This is NOT a solicitation announcement. This is a sources sought notice (SSN) for information and planning purposes and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government, nor will the Government pay for information solicited. Since this is a sources sought notice, no evaluation letters and/or results will be issued to the respondents.



The Government is seeking information from prospective Contractors to provide an Enhanced Networx Inventory Code (eNIC) System. The term “Contractor” includes contractor personnel, subcontractors, and consultants. All contractor personnel shall be considered procurement officials and will be subject to the provisions of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act, Title 41.U.S.C.423.

The current Networx Inventory Code (NIC) System is required in support of the General Services Administration, Federal Acquisition Service (FAS), Networx Program. The Networx Program provides mission critical telecommunications and network services to numerous Federal Government Agencies worldwide. The FAS Networx Program consists of two acquisitions: Networx Universal and Networx Enterprise. The current NIC System (contract soon to expire) is used to create and manage codes used to facilitate ordering, billing, inventory management, service management and reporting relative to the Networx Program.

The anticipated eNIC System will be a replacement contract to be used for ordering, billing, inventory management, service management and reporting, and validation of Network Site Codes. The eNIC System shall include alphanumeric characters which represent the Network Site Code (NSC). The NSC will use geographical and geopolitical codes to represent buildings, structures, enclosures or other fixed, physical locations. The Networx Inventory Code will consist of the NSC plus additional characters representing the Networx Contractor and associated service ordered by an Agency for a specified network site. For those locations where dedicated access is required for the services ordered, the NSC is used to determine the Serving Wire Center (SWC) that serves the Service Delivery Point (SDP). The eNIC System shall be capable of accurately determining the SWC. The eNIC System will provide periodic updates as well as new NSCs, their addresses and SWC mapping to ensure currency and accuracy of this information.

The volume of records in the eNIC System will exceed 2,000,000 records. The eNIC System shall support a flexible ad hoc reporting system. Users shall be able to run reports against NSCs, NICs, SWC codes and related data. The eNIC System shall be accessible by web browser interface; capable of producing ad hoc reports that can be used to create, inventory and manage the eNIC and related data items for use by GSA and the Networx Contractors. The Contractor shall also make provisions for hosting the eNIC System and provide related support as a managed service on an ongoing basis. This support shall cover the system, as well as the codes and all data relating to the system. The Contractor will be responsible for providing an end-to-end, proven coding system/application for the Federal Government in support of the Networx Program.

The objectives expected from this work shall be:

1) The eNIC System shall be the master repository for validated Network Site Codes, Networx Inventory Codes, Serving Wire Center codes and related data items.

2) The eNIC System is to interface with and optimize the use of commercial codes without violating the intellectual property rights of code or data owners.

3) The eNIC System shall aid GSA with determining and arbitrating the official eNIC and SWC to NSC mapping in the event of conflicts or discrepancies.

4) The eNIC System shall interface with existing tables and databases established at the GSA Networx Hosting Center (NHC) with minimal impact and expense for any conversion required.

The following represents five high level requirements for the implementation of the eNIC system:

1) The eNIC system is anticipated to include modifications or enhancements to a proven system and shall be designed to support the creation, maintenance and reporting of the NIC and related data items without disruption to current services.

2) The eNIC System must maintain an inventory of Networx services provided by all service providers identifying the location, contract and services ordered.

3) The eNIC System must retain the current inventory of Networx Services. The eNIC System must also retain the current format and structure of the Networx Inventory Codes which is available in Section C.3.2.2.10 of the Networx RFP.

4) Data currency, integrity and availability for the eNIC System are critical factors.

5) The following training requirements are necessary for the eNIC System implementation:

a. Develop eNIC user training materials and sessions as appropriate and required.

b. Conduct training sessions for GSA and Networx Service Provider personnel

Requirements relating to the Networx Universal Request for Proposal may be obtained at fedbizopps.gov under the title: FAS Networx Universal RFP No. TQC-JTB-05-0001, dated November 15, 2006.

Administrative



Interested Contractors are invited to identify their interest and technical capabilities to the requirements of this Sources Sought Notice within 10 working days, via email. Questions concerning the SSN will be allowed for the first 5 working days after announcement release. Responses shall address items specified in this notice by midnight on March 12, 2009. Prospective Contractors are required to respond to the Sources Sought Notice in the form of Capability Statements. Capabilities statements must address relevant experience, existing offerings, a solutions synopsis, and past performance. The capability statements must also indicate the contractor’s capability to perform the proposed services identified in the description section of this document. Capability Statements are to be limited to 10 pages (minimum font size 10) and 10 pages of figures and tables. Brochures alone are not sufficient documentation for demonstration of capabilities. Responses will not be returned. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals and will not result in a contract award. Prospective Contractors shall send their electronic response to robert.hayhurst@gsa.gov. No collect calls or telephone inquiries will be accepted. This is a sources sought notice. No solicitation exists; therefore, do not request a copy of the solicitation. If a solicitation is released, it will be posted on the fedbizopps.gov website. It is the potential Contractor’s responsibility to monitor this site for the release of any solicitation. Responses to this sources sought notice will not be adequate responses to the solicitation announcement.



The contractor shall be required to comply with OMB Circular A-130, the Federal Information Systems Management Act (FISMA) and Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS 199), for Security Certification and Accreditation of Federal Information Systems. The contractor shall support the Government in its compliance with Section 508 standards. The contractor must sign Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Statements to be involved in any contract that could result in this effort. The contractor shall provide engineering, design, installation, implementation support, and training. Contractor shall provide software and secure interface for authorized users to access the NIC system via the World Wide Web. The contractor shall provide telecommunications and site facilities, personnel and equipment as required to meet the workload requirements of this effort. The contractor shall provide toll-free access numbers for customer support and technical support for users. The contractor shall provide work site redundancy features that will ensure continuity of service to include, but not be limited to, network failure, uninterruptible power, battery backup, standby central processing unit (CPU), administrative/maintenance terminals, and other service interruptions. The contractor shall ensure that the eNIC System remains operational in the event of a power outage or other outages. Respondents to this notice must indicate whether they qualify as a Small, Small Disadvantaged, Women-Owned, and Hub Zone or Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business concern under NAICS Code 517110 and 518210 with a size standard of $12.5 M. The proposed period of performance for this acquisition will be an arrangement not to exceed five (5) years.