The Social Security Administration (SSA) is seeking ONLY 8 (a) business sources under North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 512191 who have GSA Schedules who can provide ongoing maintenance and ancillary equipment for the SSA Interactive Video Tele-training (IVT) network. The IVT network provides real-time training via satellite broadcast to students at SSA offices who are geographically dispersed throughout the continental United States including Puerto Rico, Hawaii and the United States Virgin Islands. The IVT network is one-way video and two-way audio. Students interact directly with instructor through the One-Touch viewer response system (VRS). The IVT network uses satellite as the media for transmitting the training broadcasts to SSA’s Field Offices (FO). Satellite services and satellite equipment are a separate entity and are not part of this requirement. SSA’s IVT network consists of approximately 1,700 classrooms/locations, broadcast studios (4 in Baltimore, Maryland Headquarters; one each in Kansas City, Missouri; Atlanta, Georgia; Dallas, Texas; Seattle, Washington; and a mini studio in New York, New York), editing rooms, one Visual Communications Control Center (VCCC) and a video wall. The Headquarters’ studio(s) transmit broadcasts through SSA’s local services called “Synchronous Optical Network (SONET).” Each regional studio transmits training broadcasts over two T1 circuitry, equating to three Megahertz of bandwidth. All studio training broadcasts are transmitted to the VCCC, then to the satellite uplink system, and lastly, it is dispersed to the downlinks where the IVT classrooms are located in approximately 1,700 FO’s. The majority of FO’s have one IVT classroom; however, there are some FO’s with two or more IVT classrooms. Each classroom is equipped with a TV monitor, a videocassette recorder, a One Touch site controller and One Touch viewer response units. The broadcast studios are equipped with a host One Touch computer, Assistant Station, Parkervision Expert Camera, Elmo Visual Presenter graphic camera, Chromakey switches, audio mix equipment, Report Analysis Program and other necessary electronics for the instructor to conduct an effective training session. The computers collect data generated from the students, such as test results. The VCCC manages all SSA video based services, including satellite services, troubled shooting and fault isolation. The VCCC is also responsible for the SSA campus cable TV network and controls the reinsertion of video signals which provides closed circuit services to the SSA Headquarters’ campus in Baltimore. SSA is seeking sources which can provide maintenance and support services including ancillary equipment during the principle period of maintenance (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., local time) with a four (4) hour response for emergency maintenance and an eight (8) hour response time for remedial maintenance for all 1,700 sites. SSA also requires on-site maintenance support at its Headquarters location for fourteen (14) hours per day (7 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.) Monday through Friday. Companies must have the capability to provide maintenance support for the estimated 1,700 sites through the contract life. Companies must be able to provide One Touch software support and upgrades, a tracking system for trouble calls and security suitability. Companies must have technical experience, knowledge and training certification for all the equipment in the IVT network including servicing Frame Relay/ATM connectivity to the One Touch IVT equipment in the classrooms, studios and VCCC. Vendors must provide a copy of their appropriate GSA Schedule. Vendors shall also provide information about their company and include the number and qualifications of employees, detailing previous related experience and projects similar in scope to SSA’s requirement including past performance data. Locations where similar equipment has been installed and maintained by the vendor shall also be provided. Vendors must provide verifiable proof that they will be able to meet the maintenance performance requirements through a national on-call maintenance system. No cost or pricing data is required or requested. This is not a request for proposal, and the Government does not intend to pay for the information solicited or received. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation of the source data received. Any interested organizations must submit appropriate data in duplicate within fifteen (15) days of this announcement to Ed Casswell at
[email protected] .