI-C” means the physical Ethernet port hosted on the CE device and is the interface BCN Customers use to attach their equipment to the Service Provider's UNI-N interface to receive BCN services. The Customer is responsible to provide the cable between the UNI-C and UNI-N interface. The UNI-C and cable serves as the BCN Customer’s demarcation point of the UNI.“User Network Interface-N” or “UNI-N” means the physical Ethernet port hosted on the services provider’s managed equipment. The UNI-N is the interface that the BCN Customer attaches its device to receive BCN network services. The UNI-N serves as the Service Provider’s demarcation point of the UNI.GENERAL INFORMATIONIntroduction and PurposeThe State of Wisconsin (State) as represented by the Department of Administration (DOA), Division of Enterprise Technology (DET) is seeking proposals for managed network services of the BadgerNet Converged Network (BCN), a statewide Wide Area Network (WAN). The awarded Proposer will provide and operate BCN, ensuring it provides broadband communications sufficient to meet the increasing demands of government, education, health care and public safety organizations. The awarded Proposer will also be responsible for designing and implementing the network to promote broadband deployment throughout the State of Wisconsin.In response to BCN Customer needs and ever-evolving technology, BCN must become an affordable, scalable, future proof, accessible and secure network. Proposers are encouraged to restructure BCN with an open access architectural framework with non-discriminatory interconnections that provide high-speed services over a network designed to maximize public and private service delivery and competition resulting in significant cost savings to the State. The State of Wisconsin intends to use the results of this solicitation to award a contract for the aforementioned services.Scope of Work Through this procurement, the State will select a Managed Service Provider (MSP) to provide and operate BCN to support the State’s business requirements for transporting all data which could include voice, video or data. The MSP will be responsible for ensuring network access and bandwidth for BCN Customers as well as managing the activities, roles, and assignments of the Service Providers (i.e., entities that provides bandwidth and network access) engaged by the MSP to deliver the required BCN services. To achieve the increased bandwidth and reduced costs BCN Customers require, the State considers an open access/neutral hosting architecture that does not restrict access between Service Providers to be a preferred solution. The MSP shall be the single point of contact and responsible for all BCN network and administrative services.The State does not require the roster of Service Providers to remain unchanged through the life of the contract and in fact, anticipates that the MSP will add and subtract Service Providers as necessary to ensure the delivery of improved services and competitive pricing, to address potential performance issues, changes in technology or industry consolidation. The MSP shall ensure that Categories A-C described below are available in all of the Wisconsin Public Service Commission State Broadband Office’s nine economic development regions ().Currently BCN Customers are served with network hardware and facilities dedicated exclusively to the State. In the interest of reducing costs, and assuming that required levels of security can be maintained, the State highly encourages Proposals that combine BCN services on existing commercial infrastructures. To meet the BCN Customer requests for increased bandwidth at lower costs, the State requires streamlined service offerings which allow BCN Customers to obtain the service levels they need and pay only for that level of service. The required service offerings are organized into the following four categories which include high-level descriptions of the required services. The specific technical requirements for each category are provided in Attachment A-Technical Requirements Matrix. See Appendices 1 (state agencies) and 2 (other BCN Customers) for BCN Logical Diagrams that reflects the State’s high-level view of the new BCN.Category A (WAN Service with Quality of Service (QOS)). Symmetrical end-to-end service delivery from one User Network Interface (UNI-N) at a site to a UNI-N at another site or service with the ability to support layer 2 protocol tunneling, VLAN tag preservation, multiple Class of Service (CoS) containers, point-to-point, multipoint, and full-mesh Ethernet services with bandwidth increments only at Ethernet interface speed with SLA requirements.Category B (WAN Service without QOS). Either symmetrical or asymmetrical end-to-end service delivery from one UNI-N at a site to a UNI-N at another site or service, providing point-to-point, multipoint, and full-mesh Ethernet services with SLA requirements. This network service category is inherently better performing as far as jitter and latency than Internet service. This State considers this service category to be a best effort service. Category C (Broadband Internet Services). Either symmetrical or asymmetrical service providing minimal SLA requirements. Category D (Ethernet Services). The service requires symmetrical end-to-end service delivery from one User Network Interface (UNI-N) at a site to a UNI-N at another site or service with the ability to support 802.1AE transport, support layer 2 protocol tunneling, VLAN tag preservation, point-to-point, multipoint, and full-mesh Ethernet services with bandwidth increments only at Ethernet interface speed with SLA requirements. Additionally, this service category will have lower latency and higher bandwidth requirements. At a minimum, this service category shall be provided in the Madison metro area. The State recognizes that an Ethernet hand-off (interface) is not the same as “Ethernet service” offering. BackgroundThe State currently holds a contract with AT&T for services provided in accordance with the Wisconsin BadgerNet Access Alliance (WBAA) response to the BadgerNet Converged Network Solicitation dated July 6, 2004. The BCN contract expires November 2016.Today’s BCN provides a high capacity network for data and video transport that is dynamic with scalable bandwidth to approximately 2,000 sites statewide. BCN services include Wide Area Network (WAN), managed video services, High Priority, Low Latency (HPLL) Internet Transport and ISP Services. BCN sites will need to migrate before the contract expires on November 1, 2016. Appendices 3 and 4 (BCN Sites and ISP Sites) provide listings of current sites, addresses, service type and services bandwidth. Proposers are advised that the relatively low bandwidths levels listed for current sites are a result of BCN Customers’ budgets rather than actual need. While the State cannot predict future bandwidth needs for BCN Customers it is reasonable to assume that if the new contract results in significantly lower costs, current BCN Customers will remain and many new BCN Customers may be added. According to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI), about 1,500 public schools in the state are not now BCN Customers primarily because the current costs are too high. See Appendix 5 for DPI’s WAN and Internet bandwidth information for all public PK12 schools, private PK12 schools, and public libraries.The following graph illustrates the BCN’s bandwidth growth since 2008.The chart below details completed BCN orders (moves, adds, changes, deletions-MACDs).BadgerNet Orders Completed: 2007- March 2015 - Post Conversion20072008200920102011201220132014201534745711065249575150Jan25166488067162573974Feb511011485610789468282Mar86616093691004560Apr50138894935504459May66176264451293396Jun5280851045523911497Jul4246877286113100141Aug555846118327555126Sep133111874138586192Oct4328624132414068Nov41609259122424146Dec6789409238877531,3476939572067,384The BCN Customer base will continue to include the following entities:Technology for Educational Achievement (TEACH) customers as defined in Wisconsin Statute 16 subch IXAgencies as defined in Wisconsin Statute 16.70 (1e)Municipality as defined in Wisconsin Statute 16.70 (8)In all, the BadgerNet Converged Network (BCN) has the potential to support: Over 2,100 local units of government72 county governmentOver 450 library system, libraries and branch librariesOver 425 school districts (Over 2000 school buildings)Over 170 District AttorneysOver 100 eligible hospitalsOver 850 Private K-12 schoolsUniversity of Wisconsin SystemWisconsin Technical College SystemPrivate CollegesState government facilities and staffPublic safety first respondersPolice and fire facilities and staffBCN does not support private sector entities or residential households.Additionally, the State’s Division of Enterprise Technology (DET) operates a state-owned Gigabit Madison Metropolitan Area Network (GigaMadMAN or GMM) that interconnects aggregated state agency BCN and Internet traffic from sites located around the state, to the DOA data centers. The State anticipates that DET will continue to operate GMM and will connect to BCN using high bandwidth Category D service from two data center locations in Madison, Wisconsin. DET’s disaster recovery data center located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin will connect state agency traffic to BCN using Category A service (WAN w/QoS).Procuring and Contracting AgencyThis RFP is issued by DOA, which is the sole point of contact for the State during the selection process. The person responsible for managing the procurement process is Andrea Welch, Procurement Manager.The Contract resulting from this RFP shall be administered by DOA. The DOA employee serving as the contract administrator shall be determined at the time of contract negotiations. Clarifications and/or Revisions to the Specifications and RequirementsIf a Proposer discovers any significant ambiguity, error, conflict, discrepancy, omission or other deficiency in this RFP, the Proposer shall immediately notify Andrea Welch of such error and request modification or clarification of the RFP document.Any questions, exceptions or additions concerning the subject matter of the RFP document(s) shall not be considered unless submitted via e-mail (no phone calls, letters or similar written correspondence) on or before 2:00:00 p.m. CT, Thursday, April 30, 2015 to Andrea Welch at andrea.welch@.Questions shall be submitted via email with the Subject line “RFP 28167-AW Question from (vendor name)” in the following format:DocumentSection #Section TitleQuestion(example) RFP1.11Proposer ConferenceIs there a specific format for question submission?(example) Attachment C6Contract AdminDo we have to name an administrator now?In the event that it becomes necessary to provide additional clarifying data or information, or to revise any part of this RFP, supplements or revisions will be posted on VendorNet.State of Wisconsin Point of Contact and Contact with State EmployeesFrom the date of release of this RFP until contract execution, all contacts with State of Wisconsin personnel regarding this RFP shall be made through Andrea Welch, Procurement Manager, State Bureau of Procurement, DOA Division of Enterprise Operations, via email only at andrea.welch@. No phone calls, emails or other correspondence to other State staff regarding this procurement are permitted during the procurement process. Violation of these conditions may be considered sufficient cause for automatic rejection of a Proposal. All oral communications are unofficial and non-binding on the State. Proposers shall rely only on written statements issued by the Procurement Manager. News ReleasesA Proposer may not issue news releases or make any statements to the news media pertaining to the subject of this RFP or any Proposals or Contracts resulting therefrom without the prior written approval of DOA. The Proposer is bound by this clause from the time the RFP is issued until the time the Contract has expired. After an award is made and if the MSP has to comply with a Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) regulation, a sample news release may be requested from DOA or the State, as appropriate. Release of broadcast emails pertaining to this procurement shall not be made without prior written authorization of DOA.Proposer ConferenceThe State does not intend to hold a Proposer conference (aka vendor conference) prior to the RFP due date. However, there will be two rounds of Proposer questions and State responses (see Calendar of Events for dates). All questions must be submitted in writing via e-mail to Andrea Welch at (andrea.welch@ ) by the corresponding deadlines. Proposer questions along with the State’s responses shall be posted to the VendorNet website.NOTE: Questions shall be submitted in the format described above in Section REF _Ref391535774 \r \h 1.5- Clarifications and/or Revisions to the Specifications and Requirements.Reasonable AccommodationsDOA shall provide reasonable accommodations, including the provision of informational material in an alternative format, for qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. If you need accommodations at a presentation or demonstration, contact Andrea Welch at andrea.welch@.Calendar of EventsListed below are important dates and times by which actions related to this RFP shall be completed. In the event that the State finds it necessary to change any of these dates and times, it shall do so by issuing a supplement to this RFP.DATEEVENTApril 15, 2015Date of Issue of the RFP 2:00 p.m. CT, Thursday, April 30, 2015Proposer deadline for submitting first round of Proposer questions**Thursday, May 7, 2015State responses to submitted questions posted to the VendorNet website2:00 p.m. CT, Monday, May 18, 2015Proposer deadline for submitting follow up questions**Wednesday, May 27, 2015Final round of State responses to submitted clarification questions posted to the VendorNet website2:00 p.m. CT, Wednesday, June 17, 2015Responses due from ProposersWeek of July 20, 2015 (tentative)Presentations from invited Proposers, if required ** Questions shall be submitted in the format described above in Section REF _Ref391535774 \r \h \* MERGEFORMAT 1.5- Clarifications and/or Revisions to the Specifications and Requirements.Contract TermThe contract period is anticipated to be five (5) years with a unilateral right of the State to extend up to two (2) years. VendorNet RegistrationOnly Proposers registered with the State of Wisconsin’s VendorNet (the State’s electronic purchasing information system) will receive future official notice for this service/commodity. The State of Wisconsin purchasing information and Proposer/proposer notification service is available to all businesses and organizations that want to sell to the State. Anyone may access VendorNet on the Internet at to get information on state purchasing practices and policies, goods and services that the State buys, and tips on selling to the State. Proposers may use the same Web site address for inclusion on the Proposers list for goods and services that the organization wants to sell to the State. A subscription with notification guarantees the organization will receive an e-mail message each time a State agency, including any campus of the University of Wisconsin System, posts a request for bid or a request for proposal in their designated commodity/service area(s) with an estimated value over $50,000. Organizations without internet access receive paper copies in the mail. Increasingly, State agencies also are using VendorNet to post simplified bids valued at $50,000 or less. Proposers also may receive e-mail notices of these simplified bid opportunities.PREPARING AND SUMITTING A PROPOSALGeneral InstructionsThe evaluation and selection of an MSP and the terms of the Contract shall be based on the information in the submitted Proposals and any required presentations, on-site visits or oral interviews. Failure to respond to each of the requirements as directed in the RFP may be the basis for rejecting a response.Elaborate Proposals (e.g., expensive artwork, marketing materials) beyond that sufficient to present a complete and effective Proposal are not necessary or desired.Incurring CostsThe State shall not be responsible for any costs incurred by Proposer to prepare its Proposal, conduct its due diligence or negotiate any agreements whether or not finally awarded. Such Proposal and business development costs shall not be included in the cost basis of services to be provided to the plete ResponsesProposal responses to each of the requests for information and requirements in the numbered sections shall be in the same sequence and numbered as the RFP. Responses must be concise yet complete. Do not simply restate the Requirement verbatim as the response to a Requirement. If the RFP calls for a process description, include a process map as well as the frequency at which that map will be updated. Proposer shall not direct the reader to a website (or any other sources outside of the submitted Proposal) as part of its response to the requirement or question. Submitting the ProposalProposer shall submit an original and five (5) of its Proposal document for a total of six (6) hard copies and one electronic version compatible with the Microsoft Office standard desktop tools, on a CD of all materials required for acceptance of its Proposal by the deadline shown below. Searchable PDF documents are also acceptable for the main Proposal documents.USPS ADDRESSCOMMON CARRIER ADDRESSAndrea Welch, Procurement ManagerAndrea Welch, Procurement ManagerState Bureau of ProcurementState Bureau of ProcurementWisconsin Department of AdministrationWisconsin Department of AdministrationPO Box 7867101 East Wilson Street, 6th FloorMadison, Wisconsin 53707-7867Madison, Wisconsin 53703-3405Proposals shall be received by the above office no later than 2:00:00 p.m. CT. on Wednesday, June 17, 2015. All Proposals shall be date and time-stamped in by the State Bureau of Procurement (SBOP) prior to the stated opening time. Receipt of a Proposal by the State mail system does not constitute receipt of a Proposal by the SBOP. All Proposals shall be packaged, sealed and show the following information on the outside of the package:Proposer’s (Company) Name and AddressBCN Managed Network Services RFP 28167-AWAndrea Welch, Procurement ManagerProposal Due Date and TimeCost Proposal SubmissionProposers shall submit an original plus one (1) hard copy (total of 2) and one (1) electronic version in Microsoft Excel, on a CD. PDF documents are not permitted for the Cost Proposal.The Cost Proposal shall be sealed and submitted as a separate part of the Proposal. The outside of the envelope must be clearly labeled on the outside of the package as follows:Proposer’s (Company) Name and AddressBCN Managed Network Services RFP 28167-AW – COST PROPOSALAndrea Welch, Procurement ManagerProposal Due Date and TimeThe Cost Proposal shall be packaged, addressed and sealed in the same manner as described above. The Cost Proposal is due to the addressee on the same date and time previously mentioned. PROPOSALS THAT ARRIVE UNPACKAGED OR UNSEALED SHALL NOT BE ACCEPTED.Department of Administration Building Security PolicyThe Department of Administration has established building security policies and procedures at the 101 East Wilson Street address in Madison. There is a security checkpoint in the first floor lobby. All visitors are required to provide current identification and sign in for a visitor’s pass. Security personnel will call the intended state employee prior to the visitor being allowed to proceed to their destination in the DOA building.This policy will affect the timing for hand-deliveries of bids, proposals and other time-sensitive packages. However, properly credentialed package delivery couriers (e.g. UPS, FedEx, etc.) will be allowed to proceed without obtaining a pass. If you intend to hand-deliver your bid or proposal, please plan additional time to account for the security process to be completed. Packages cannot be date/time stamped at the security desk on the lobby level and security personnel will not sign for deliveries; the package must be date/time stamped by the office identified in the bid/proposal. The bid due date and time will not be adjusted to accommodate tardiness, nor will any exceptions to the due date and time be made. The State is not responsible for deliveries that do not reach their destination by the required due date and time.Proposal Organization and FormatA Proposer responding to this RFP must comply with the following format requirements. The State reserves the right to exclude any responses from consideration that do not follow the required format as instructed below.A Proposal shall be typed and submitted on 8.5 by 11 inch paper bound securely. Font size may be no smaller than 11-point and no larger than 12-point. The Proposal cover page must include, at a minimum, the RFP name and number, and the Proposer’s name. The Proposal shall be organized and presented in the order and by the numbers assigned in the RFP with the following headings and subheadings. Each heading and subheading shall be separated by clearly marked and labeled tabs. Unless specifically requested, promotional literature is not desired and will not be considered to meet any of the requirements of this RFP.Only information that can be identified as a trade secret, proprietary and confidential on required form DOA-3027 will be treated as such. Proposers shall not label or identify their entire Proposal as confidential. Tab 1 – RFP Cover Sheet and Required Department of Administration Forms: Include here the completed and signed RFP Cover Sheet (DOA-3261 (R08/2003), Affidavit, Vendor Agreement, Vendor Data Sheet, Proposer Checklist and any other forms required in the RFP. If applicable, be sure to check the appropriate box indicating that Proposal is being submitted by a Wisconsin-certified MBE or DVB on the RFP Cover Sheet.Tab 2 - Table of Contents: Provide a table of contents listing each section of the Proposal, including the documents specified in this RFP and any additional materials submitted along with the corresponding page numbers.Tab 3 – Transmittal Letter: Provide a transmittal letter that clearly identifies the Proposer’s organization and all Subcontractors. The Proposer’s transmittal letter shall be signed by an officer, principal or agent of the Proposer’s organization who is authorized to commit the Proposer to the terms and conditions of the Contract, which shall result from this procurement.The transmittal letter shall state in boldface type:(Proposer’s Name) hereby represents and warrants it has analyzed the State’s RFP, understands the State’s requirements and agrees to be bound by the terms and conditions of the Proposal for 180 days after the submission deadline, or longer if the Proposal is included in a Contract with the State.Furthermore, (Proposer’s Name) is an expert in the types of services, functions and tasks proposed in the RFP and understands that the State shall rely on this expertise.Additionally, (Proposer’s Name) shall make a number of representations outside of its formal Proposal document in discussions, presentations, negotiations, demonstrations, sales or reference material and other information-providing interactions. (Proposer’s Name) hereby warrants that the State can rely on these as inducements into any subsequent Contract and be made a part thereof.Via the transmittal letter, the Proposer shall also:Indicate that it understands and agrees that it has an affirmative duty to inquire about and seek clarification of any question or other item in the RFP that Proposer does not fully understand or that Proposer reasonably believes is susceptible to more than one interpretation;Include a statement that the its organization or an agent of the Proposer's organization has arrived at the prices and discounts without consultation, communication or agreement with any other Proposer or with any competitor for the purpose of restricting competition;Include a statement that it has not paid, and shall not pay, any bonus, commission, fee or gratuity to any employee or official of the State for the purpose of obtaining any Contract or award issued by the State. The Proposer shall further warrant that no officer or employee of the State has any direct or indirect financial or personally beneficial interest in the subject matter of the awarded Contract, and no obligation or contract for future award of compensation has been proposed as an inducement or consideration for making the awarded Contract. Subsequent discovery by the State of non-compliance with these provisions shall constitute sufficient cause for immediate termination of all outstanding Contracts.If applicable, include statements indicating that you claim either Wisconsin-certified Minority Business Enterprise or Disabled Veteran-owned Business preference [Wis. Stats. s. 16.75(3m)]. Include a statement that no attempt has been made or shall be made by the Proposer or by any agent of the Proposer to induce any other person or firm to submit or not submit an Proposal for the purpose of restricting competition;Include a statement acknowledging the Proposal conforms to all requirements of the State including procurement rules and procedures articulated in this RFP; andAcknowledge the receipt of RFP addenda; if none has been posted, include a statement to that effect.Tab 4 – Executive Summary: In a narrative format, Proposer shall provide a condensed overview of the contents of the Proposal demonstrating an understanding of the services to be performed. Proposer shall present its understanding of the magnitude and parameters of the BCN project, the objectives and the intended results. Include a logical diagram and description of its proposed network with detail sufficient to provide the State with the confidence that the proposed design will meet the needs and goals of the State and all BCN Customers. The Executive Summary will not be scored. It will be used to provide background and establish confidence in the Proposer’s solution.Tab 5 - Technical Requirements Matrix (Attachment A): Complete the requirements matrix as directed in Attachment A-Technical Requirements Matrix. The document is an Excel workbook with multiple choice responses formatted as drop down lists.Tab 6 - Mandatory Requirements and Administrative Documentation: Using Attachment B-Response to Mandatory Requirements and Administrative Documentation, provide the information and documentation specified in Section REF _Ref416686602 \r \h \* MERGEFORMAT 4 of this RFP. Responses to requirements must be in the same sequence and numbered as they appear in the RFP. Include all required documentation. NOTE: Proposers need only provide this information in the Original hard copy and electronic versions. Other hard copies need only reference that required Tab 6 information is provided with Original.Tab 7 - General Requirements: Provide a point-by-point response to each requirement specified in Section REF _Ref406506525 \r \h \* MERGEFORMAT 5 of the RFP. Responses to requirements must be in the same sequence and numbered as they appear in the RFP. Tab 8 - Network Requirements: Provide a point-by-point response to each requirement specified in Section REF _Ref406506561 \r \h \* MERGEFORMAT 6 of the RFP. Responses to requirements must be in the same sequence and numbered as they appear in the RFP. Tab 9 –Managed Service Provider Requirements: Provide a point-by-point response to each requirement specified in Section REF _Ref416686630 \r \h \* MERGEFORMAT 7 of the RFP. Responses to requirements must be in the same sequence and numbered as they appear in the RFP.Tab 10 – Value-Add and Optional Services: Response to this section is optional and will have no impact on Proposers’ evaluation scores, however, if Proposer elects to provide the suggested services as well as any of its own suggestions then a point-by-point response to each requirement specified in Section REF _Ref406506659 \r \h \* MERGEFORMAT 8 of the RFP and completion of Attachment E - Optional Video and UW Transport Services Requirements Matrix is required. Pricing for such services shall be addressed in the appropriate worksheet of the Cost Proposal. Tab 11 – Terms and Conditions (Attachment F): The attachment provided with the RFP represents the terms and conditions which the State expects to execute in a Contract with the successful Proposer. The Proposer must respond to the provisions contained in this document according to the instructions provided. The Proposer may not submit its own contract document as a substitute for these terms and conditions. Proposer responses to provisions shall be consistent with its response to all other sections of this RFP.Under Separate Cover - Cost Proposal Information: Provide cost information in Attachment D – Cost Proposal Workbook as directed in Section REF _Ref406571894 \r \h \* MERGEFORMAT 9 . Include all costs for furnishing the product(s) and/or service(s) included in this Proposal. Failure to provide any requested information in the prescribed format may result in disqualification of the Proposal. No mention of the Cost Proposal is permissible in the response to any other section of the RFP.Oral PresentationsTop scoring Proposer(s) based on an evaluation of the written Proposal may be required to participate in a presentation to support and clarify Proposal(s), if requested by the State. The presentations will be scheduled and held after receipt of the Proposals to provide an opportunity for the Proposer to clarify its Proposal and for the evaluation committee to ask questions. Proposer representative(s) attending the oral presentation shall be technically qualified to respond to questions related to the Proposal and its components. The State will furnish specific details concerning the presentations and any required materials at the time it notifies Proposers of the presentation schedule. The State shall make every reasonable attempt to schedule each presentation at a time and location agreeable to the Proposer. The State requires that those individuals designated by the Proposer as Key Personnel attend the presentation in person. Failure of a Proposer to interview or permit a site visit on the date scheduled may result in rejection of its Proposal.Bonds and Letters Of CreditThe successful Proposer may be required to secure its Contract performance by submitting either or both of the following prior to the execution of the Contract:A performance bond issued by a surety company acceptable to the State, and authorized to do business in Wisconsin, up to five percent (5%) of the base price of the successful Proposal as accepted by the State. The performance bond shall be in a form prescribed by the State and shall guarantee the selected Proposer’s contract performance and provide for the State’s liability, loss, damage or expense as a result of the MSP's failure to perform fully and completely.An irrevocable letter of credit, issued by a commercial bank acceptable to the State and authorized to do business in Wisconsin, in the amount of equal to the awarded Contract, to the State as beneficiary, in order to allay the short term cost and expense of transitioning to the surety or subsequent MSP in the event the selected Proposer is unable to fulfill its Contract obligations, requiring the State to exercise the performance bond.Withdrawal of Proposals The Proposal shall be irrevocable until Contract award unless the Proposal is withdrawn. A Proposer may withdraw a Proposal in writing at any time up to the Proposal closing date and time or upon expiration of 180 days after the due date and time if received by the Procurement Manager. To accomplish this, the written request must be signed by an authorized representative of the Proposer and submitted to the Procurement Manager. If a previously submitted Proposal is withdrawn before the Proposal due date and time, the Proposer may submit another Proposal at any time up to the Proposal closing date and time.PROPOSAL SELECTION AND AWARD PROCESSPreliminary EvaluationAll Proposals will be reviewed initially to determine if Proposal submission requirements are met (see Section 2-Preparing and Submitting a Proposal). Failure to meet a Proposal submission requirement may result in the rejection of the Proposal. Those Proposals that pass the initial evaluation will then have scores calculated in response to Attachment A-Technical Requirements Matrix. Scoring of Attachment A is automated with weighted points generated for response option. In the event there is an individual mandatory requirement that no Proposer is able to meet, the State reserves the right to eliminate that individual mandatory requirement; in such case, the State shall continue the evaluation of Proposals and select the Proposal that most closely meets the remaining requirements specified in the RFP.Evaluation CommitteeAn evaluation committee for this RFP shall consist of individuals who, in DOA’s sole judgment, possess specific knowledge and skills essential to the RFP evaluation. The evaluation committee participates fully in the evaluation process, including reviewing and scoring all Proposals. Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) shall be used to provide additional expertise (e.g. technical and functional subject matter expertise, administrative and procurement knowledge) to the evaluation committee. SMEs are a non-scoring ad/hoc group that serves only as technical advisors to the evaluation committee.Accepted ProposalsAn evaluation committee will evaluate and score all accepted Proposals against predetermined criteria. A uniform selection process, as outlined in this section, will be used to evaluate all Proposals using a point system. Proposers are advised that responses to requirements should clearly and completely describe how its services and products will meet those requirements. Failure to demonstrate in the Proposal response that the Proposer can meet the requirements stated may cause the rejection of the Proposal. The committee may review references, request presentations and demonstrations, and use those results in scoring the Proposals. Evaluation and selection of the Contractor, as well as any subsequent negotiations, will be based on the information submitted in the Proposals, references, requested presentations, and product and service demonstrations.The State reserves the right to obtain additional information concerning any Proposer or Subcontractor associated with or named in the response to this RFP and to consider this information in evaluating the Proposer's Proposal.Evaluation CriteriaAccepted Proposals which pass preliminary evaluation shall be evaluated and scored based on responses to Sections REF _Ref406506525 \r \h \* MERGEFORMAT 5- REF _Ref416683169 \r \h \* MERGEFORMAT 7 of the RFP. Accepted Proposals shall be reviewed by the evaluation committee and scored against the stated criteria. Proposers shall not contact any member of an evaluation committee. Evaluation points given by each evaluator shall be summed and divided by the number of evaluators to compute an average score for each Proposal. Cost Proposal information shall not be available to the Evaluation Committee during the requirements evaluation phase.Proposals will be scored and graded in the following areas.Evaluation CriteriaSourcePoints PossibleTechnical Requirements Matrix175Category A - WAN-QoSAttachment A70Category B - WAN-NO QoSAttachment A30Category C - Broadband InternetAttachment A20Category D - Ethernet ServicesAttachment A55General RequirementsSection REF _Ref406506525 \r \h 5100Network RequirementsSection REF _Ref406506561 \r \h 6100Managed Service Provider RequirementsSection REF _Ref416683169 \r \h 7300CostCost Proposal325Total Available Points1,000The points stated above are the maximum amount awarded for each category. Evaluation guidelines have been established for each of these sections. The results of presentations (if required) shall be used to clarify and substantiate information in the written Proposals.Cost Proposals will be evaluated based on a Market Basket consisting of a subset of current sites and future bandwidth upgrade estimates for those sites. The lowest five-year cost shall be used for each Proposal. The Market Basket used to determine lowest five-year cost will be available at 2:00 p.m. on the Proposal due date, but will not be disclosed prior to that time. The State of Wisconsin will be responsible for performing the market basket calculations in a consistent manner using the information provided by Proposers.The lowest cost Proposal shall receive 325 points for the cost category. Other Cost Proposals shall receive prorated scores based on the proportion that the costs of the Proposals vary from the lowest cost Proposal. The points received from a Proposal’s Technical Requirements Matrix, average evaluation score and cost score shall be the final score.MBE / DVB ProposalsProposals from certified Minority Business Enterprises (MBE) or Disabled Veteran-owned Businesses (DVB) may have points weighted by a factor of 1.00 to 1.05 to provide up to a five percent (5%) preference to these businesses (s. 16.75 (3m), Wis. Stats., 2001-02). Award and Final ProposalsThe State shall compile the final scores for each Proposal. The Intent to Award shall be determined in one of two ways. The Intent to Award may be granted to the highest scoring responsive and responsible Proposer. Alternatively, the highest scoring Proposer(s) may be requested to submit best and final Proposals. If best and final Proposals are requested by the State and submitted by Proposer(s), they shall be evaluated against the stated criteria, scored and ranked by the evaluation committee. The Intent to Award then shall be granted to the highest scoring Proposer. However, Proposers shall not expect that the State shall request a best and final Proposal.Contract NegotiationThe State intends to enter into Contract negotiations with the Proposer(s) who has been determined by the evaluation committee to be the highest scoring Proposer(s), as outlined in Sections REF _Ref415649327 \r \h 3.1- REF _Ref415649355 \r \h 3.6 above. The State may negotiate the terms of the Contract, including the price, with the highest scoring Proposer(s) prior to entering into a Contract. If the Contract negotiations cannot be concluded successfully with the highest scoring Proposer(s), the State may negotiate a Contract with the next highest scoring Proposer.The contractual terms and conditions in Attachment F-State Terms and Conditions, of the RFP are part of the Contract between a Contractor and the State. These terms and conditions are not all-inclusive, and the State reserves the right to incorporate additional provisions in the Contract. Contract Negotiations ImpasseIf a Contract between the State and the successful Proposer cannot be executed by both parties within sixty (60) Days after the notice of intent to award the Contract (or the conclusion of an appeal of the award under Ch. ADMIN 10, Wis. Adm. Code, whichever is later), the State reserves the right to unilaterally reject the Proposer's Proposal and proceed to award the Contract to the next highest scoring Proposer. Notification of Intent to AwardAny Proposer who responds with a Proposal shall be notified in writing of the State's intent to award the contract(s) resulting from the RFP.After the Intent to Award is issued, copies of all Proposals shall be available for public inspection from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at 101 E. Wilson St., Madison, Wisconsin, under the supervision of DOA/SBOP staff. Proposers shall schedule a specific appointment with Andrea Welch via e-mail (andrea.welch@) to ensure that space is available for the review.Appeals ProcessThe appeals procedure applies to only those requests for bids or proposals for services that are greater than $50,000. Notices of Intent to Protest must be made in writing. Protestors should make their protests as specific as possible and shall identify statutes and Wisconsin Administrative Code provisions that are alleged to have been violated.The written Notice of Intent to Protest the Intent to Award a contract must be filed with the following individual:USPS ADDRESSCOMMON CARRIER ADDRESSRick S. Hughes, DirectorRick S. Hughes, DirectorState Bureau of ProcurementState Bureau of ProcurementWisconsin Department of AdministrationWisconsin Department of AdministrationP.O. 7867101 East Wilson Street, 6th FloorMadison, Wisconsin 53707-7867Madison, Wisconsin 53703-3405and received in his office no later than five (5) working days after the Notice(s) of Intent to Award are issued.The written protest must be received in his office no later than ten (10) working days after the Notice(s) of Intent to Award are issued.The decision of the head of the procuring agency may be appealed to the Secretary of the Department of Administration within five (5) working days of issuance, with a copy of such appeal filed with the procuring agency, and provided the appeal alleges a violation of a statute or a provision of the Wisconsin Administrative Code.An appeal of a Denial of a Protest must allege a violation of a statute or provision of Chapter 16 of the Wisconsin Statutes, and must be made in writing and mailed or hand-delivered to the Secretary of the Department of Administration at the following address within five (5) working days of the issuance of the denial:USPS ADDRESSCOMMON CARRIER ADDRESSScott A. Neitzel, SecretaryScott A. Neitzel, SecretaryWisconsin Department of AdministrationWisconsin Department of AdministrationOffice of the SecretaryOffice of the SecretaryP.O. 7864101 East Wilson Street, 10th FloorMadison, Wisconsin 53707-7864Madison, Wisconsin 53703-3405MANDATORY ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS AND DOCUMENTATIONThe following requirements are mandatory and the Proposer shall satisfy them. Respond to this section using Attachment B-Response to Mandatory Requirements and Documentation matrix and provide any required documentation as indicated. Provide any required documentation as indicated and include in Tab 6 as directed in Section REF _Ref353538564 \r \h 2.4.2. Failure of a Proposer to meet the mandatory requirements shall result in rejection of the Proposer’s Proposal. In the event there is an individual mandatory requirement that no Proposer is able to meet, the State reserves the right to eliminate that individual mandatory requirement; in such case, the State shall continue the evaluation of Proposals and select the Proposal that most closely meets the remaining requirements specified in the RFP.NOTE: Proposers need only provide this information in the Original hard copy and electronic versions. Other hard copies need only reference that required Tab 6 information is provided with Original.E-RateOn behalf of TEACH (Wis. Stats. 16.99) and all E-Rate eligible schools and libraries (), the State of Wisconsin’s TEACH Administrator has filed a Universal Service Program for Schools and Libraries Consortium (“E-Rate”) FCC Form 470 for this procurement to coincide with the issuance of this RFP. The Form 470 number is 891980001346160.BCN TEACH and E-Rate eligible customers assume that all services sought in this RFP are eligible for E-Rate Category One funding and supported as such by the MSP. Any goods and or services proposed that are not Category One eligible, or any otherwise eligible services that are not supported by the MSP as Category One eligible, must be explicitly identified in the Proposer’s Cost Proposal as directed. E-Rate rules are accessible via the E-Rate Administrator’s website. E-Rate Program ComplianceAt the time of response to this RFP, the proposed MSP shall be compliant with all applicable federal E-Rate program requirements, including but not limited to: filing of all required Service Provider forms, including Form 498, Form 499 (annual and quarterly filings to the extent they are applicable); Form 473 (Annual Service Provider Certification); Form 472, Billed Entity Applicant Reimbursement Form; Form 474, Service Provider Invoice Form, which invoices Schools and Libraries Division for the E-Rate discount amount; provision of discounted bills (net of the E-Rate discounts) to BCN E-Rate eligible customers; compliance with E-Rate document retention requirements; and provision of information that schools must submit as part of their filing requirements, including itemization of costs for installation and equipment. Single Point of ContactThe MSP shall designate a Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for all matters related to the E-Rate program prior to contract signature.FCC Registration NumberAt the time of response to this RFP, the proposed MSP shall have a Federal Communications Commission Registration Number (FCCRN) which may be obtained via the FCC website. Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN)At the time of response to this RFP, the proposed MSP shall have a SPIN in good standing with the E-Rate Administrator (i.e. not in “Red Light” status). Category 1 Services EligibilityAt the time of response to this RFP, the MSP shall be designated by the Schools and Libraries Division of the Universal Service Administrative Company to provide Category 1 Eligible Services. The MSP shall have a continuing obligation to notify the State TEACH Administrator (teach@ / 608-261-5054) of any change in Red Light status and failure to maintain good standing with the FCC and to be classified as on Red Light status may constitute grounds for terminating the parties’ contract for cause. E-Rate Investigation and Invoice DelaysProposer shall disclose whether they or their proposed Subcontractors currently are subject to an investigation by the E-Rate Administrator, Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) Universal Service Administrative Company (“USAC”) or any law enforcement agency; and/or whether any of the respondent’s E-Rate invoices or customer’s E-Rate invoices or Form 471 applications are being delayed for processing. For this RFP, delayed invoices are defined as 45 days or more from date of submission and delayed Form 471 application is defined as any application not funded by the seventh month of the funding year. Detailed information concerning any of these situations is required to be disclosed, including what actions, if any, the respondent is undertaking to resolve any outstanding issues. Data OwnershipThe State of Wisconsin shall own the rights to all data/records produced as part of the Contract. If the Proposer anticipates bringing pre-existing intellectual property into the project, the intellectual property shall be identified in its Proposal. If the Proposer identifies such intellectual property ("Background IP") in its Proposal, then the Background IP owned by the Proposer on the date of the Contract, as well as any modifications or adaptations thereto, remain the property of the Proposer. Rights to Electronic InformationThe State owns the rights to all electronic information (electronic data, electronic information systems, electronic databases, etc.) and all supporting documentation created as part of the Contract. The Contractor shall deliver sufficient technical documentation with all data deliverables to permit the State to use the data.Rights to DataThe State is the owner of all data made available by the State to the Contractor or its agents, Subcontractors or representatives under the Contract. The Contractor shall not use the State’s data for any purpose other than providing the Services, nor shall any part of the State’s data be disclosed, sold, assigned, leased or otherwise disposed of to the general public or to specific third parties or commercially exploited by or on behalf of the Contractor. No employees of the Contractor, other than those on a strictly need-to-know basis, shall have access to the State’s data. The Contractor shall not possess any lien or assert any lien or other right against the State’s data. Without limiting the generality of this Section, the Contractor must only use Personally Identifiable Information as strictly necessary to provide the Services and must disclose the information only to its employees who have a strict need to know the information. The Contractor must comply at all times with all laws and regulations applicable to Personally Identifiable Information. The State is the owner of all State-specific data under the Contract. The State may use the data provided by the Contractor for any purpose. Legal Proceedings For the last (5) five years Proposer shall disclose: (1) any criminal litigation, investigations or proceedings involving the Proposer or any Subcontractor, or any officers or directors of the Proposer or Subcontractor; and (2) any litigation, investigations or proceedings under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act involving the Proposer or any Subcontractor; and (3) any civil litigation, arbitration or proceeding to which Proposer or any Subcontractor is a party, and which involves: (i) disputes that might reasonably be expected to adversely affect the viability or financial stability of Proposer or any Subcontractor; or (ii) a claim or written allegation of fraud or dishonesty against Proposer or any Subcontractor by a governmental or public entity arising out of their business dealings with the governmental or public entity; or (iii) any other claim or action that could otherwise jeopardize the Proposer’s or its Subcontractor’s ability to honor its contractual commitments to the State. Any litigation, investigation, allegation, arbitration or other proceeding must be disclosed and described in a written statement in Proposer’s response. The description shall include, but not be limited to the caption, case number, jurisdiction, and a short summary of the dispute and resolution. Details of settlements which are prevented from disclosure by the terms of the settlement may be withheld. If the Proposer is a subsidiary, the above-required information shall also be disclosed for all parent companies.Contract Termination HistoryThe Proposer shall indicate if it had a contract terminated for cause in the last five (5) years and, if so, describe such incident(s). Submit full details of the terms for termination for cause including the other party's name, address, and phone number. Proposer shall present its position on the matter. The State will review the facts and may, at its sole discretion, reject the Proposal on the grounds of the experience. BankruptcyThe Proposer shall indicate if it or any affiliated corporations or business entities is or was involved in bankruptcy procedures, such as the readjustment of any of their respective debts, under the Bankruptcy Act within the last five (5) years, they must indicate so and summarize in a separate attachment all relevant details of the bankruptcy.DebarmentAny Proposer awarded a Contract as a result of the RFP shall not be suspended or debarred from doing business with the federal government as listed in the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) maintained by the General Services Administration ( ) .Proof of Financial StabilityThe following items shall be included with and in effect at the time of Proposal submission. Failure to include any of the items listed for the appropriate company type shall cause rejection of the Proposal.Financial StatementsPublicly traded companies shall provide: Title page of the most currently filed SEC forms 10K and 10Q. Fully explain the reason(s) why any reports are currently not filed timely or have been filed late within the past three years;Most recent three(3) years of audited financial statements prepared in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP); andDebt and commercial paper ratings issued by Moody’s Investors Service, Standard & Poor’s, and Fitch’s Investors Service, if applicable.Private owned companies shall provide:Most recent three (3) years of audited financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP;Debt and commercial paper ratings issued by Moody’s Investors Service, Standard & Poor’s, and Fitch’s Investors Service, if applicable; andLLPs, LLCs, S Corporations and similar forms of ownership, other than sole proprietorships (professional organizations to include, but not limited to, Certified Public Accounting (CPA) firms, law firms and professional engineering firms) shall provide:For the year most recently ended, audited financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAPInsurance CoverageProposers shall provide proof of the minimum levels of insurance coverage as indicated below. The insurance must protect the State from claims that may arise out of or result from the Contractor’s performance of services under the terms of this Contract, whether the services are performed by the Contractor, or by any Subcontractor, or by anyone directly or indirectly employed by any of them, or by anyone for whose acts they may be liable.All insurance coverage provided relative to this Contract shall be PRIMARY and NON-CONTRIBUTING to any comparable liability insurance (including self-insurances) carried by the State. The insurance must be written for not less than any minimum coverage specified in this Contract or required by law, whichever is greater. The minimum coverages and limits are subject to modification, if in the best interest of the State, as determined by the State, in the final Contract document to reflect the final negotiated services of the Contractor.The insurers selected by the Contractor must have an A.M. Best rating of A or better, or as otherwise approved in writing by the State, or if the ratings are no longer available, with a comparable rating from a recognized insurance rating agency. All policies of insurance required in this Contract must be issued by companies that have been approved to do business in the State. Where specific limits are shown, they are the minimum acceptable limits. If Contractor’s policy contains higher limits, the State must be entitled to coverage to the extent of the higher limits. The Contractor is required to pay for and provide the type and amount of insurance mercial General Liability with the following minimum coverage:$2,000,000 General Aggregate Limit other than Products/Completed Operations$2,000,000 Products/Completed Operations Aggregate Limit$1,000,000 Personal & Advertising Injury Limit$1,000,000 Each Occurrence LimitCommercial General Liability policy shall be endorsed using ISO forms CG 2010 and CG 2037 (or equivalent) with respect to additional insured, including completed operations.The Contractor must list the State of Wisconsin, its departments, divisions, agencies, offices, commissions, officers, employees and agents as ADDITIONAL INSUREDS on the Commercial General Liability certificate. The Contractor also agrees to provide evidence that insurance policies contain a waiver of subrogation by the insurance company.Auto Liability InsuranceIf a motor vehicle is used to provide services or products under the Contract, the Contractor must have vehicle liability insurance on any auto including owned, hired and non-owned vehicles used in Contractor‘s business for bodily injury and property damage as required by law.The Contractor also agrees to provide evidence that insurance policies contain a waiver of subrogation by the insurance company.Workers’ Compensation CoverageWorkers’ compensation coverage must be provided according to applicable laws governing the employees and employers work activities in the state of the Contractor’s domicile. If a self-insurer provides the applicable coverage, proof must be provided of approved self-insured authority by the jurisdiction of domicile. For employees working outside of the state of qualification, Contractor must provide appropriate certificates of insurance proving mandated coverage levels for the jurisdictions where the employees’ activities occur.Any certificates of insurance received must also provide a list of states where the coverage is applicable.The Contractor also agrees to provide evidence that insurance policies contain a waiver of subrogation by the insurance company. This provision must not be applicable where prohibited or limited by the laws of the jurisdiction in which the work is to be performed.Employer’s Liability Insurance with the following minimum limits:$100,000 each accident$100,000 each employee by disease$500,000 aggregate diseaseEmployee Fidelity/Commercial CrimeThe State requires Employee Fidelity, including Computer Crimes, insurance naming the State as a loss payee, providing coverage for direct loss to the State and any legal liability of the State arising out of or related to fraudulent or dishonest acts committed by the employees of Contractor or its Subcontractors, acting alone or in collusion with others, in a minimum amount of one million dollars ($1,000,000.00) with a maximum deductible of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00).Excess LiabilityThe State requires Umbrella or Excess Liability Insurance in a minimum amount of three million dollars ($3,000,000.00), which must apply, at a minimum, to the insurance required in Subsection 1 (Commercial General Liability) above.Professional Liability (Errors and Omissions) InsuranceThe State requires professional liability coverage with the following minimums: ten million dollars ($10,000,000.00) each occurrence and ten million dollars ($10,000,000.00) annual aggregate.Professional Liability/Privacy Liability Insurance shall cover all acts, errors, omissions, negligence and network risks including coverage for unauthorized access, failure of security, breach of privacy perils, as well as notification costs and regulatory defense in the performance of service for the State of Wisconsin, Such insurance shall be maintained in force at all times during the term of the agreement and for a period of three (3) years thereafter for services completed during the term of the agreement. Subcontractor Insurance CoverageExcept where the State has approved in writing a Contractor subcontract with other insurance provisions, Contractor must require all of its Subcontractors under this Contract to purchase and maintain the insurance coverage as described in this section for the Contractor in connection with the performance of work by those Subcontractors. Alternatively, Contractor may include any Subcontractors under Contractor’s insurance on the coverage required in this section. Subcontractor(s) must fully comply with the insurance coverage required in this section. Failure of Subcontractor(s) to comply with insurance requirements does not limit Contractor’s liability or responsibility.Certificates of Insurance and Other RequirementsContractor must furnish to the State, certificate(s) of insurance verifying insurance coverage or providing satisfactory evidence of self-insurance as required in this section (the “Certificates”). The Certificate must be on the standard “accord” form or equivalent. The Contract Number or the Purchase Order Number must be shown on the Certificate of Insurance to Assure Correct Filing. All Certificate(s) are to be prepared and submitted by the Insurance Provider. All Certificate(s) must contain a provision indicating that coverage afforded under the policies SHALL NOT BE CANCELLED, MATERIALLY CHANGED, OR NOT RENEWED without thirty (30) days prior written notice, except for ten (10) days for non-payment of premium, having been given to the State. The Contractor is responsible to provide this notice upon receipt and must include the Contract or Purchase Order number affected. Before the Contract is signed, and not less than twenty (20) days before the insurance expiration date every year thereafter, the Contractor must provide evidence that the State and its agents, officers and employees are listed as additional insured under each commercial general liability and commercial automobile liability policy. In the event the State approves the representation of the State by the insurer’s attorney, the attorney may be required to be designated as a Special Assistant Attorney General by the Attorney General of the State of Wisconsin.The Contractor must maintain all required insurance coverage throughout the term of the Contract and any extensions and, in the case of claims-made Commercial General Liability policies, must secure tail coverage for at least three years following the expiration or termination for any reason of this Contract. The minimum limits of coverage specified above are not intended, and must not be construed; to limit any liability or indemnity of Contractor under this Contract to any indemnified party or other persons. Contractor is responsible for all deductibles with regard to the insurance. If the Contractor fails to pay any premium for required insurance as specified in this Contract, or if any insurer cancels or significantly reduces any required insurance as specified in this Contract without the State’s written consent, then the State may, after the State has given the Contractor at least thirty (30) days written notice, pay the premium or procure similar insurance coverage from another company or companies. The State may deduct any part of the cost from any payment due the Contractor, or the Contractor must pay that cost upon demand by the State.GENERAL REQUIREMENTSThe State requires the MSP to have the proven ability to deliver the types of services sought in this RFP. The purpose of this section is to provide the State with a basis for determining a Proposer’s capability to undertake an engagement of this size and scope. Unless directed to do so, Proposer shall not direct the reader to a website or any other source outside of the applicable RFP section as part of its response to the requirement or question unless it is a map, diagram or schematic included in another section within the RFP. Responses that merely restate the requirement or only indicate an acknowledgement of understanding and a willingness to comply will be considered anization Background and QualificationsThe State expects to engage an MSP with an established history of providing the services required by this RFP and in the manner described in Section REF _Ref387673361 \r \h 1.2-Scope. Proposer shall discuss its background, qualifications and experience providing managed network services to state governmental entities or other governmental entities similar in size and scope to the State of Wisconsin. Include sufficient detail to demonstrate the relevance of this experience to the State’s needs focusing on experience managing a combination of cable, wireless and telecommunications providers to provide network services to government customers including the number of sites per government customers.Proposer shall provide the following information:How long providing MSP-type servicesNumber of employees with experience in delivering the services required in this RFPCustomer and Client Relationship ManagementSuccessful and productive relationships between the State including all BCN Customers, the MSP and the Services Providers will be essential for a successful Contract. The current Contractor hosts a daily call to review short-term operational issues, troubles, chronic and significant network events. A weekly conference call is held to review new service installation, work in queue, coordination of MACD, and updates to due dates and completed orders. Monthly face-to-face meetings are held to discuss network performance, reporting, trouble summaries, issue lists, network, and customer issues.Proposer shall describe how it will ensure that all BCN Customers and the State as the client are satisfied with all aspects of service delivery. Response shall at a minimum answer the following questions and address how Subcontractors (especially Service Providers) will be involved and included.Who will manage the account from a business and executive level? What access will the State have to company leadership?How will BCN Customers (state agencies, schools, libraries, etc.) and the State’s (client) satisfaction be measured and reported? Proposer shall provide any available metrics for its current customer base, e.g., retention rate, Top Box, churn, etc.What is the proposed format and interval for account review meetings?What is the proposed escalation procedure, designated managers and contact information, should issues need to be elevated?What are the processes and mechanisms for handling contract issues at the client level?How are both customer and client satisfaction deficiencies addressed and resolved?Are there any customer gatherings, executive briefings or other programs to collect customer feedback?Account PersonnelThe MSP shall provide experienced personnel, capable of and devoted to the successful accomplishment of work to be performed under the Contract. The MSP shall assign specific individuals to key positions (Key Personnel) in support of the Contract such as account manager, technical engineer, technical coordinator, provisioning coordinator, etc. As requested by the State, MSP shall remove and/or replace Key Personnel for performance under the Contract. Provide an organization chart showing Key Personnel and their roles and responsibilities for BCN (including the primary location, e.g., office in Madison, Milwaukee, etc.), the lines of communication between all parties and the hierarchy of responsibility between all parties (MSP and Service Providers). Include a comprehensive summary of the experience and qualifications of all Key Personnel who will support BCN with emphasis on engagements of similar scope and complexity.Subcontractors (including Service Providers)The MSP shall assume responsibility for coordination, control, performance and all acts and omissions of Subcontractors (which includes Services Providers). The State is seeking to provide BCN Customers with the most Subcontractor options in each region possible. Therefore, Proposals demonstrating a wide range of coverage options will be evaluated at a higher level (i.e., the more Subcontractors providing more types of service in each region, the better).The MSP shall have all Subcontract agreements in place within thirty (30) days of receipt of Intent to Award with all Subcontractors necessary to provide network services to BCN Customers. The State reserves the right to review agreements with Subcontractors. The State shall not have a contractual relationship with the Subcontractors for any services provided under this Contract (existing contracts between the State and any potential Subcontractor do not apply). Proposed Subcontractors may be required to participate in the oral presentations and/or demonstrations.Service ProvidersIn response to this section, Proposer shall complete Attachment C – Service Provider Subcontractor Listing.Other SubcontractorsFor all other Subcontractors, Proposer shall explain its relationship with the Subcontractor, describe the role the Subcontractor will play and provide the name and a description of Subcontractor(s) relevant qualifications and capabilities.ReferencesProposers shall provide a minimum of three (3) references that have engaged your firm to provide managed network services. The State will use reference information to validate information provided in response to the RFP therefore the relevancy of the experience, compatibility of the experience to this RFP and the performance record of the experience is essential. The State reserves the right to verify all submissionsand perform further background checks of experience and performance. The State may contact one or more references that have been provided by the Proposer or other sources that may not have been named by the Proposer but can assist the State in determining performance. For each reference, provide the following information in the order listed:Name of EntityAddress (include City, State, Zip)Contact Name and TitleContact Phone NumberContact Email AddressContract start/end datesContract descriptionNETWORK REQUIREMENTSThe purpose of this section is to provide the State of Wisconsin with an understanding of the Proposer’s technical approach to and vision for BCN. Proposer shall indicate in responses to the section below how much of the infrastructure it has in place at the time of this RFP’s release to meet the requirements.For background purposes, Proposers are advised that DET will continue to operate GMM which is exclusive to state agency traffic. The State will connect GMM to BCN using high bandwidth Category D service from the two data center locations in Madison, Wisconsin. DET’s disaster recovery data center located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin serves as a back-up to GMM and will be connected to BCN using high bandwidth Category A services (WAN w/QoS).Unless directed to do so, Proposer shall not direct the reader to a website or any other source outside of the applicable section as part of its response to the requirement or question unless it is a map, diagram or schematic included in another section with the RFP response. Responses that merely restate the requirement or only indicate an acknowledgement of understanding and a willingness to comply will be considered unresponsive.Proposers are reminded that BCN shall be managed and operated in accordance with State’s specifications in Attachment A-Technical Requirements Matrix and Proposer’s response to those requirements. Responses to the sections below shall take into account those requirements. Additionally such responses shall also take into account those requirements and all work will be performed in such a way that all associated SLAs will be met and the State will not have to seek credits or remedies. Proposers are reminded that the services required by this RFP are to be commercially available and as such, the State does not intend to be the revenue source of the Proposer’s capital expenditures.Service Delivery The State requires that any BCN Service Categories A-C be delivered to any location in the State of Wisconsin that requires any service provided under the Contract. Category D shall be provided in the Madison metro area at a minimum.Proposer shall discuss how it will, from a technical perspective, ensure that all potential and current sites can receive services from Categories A-D. Discuss the technologies (e.g., wireless, satellite, wireline) that will be used to provide each service category. Include high-level service delivery work TrafficThe State requires that BCN network traffic for Categories A – D moves freely throughout the state. The State is aware of and accepts that the service attributes of the individual categories may change as traffic is exchanged between those categories. See Appendix 6-BCN Network Traffic Diagrams includes two diagrams. The first showing BCN Inter-Service diagram shows traffic flow between service categories, acknowledges that all service attributes may not be preserved and identifies the MSP demarcation point with the second depicting BCN Intra-Service diagram shows traffic flow within a service category, acknowledges that all service attributes are preserved and identifies the MSP demarcation pointProposer shall discuss in detail how it will ensure from a WAN perspective that all traffic will move between all regions. Describe in detail how service attributes will be guaranteed within a service category and the impact to traffic when exchanged between categories, e.g., the differences related to QoS, latency, jitter, packet loss. Ethernet Service (Category D)As stated in the Scope, this service category is required in the Madison area. BCN Customers may be interested in obtaining this service in other areas of the state. List all areas where this service is currently provided as well as those areas where you intend to provide this within the next 24 months. Indicate both the city and the region and discuss inter and intra-regional connections.Architecture Validation (Proof of Concept)MSP shall validate the functionality of each service category in each region based on Proposer’s responses provided in Attachment A-Technical Requirements Matrix within sixty (60) days of Contract Effective Date.Proposer shall provide a draft validation (pilot) plan to meet this requirement, describing how pilot sites will be selected in each region and the methodology that will be used to validate the proposed network metrics as well as ensuring reachability from each region to all three data center sites for state agency traffic.MANAGED SERVICE PROVIDER REQUIREMENTSThe MSP shall be responsible for the coordination and facilitation of delivery of services and equipment.The purpose of this section is to provide the State with an understanding of the Proposer’s day-to-day approach to providing managed network services and how it will specifically apply that approach to BCN. The State requires a response that thoroughly describes how things are going to be done for BCN rather than merely restating the requirement or acknowledging an understanding of it. As indicated in Definitions section at the beginning of the RFP, an MSP is the entity responsible to facilitate and coordinate the provisioning, management and operation of a multi-sourced provider network through the UNI-N service demarcation point.Unless directed to do so, Proposer shall not direct the reader to a website or any other source outside of the applicable section as part of its response to the requirement or question unless it is a map, diagram or schematic included in another section with the RFP response. Responses that merely restate the requirement or only indicate an acknowledgement of understanding and a willingness to comply will be considered unresponsive.Proposers are reminded that BCN shall be managed and operated in accordance with State’s specifications in Attachment A-Technical Requirements Matrix. Additionally such responses shall also take into account those requirements and all work will be performed in such a way that all associated SLAs will be met and the State will not have to seek credits or remedies. OperationsThe State requires the MSP to be responsible for the day-to-day operations and management for all BCN services. This will include, but is not limited to coordinating activities of all services providers, and monitoring the network to ensure that services meet performance requirements in associated SLAs. The State expects that a well-qualified MSP will utilize commercially available web-enabled operational support systems in support of its service offerings. Network Operations Center (NOC)The MSP shall provide a NOC and a back-up NOC located in the United States for technical support, including incident reporting and problem management, electronically through one email address and website, and by telephone through one toll-free number, which is available 24x7x365/366. The State expects technical support to resolve BCN outage conditions and performance issues in accordance with the requirements for each service category in the Attachment A-Technical Requirements Matrix.Proposer shall describe how it will provide a NOC and back up NOC and indicate whether the services will be provided directly by the MSP, or via a Service Provider. Proposer shall indicate where the NOCs are located. Problem ManagementThe State expects that the MSP will manage the problem resolution process from beginning to end using incident reporting and problem management processes. The State requires such communication be available both electronically through one email address and website, and by telephone through one toll-free number, all of which is available 24x7x365/366. The MSP is responsible for the timely and complete resolution of all repair problems even in a partnering situation with other Service Providers.Proposer shall describe how it will provide the NOCs and the associated support services to the State, including proposed processes, methods, and ticketing system used to report problems and request and deliver services. trouble ticket automation, e.g., will the trouble tickets be automatically opened when an alarm or alert is discovered? system’s ability to display and status tracking of all trouble tickets via an online service portalsystem’s capabilities to support threshold alarmsProvide a timeline including intervals for requesting and delivering support service work, and describe how it will follow best practices for network performance monitoring and management both on a day-to-day basis as well as from a proactive perspective.Describe any capability to bond with customer-owned trouble ticketing systems (in the State’s case, Cherwell) and monitoring tools included in your commercially-available work Management System (NMS)The State requires that the MSP reliably, accurately and proactively monitor and report on network status for Categories A, B and D. It is expected that to accomplish this, the MSP will utilize a network monitoring system (NMS) to monitor all equipment, and to detect and avoid issues before they degrade the service levels. Ideally, the State will have some level of access to the NMS to validate and isolate issues that it sees on its network.Describe which tool(s) and processes will be used by the NOCs for device and performance monitoring and tracking, problem diagnosis and analysis, notifications and configurable alerts and alarms and reporting. Further, discuss if the State’s desire for read-only access can be met.Capacity and Performance Planning The State expects the MSP to provide adequate capacity for all BCN Customers’ current and future growth, i.e., MSP anticipates growth and doesn’t only respond to BCN Customer requests.Describe the practices that will be utilized for BCN to ensure network health and performance including adequate capacity, predictable throughput, forecasting growth, hardware/software maintenance, including addressing manufacturer discontinued hardware/software.SecurityThe MSP shall provide a secure network to ensure the safety of BCN Customers’ information and operations.Proposer shall describe its approach to providing security to its customers, specifically addressing the plans, processes and procedures that are being proposed for BCN. Proposers shall at a minimum address the following:Security Policy StatementsApproach to Risk AnalysisSecurity Team StructureFacilitiesThe State requires all facilities utilized to provide BCN services to be protected from unauthorized access, damage, and disaster. Describe how facilities will be secured from unauthorized access and protected from damage and disaster. In addition, Proposer shall describe how it ensures the security of any equipment managed work InfrastructureThe State requires that the BCN network be managed securely.Proposer shall describe its approach to infrastructure security control, addressing at a minimum, the following elements indicating which apply to the four BCN service categories:network access control system(s), policies and proceduressecurity equipment, policies and proceduresintrusion detection, monitoring and logsauthentication methods and toolsAdministrationThe State expects that a well-qualified MSP will support the operations of the network as well as its users using automation such as a web-enabled portal. Service OrderingThe State requires the ability to submit and track service orders through a secure commercially available online portal. Proposer shall explain its ability to deliver this functionality and address the processes and systems that will be used should the portal be unavailable.Installation and Service ProvisioningThe State requires timely installation of services as requested by BCN Customers. The MSP shall be responsible for the coordination of installations and ensuring that all required equipment for connections are provided whether by the MSP or a Service Provider. The State is not responsible for the purchase of such equipment.Describe in detail how all types of installations will be conducted (Categories A-D). Responses shall address installation components such as timelines, project management, site surveys and visits, acceptance testing and the coordination of multiple Service Providers. Service Change ManagementService Change Management includes activities related to processing Move Add Change Disconnect (MACD) requests. The State requires a detailed, repeatable process that includes intervals for completing MACDs with and without construction.Describe the configuration and change management processes that will be included as part of the proposed BCN solution and discuss what notification processes will be used to manage change requests by the State and BCN Customers. As part of these processes, Proposer shall also describe how tests will be performed to ensure no disruption of connectivity or service occur as well as its procedures and support hours, with and without dispatch, of a technician to a site during and outside of BCN Customer business hours.Service InventoryThe State requires the MSP to maintain an inventory of all services ordered throughout the lifetime of the Contract. This service inventory will track information such as site name, site address, contact(s), service type, bandwidth, vendor, history log of activities such as MACDs, etc. Proposer shall explain its ability to deliver this service inventory including how the State and BCN Customers will access it. In addition, include a list of the category/type of inventory data, and describe how it will be maintained to ensure records are accurate and up-to-date. Operational and Service ReportsThe State requires both operational and service related reports. Reports will be used to ensure that all services are delivered and operating as expected. The State’s preference is to have access to a database of information and generate its own reports. However, if this is not a commercially available, cost-effective option, the State will accept the MSP’s standard available reports.The Proposer shall explain how it will produce or provide the capability for authorized state staff to produce reports and logs on network activity, health and analytics, addressing how reports can provide the State with the ability to validate that service level and operational goals are met. Proposer shall submit examples of its recommended reports and logs including timelines for retention of this information. Invoicing and BillingCustomer BillingThe State requires individual detailed monthly invoices for each BCN Customer by service category that includes the billable BCN charges for that customer (e.g., state agency, school, library, TEACH, etc.). The State expects that the MSP will as part of its commercially available invoicing process, be able to reflect partial monthly billing and details such charges as MACDs and SLA credits. Invoices shall be sent directly to and paid by the specific BCN Customer. Preferred format is both hard copy paper and a universal electronic file format such as .csv.Further, the State requires the MSP to summarize and provide one monthly invoice, report, or the capability for authorized state staff to produce an invoice or report, that combines invoice details from all BCN Customers. The Proposer shall describe in detail its ability to provide the required monthly invoices including the amount of detailed information provided for each BCN customers as well as how it will aggregate multiple Service Provider invoices into one invoice in an accurate and timely manner. In addition, discuss how the MSP will ensure invoices are accurate and timely. Outline the process for dealing with instances where accuracy and timeliness are not met. Proposer shall include samples of invoices and reports.Internal Fee AssessmentThe State currently assesses internal administrative fees to segments of the BCN Customer community which the incumbent Contractor includes in the monthly fees that it charges BCN Customers for services. The State is interested in continuing such a process and would prefer to add the ability to assess different fees for different customers.Proposer shall discuss its ability to invoice, collect and report such fees on behalf of the State. Specifically address how the State will receive payment of the fees, i.e., interval and manner of reimbursement (monthly check, credit, etc.). Be sure to indicate if this is a current commercially available service offering or if there will be additional charges to meet this expectation. Do not reference dollar or cost amounts in the response to this section.Annual Rate and Technology ReviewFor the purposes of maintaining consistently competitive pricing for all existing and potentially new services, on an annual basis, the MSP and State shall review market prices and technology trends, and reflect such changes by reducing contract pricing and improving service level terms to reflect the current environment. Review and adjustments will occur, at a minimum, on an annual basis regardless of the current contract term i.e., initial term or potential, subsequent multi-year extensions.Proposer shall describe how it delivers cost savings to its customers when changes to the market and technology provide reductions in Proposer’s operational costs, e.g., cost protection - if a LEC drops the price lower than BCN rate, will MSP lower BCN rate to match?Further, Proposer shall specifically discuss the processes it intends to use to meet the State’s requirements for rate and technology reviews including sample reports and templates.Continuity of Operations and Disaster RecoveryThe State requires the MSP to have continuity of operations (COOP) and disaster recovery (DR) plans in place to ensure that BCN services are restored in cases of natural or other disaster situations. In the event of network failure, sites identified as supporting public safety must be restored first. Such plans shall be maintained and regularly tested throughout the life of the Contract.Describe each plan and how often it is tested and how it will be utilized to provide for the rapid provisioning and restoration of services to BCN, e.g., use of alternate routes following a declaration. Include definitions that indicate when COOP or DR declarations are made, e.g., 10% of network is down will result in a disaster declaration.Proposer shall also discuss its plan for continuation of network services in the event the main network facility is unavailable, such as a loss of network connectivity.Maintenance The MSP will be responsible for maintaining BCN services, diagnosing and troubleshooting issues affecting those services. The State requires the MSP to coordinate and ensure on-site support and maintenance services are provided as required between the State and all Service Providers and other subcontractors. Routine and Preventative MaintenanceThe MSP is responsible for ensuring that routine and preventative maintenance of the network be conducted to reduce chances of system problems, limits service interruptions and to help prevent system failures before they happen, and ensure that applicable quality and class of services and integrity are maintained. Proposer shall describe its current routine and preventative maintenance processes and discuss how those processes will be applied to each BCN service category. Specific attention should be paid to how updates (both hardware and software) are implemented and the notifications, if any, that will be done for BCN Customers. Emergency Repairs (Break/Fix)The State requires that emergency repairs (break/fix) be included as part of the BCN service offering. Such maintenance refers to unscheduled actions performed as a result of system failure or degradation with the MSP having the responsibility to restore the network to its full working condition. Proposer shall describe its current emergency repair methodologies, support hours (with and without dispatch), activities and tools and discuss how those processes will be applied to BCN by service category, specifically addressing how those processes will be applied and coordinated between BCN Customers and Service Providers.Service Level Agreements The State requires Service Level Agreements to be summarized for each BCN Customer by service category (e.g., state agency, school, library, TEACH, etc.). Based on its responses in the Technical Matrix, Proposer shall discuss the SLAs it will use to ensure BCN Customer needs are met plus additional metrics for each service category (A-D), addressing each of the following in your response:Describe how each metric (both technical matrix and additional metrics) is measured, monitored and reported Describe the process followed to identify and resolve SLA noncompliance including escalation, credits, etc.PlansImplementation and Migration PlanningIt is the State’s expectation that the MSP will develop and provide an implementation/migration plan to move BCN and its customers from the current configuration to the proposed solution. The expected plan will address all implementation and migration activities, and identify all MSP and State tasks, subtasks and activities. A complete implementation and migration plan shall be provided for the State’s approval within thirty days of Contract execution. The MSP’s design team shall work with the State’s network engineers during the planning, design and implementation phases. The conversion of all current BCN Customers’ demands flawless transfer of critical applications with either no interruption or a specifically scheduled interruption of services. The State requires involvement in the development and final approval of the final implementation plans. The following requirements to be addressed in the implementation/migration plan:Individual site conversions will minimize if not eliminate any negative impact for BCN Customers.MSP will notify customers well in advance with a draft migration plan (including dates) so that customers can plan/coordinate staffing accordingly. A dedicated project manager and project management staff.All necessary support resources to insure conversions are completed within the required timeframe.MSP is responsible for coordinating the installation of services at the customer locations. Involves determining all proper contact names at each site, e.g., technical staff, those responsible for connecting the customer to BCN.Conversion of all current BCN sites shall be completed no later than October 31, 2016.Conversions shall be coordinated and scheduled with the customer and the State. If a site is a 7x24 location, any outage shall be kept to an absolute minimum.In response to this section, Proposers shall include a draft plan including major milestones required to migrate all sites to the MSP network before October 31, 2016 successfully. Along with the draft plan, Proposer shall describe the proposed overall implementation strategy and approach to migrate current BCN sites to the proposed solution. Specifically address timeline for implementation including expectations of MSP, State and customer roles. The implementation approach provided should clearly demonstrate that the Proposer understands how to migrate BCN’s varied customer base from one network to another.Transition of Services at End of ContractPrior to contract termination for any reason, the MSP shall assist the State in planning for an orderly exit strategy and comply with direction provided by the State to assist in the transition of contracted services to the State or a third party designated by the State. Contract rates shall not increase during such a period nor will any revenue commitment be provided by the State during this time.Proposer shall describe its approach to exit planning and detail policies and procedures to ensure no disruption in the delivery of services during the transition of BCN to another provider designated by the State and cooperate with the State and any third party designated in transferring information and responsibility for services. The State prefers that Proposer include sample plans or those of actual customers.VALUE-ADD AND OPTIONAL SERVICESThe State understands that technology is evolving rapidly and that throughout the life of the Contract new technologies may become available to commercial and government customers. Accordingly, Proposers are encouraged to submit service descriptions and technical specifications for services that are extensions of the services within this RFP or services that are within the scope of this RFP may become commercially available during the term of the Contract. Submission of this information does not obligate the State to purchase the service, although the State may seek to include additional service types under the Contract where it makes both technological and financial sense. Proposer shall not direct the reader to a website (or any other sources outside of the submitted Proposal) as part of its response to the requirement or question. Failure to provide a specific service listed below will not disqualify a Proposal. However, the Contractor will not be allowed to sell those products and/or plans during the Contract term if they do not respond to that service in its Proposal.Video, MCUs, Gateways and Session SchedulingVideo services, MCUs, Gateways and video session scheduling services are not included as a required service offering under the BCN Contract. However, Proposers may offer such services. The requirements and specifications for these services are found in Attachment E – Optional Video and UW Transport Services Requirements Matrix. If interested in providing such services under a resulting contract, Proposer shall provide a narrative explanation in response to this section, complete Attachment E as directed, and include the associated pricing in its Cost Proposal. No mention of pricing may be included in Attachment E.University of Wisconsin Transport and Hand-OffWhile not a required service component of BCN, Proposers may provide network services to the University of Wisconsin based on the University’s specific requirements, which are found in Attachment E – Optional Video and UW Transport Services Requirements.If interested in providing such services under a resulting contract, Proposer shall provide a narrative explanation in response to this section, complete Attachment E as directed, and include the associated pricing in its Cost Proposal. No mention of pricing may be included in Attachment E.Other ServicesProposers may provide creative enhancements or business model improvements that have not been addressed previously in this document. Possible options could include:Additional data security (beyond requirements of RFP and contractual terms and conditions)EncryptionCustomer Router ManagementConsulting Services for Application Development and Conversion (web-i-fication of apps)Number each additional service as 8.4, 8.5, 8.6, etc. For each product or service proposed, the Proposer shall provide:A description of product or service, High-level requirements,Implementation approach,Financial details of each service shall be submitted as part of Proposer’s Cost Proposal.COST PROPOSALThe Cost Proposal shall be submitted separately from the RFP response as directed in Section REF _Ref355340047 \r \h 2.4.1 (Cost Proposal Submission).Cost WorksheetsProposers are responsible for entering cost data in the format prescribed by Attachment D - Cost Proposal Workbook. Input locations have been inserted in the appropriate cells of the worksheets. Proposer input cells are shaded in yellow. All other cells are locked and password protected. Further instructions for entering cost data are included in the worksheets. It is the sole responsibility of the Proposer to ensure that all mathematical calculations are correct and that the total cost worksheet proved accurately reflects costs.All pricing must remain firm for the term of the contract, including any extensions. Exceptions are changes to fees (or new fees) required by regulators to be passed on to customers (this does not include administrative surcharges from the Contractor to recoup the cost of charging regulatory fees), increases in discounts and/or reductions in pricing, all of which must be sent in writing to the State’s Contract Administrator and Manager for approval. Requests to improve contracted plans or introduce new ones must be submitted in the same manner for review and approval. Completion of the Cost Proposal Workbook and the associated worksheets is mandatory. F.O.B. Destination Freight PrepaidAll equipment, regardless of ownership, shall be shipped F.O.B. Destination Freight Prepaid. Proposer shall not pass through the costs for such shipment. Expedited or overnight deliveries, if requested by BCN Customer, may be a billable pass through cost without mark up and shall be itemized in the written invoice.Consideration of All Inherent CostsProposal prices shall take into consideration all inherent costs of providing the services described in the RFP. Proposer is responsible for paying all travel costs including, but not limited to, round-trip travel, meals and parking. The State shall not pay any additional charges beyond the prices listed in the Cost Proposal.Non E-Rate ServicesAny goods and or services proposed that are not Category One eligible, or any otherwise eligible services that are not supported by the MSP as Category One eligible, must be explicitly identified in the Proposer’s response, priced separately and presented with clarity on the designated worksheet.Fees and SurchargesInitial FeesThe State shall initially only be liable for fees and surcharges associated with services identified by Proposer in its Cost Proposal.New FeesThe State shall only be liable for new fees/ surcharges or increases to existing fees/surcharges (as identified by Proposer in its Cost Proposal) that are mandated by a governmental or regulatory entity. The Contractor must provide documentation of such mandates prior to billing such charges. Changes to FeesThe MSP shall notify the State’s Contract Administrator in writing of changes to existing regulatory fees or surcharges prior to implementation of the changes. MSP shall not implement any new fees or surcharges without prior notification to and written approval of the State’s Contract Administrator. Notification shall include an explanation regarding the basis of a new fee or surcharge, effective date, and how the new fee or surcharge will be billed and applied (e.g., per account, per line, etc.).LIST OF REQUIRED FORMSThe following forms are attached separately to the landing page for this RFP on VendorNet.RFP Cover Sheet (DOA-3261)Proposer ChecklistDesignation of Confidential and Proprietary Information (DOA-3027)Vendor Information (DOA-3477)Vendor Agreement (DOA-3333)ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTSThe following documents are available separately to the landing page for this RFP on VendorNet.AttachmentsAttachment A – Technical Requirements MatrixAttachment B – Mandatory Administrative RequirementsAttachment C – Service Provider Subcontractor ListingAttachment D - Cost Proposal WorkbookAttachment E - Optional Video and UW Transport Services Requirements MatrixAttachment F – Terms and ConditionsAppendicesAppendix 1 - BCN Logical Diagram – State AgenciesAppendix 2 - BCN Logical Diagram – Other BCN CustomersAppendix 3 - Current BCN Sites and ServicesAppendix 4 – Current ISP SitesAppendix 5 –DPI WAN and Internet BandwidthAppendix 6 – BCN Network Traffic Diagrams (Inter and Intra Service) ................
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