SOURCES SOUGHT
58 -- SSA Interactive Video Teletraining Network Maintenance and Support Services
- Notice Date
- 5/18/2010
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 811213
— Communication Equipment Repair and Maintenance
- Contracting Office
- Social Security Administration, Office of Budget, Finance, and Management, Office of Acquisition and Grants, 1st Floor, Rear Entrance, 7111 Security Blvd., Baltimore, Maryland, 21244
- ZIP Code
- 21244
- Solicitation Number
- SSA-RFI-10-EGC
- Archive Date
- 6/18/2010
- Point of Contact
- Edwin G. Casswell, Phone: 4109659490, Christopher A. Brennan, Phone: 4109659532
- E-Mail Address
-
ed.casswell@ssa.gov, Christopher.Brennan@ssa.gov
(ed.casswell@ssa.gov, Christopher.Brennan@ssa.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- This is a Sources Sought Synopsis for the Social Security Administration (SSA), Office for Telecommunications and Systems Operations (OTSO). This synopsis is NOT to be construed as a commitment by the government to issue a solicitation or award a contract as a result of this request. This Sources Sought Synopsis is issued for planning purposes only, in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 10. The Social Security Administration (SSA) is currently performing market research to identify capable Hub Zone, 8 (a), Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business and/or Small Business sources that can provide interactive video teletraining maintenance, equipment and support services to SSA. SSA may competitively procure a seven-year fixed price indefinite delivery indefinite quantity contract for the maintenance and operational support of the Agency's Interactive Video Teletraining (IVT) network, High Definition (HD) studios, Social Security TV (SSTV) network, Visual Communication Control Center (VCCC), and video walls. ll provide the Agency the option to purchase additional hardware, software, and support services to support these systems. The SSA IVT network is a two-way distance learning system that delivers studio-created content through a satellite communication network, and returns classroom responses over SSANet, a multiprotocol label switching network (MPLS). Services shall cover the maintenance and operational support of the IVT network that consists of seven fully equipped and one partially equipped analog and serial digital broadcast studios located in Atlanta, GA; Dallas, TX; Kansas City, MO; Seattle, WA; New York, NY; 3 in Baltimore, MD; the Visual Communications Control Center, and over 1,745 IVT classroom/downlink locations located within the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Maintenance shall include any relocation of studios and/or classrooms. The Agency will also have a Principal Period of Maintenance in which the contractor must complete repairs within 8 business hours or notify the Government why the repair could not be completed in the allotted time. IVT Studios consist of control rooms, video/audio switchers and routers, encoders, monitors, signal generators, touch panel controllers, cameras, teleprompters, recording devices, microphones, speakers, scan converters, One Touch Servers, editing stations, content distribution equipment, and all associated cabling. Studio content is encoded and delivered terrestrially by Verizon Business to the content distribution system located in the National Computer Center. Content can then be disseminated to multiple destinations such as the Campus Cable network, Internet Protocol TV (IPTV), local monitoring devices, or the satellite uplink. The satellite uplink, satellite airtime, downlink receiving dishes and Scientific Atlanta Integrated Receiver Decoders (IRDs) are maintained and operationally supported by Hughes Network Systems. IVT classrooms consist of One Touch site controllers and/or Helius MediaGate Routers, DVD/VCRs, flat panel televisions, interactive keypads, and all associated cabling. The high definition studio consists of video diagnostics equipment, video conversion equipment, field diagnostics equipment, closed captioning equipment, editing equipment, video storage and management system, DVD/Blu-Ray mastering equipment, duplication equipment, cameras, virtual set system with a CYC wall, HDCAM decks, DVCPro decks, audio mixing console, audio diagnostics equipment, production switcher, character generator, video/audio router, sync system, and control room displays. The high definition is located in the Headquarters campus in Baltimore, MD. The SSA is expanding the satellite communication network to support Social Security TV (SSTV). SSTV delivers multimedia content and real-time data through Internet Protocol (IP) over the satellite communication network to field office reception areas. The SSTV network leverages the existing satellite network for content delivery to field office reception areas. Content is created on centrally located servers and delivered via satellite through receivers to local playback devices attached to flat panel displays for viewing by the Public. In addition to the created content, geographic-based Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds are delivered to each reception area to reflect real-time events such as traffic and weather. Outside of the existing satellite network, SSTV adds wall mounted large screen flat panel televisions, local playback devices, servers, and software. The VCCC is a managed focal point for communications supporting IVT, Video Teleconference (VTC), Campus Cable, Headquarters' Wireless Wide Area Network, and SONET. The VCCC consists of equipment and help desk support to manage these communication networks from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. This contract shall cover the maintenance and operational support of the equipment supporting these networks. This equipment includes a serial digital/analog audio/video router, monitoring displays, servers, content distribution equipment, cable insertion equipment, AMX routing system, testing equipment, patch panels, and all associated cabling. This contract shall also support help desk support consisting of at least four qualified technicians to support the hours mentioned above. The Agency intends to install an additional VCCC to support a future satellite uplink at the Second Support Center in North Carolina. This uplink will have the same 24/7 operational capabilities as the current uplink in Baltimore, MD. All seven studios will have redundant links to this location and shall have the capability to broadcast any studio at any time from either satellite uplink. In addition, the SSA shall have the ability to purchase an additional VCCC to support an uplink station in a location to be determined at a future date. There are two video wall systems located in the National Computer Center in Baltimore, MD, and two video wall systems located in the Second Support Center in North Carolina. This contract shall cover the maintenance and operational support of the equipment supporting these video walls. The video wall systems consist of large HD capable flat panel televisions, Evertz multi-imaging displays systems, and all associated cabling. The Agency intends to utilize this contract for qualified on-site personnel. These positions will consist of Project Managers, Senior Field Engineers, Broadcast Engineers, and help desk technicians. The Agency shall have the option to purchase additional hardware, software, and services to support additional classrooms, analog, serial digital, and high definition studios, editing systems, video walls, SSTV locations, and VCCCs. The Agency intends to explore new distance learning and audio/video communication delivery mechanisms. This contract shall have the option to purchase equipment and services to support other technologies such as distance learning to the desktop, webinars, virtual meetings, and editing systems. This notice serves as a Sources Sought Synopsis seeking information from Hub Zone, 8 (a), Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business and/or Small Business concerns which are capable of providing these services and equipment. Information from other than the four socio-economic sources requested will not be reviewed or considered. The North American Industry Classification (NAICS) code for this requirement is 811213. The small business size standard for this NAICS Code is $25 million. Interested concerns that believe they have the ability to perform these services and provide the required equipment must provide a capability statement which clearly demonstrates that the company can perform the stated services successfully. The company shall also provide the name, address and telephone number of any and all references where services of similar size and scope are currently being provided or where they have been provided within the last 3 years. Responses must be received by no later than 3:00 p.m., local prevailing time on Friday, June 2, 2010. This is neither a Request for Proposal (RFP) nor an announcement of a forthcoming solicitation. Requests for copies of a solicitation will not be honored or acknowledged. SSA will not entertain telephone calls or answer questions concerning this synopsis. The Government does not intend to pay for information received. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether or not any firms in the socio-economic categories referenced above have the ability and capability to perform these services successfully. Submissions may be sent via email to ed.casswell@ssa.gov or via mail to the attention of Ed Casswell, SSA/OAG, 7111 Security Blvd., First Floor, Rear Entrance, Baltimore, MD 21244.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/SSA/DCFIAM/OAG/SSA-RFI-10-EGC/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: Nationwide including Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands, United States
- Record
- SN02153197-W 20100520/100518235455-e36d3a191ca4184ee2d268f137ebad35 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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