Description
The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) intends to award contracts/orders on a competitive basis, when feasible, for purchases exceeding $25,000 for brand name software products as specified below. This brand name notice is for software products identified herein for the next five years (Fiscal Years 2005 through 2010). This notice is NOT an Request for Bids and will not be issued again until Fiscal Year 2011. FNS administers the nutrition assistance programs of the USDA, whose mission is to provide children and needy families with better access to food and a more healthful diet through its food assistance programs and comprehensive nutrition education efforts. Two areas of assistance provided are the Food Stamp Program (FSP) and the Special Nutrition Programs (SNP), which includes the Child Nutrition Programs, including the School Breakfast and School Lunch programs; the Nutrition Education and Training Program; the Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); the WIC Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program; the Commodity Supplemental Food Program; the Food Distribution Program; the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations; the Nutrition Program for the Elderly and The Emergency Food Assistance Program. USDA Enterprise Architecture (EA): USDA is implementing a “cooperative approach” to enterprise architecture. Using this approach, agency architectures are directed towards mission-specific processes, systems, data and applications. The Departmental component is directed at: Infrastructure investments (e.g. security and telecommunications); Cross-cutting investments (e.g. corporate systems); and Areas where there are significant economies of scale from a Departmental approach. All hardware/ software areas must align with the USDA & FNS EA. Currently, FNS is developing an enterprise approach to managing and supporting its network and infrastructure. The quantity of data being collected and managed has greatly increased. FNS must reduce short and long term cost by developing an enterprise architectural methodology. The hardware appliances and software systems will improve the operational efficiency, planning and coordination of FNS infrastructure and serve as a template for future management of FNS networks and agency programs. If the agency uses this approach would benefit: Project planning and communication among stakeholders; Interface with new and legacy systems; Facilitation of data entry accuracy; Generation of standardized reports; Reduction of troubleshooting efforts by saving time to correct errors and issues; Minimization of duplication of hardware and software; and, Facilitation of field and regional office operations. The primary objectives of the Information Technology Division (ITD) are to improve operational efficiency, planning, coordination, and to standardize the agency’s IT environment and agency programs, among headquarters, regional, and field offices to analyze program effectiveness, to evaluate performance metrics and to standardize many of the program functions. Security--Microsoft Patchmeister, Overtone Software, Managetone Master Server, MSDN Subscriptions, Symantec Norton Anti-Virus Support (HQ & RO) Plus Fee – Renewal, NCisco IOS, Routers and Switches, Cisco Intrusion Detection Software, Oracle Database Software, ASG Software IDMS Data Transfer, License Renewal for ASG, Crystal Reports, NetQOS Network Analyzer Maintenance, Citrix Remote Access, and Webinspect Software and Training. In order to comply with the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA), OIG and OMB network security requirements to secure information and systems, FNS will implement nCircle IP360 Vulnerability Management System and Cisco Pik Firewall appliances. These appliances will determine the applications, services, operating systems, protocols and vulnerabilities that may put major applications such as STARSII, ALERT and all other IP enabled devices attached to the LAN/WAN at risk and provide mitigation techniques to remediate vulnerabilities. Networking Products--Cisco Router, Switches, Firewalls, and NetQos. FNS has chosen Cisco Router, Switches, and NetQos to manage, support, and secure its network, backbone and infrastructure. These Cisco devices are proprietary and do not operate with other vendor platforms because its network and infrastructure equipment is proprietary and does not operate with other vendor networking hardware and software equipment. FNS has tested and researched the Cisco Systems network communications equipment and found that this vendor best meets the missions and goals of the agency. Cisco System provides priority controlled technical support through their Technical Assistance Center (TAC) for current equipment and legacy systems. NetQos is a network monitoring tool that allows you to monitor traffic across all WAN and LAN links down to the application level by making use of Cisco Systems NetFlow architecture. Microsoft Premiere Support, Operating System, Application Software, and Microsoft Office Suite. In continuing an effort to develop enterprise methodology to manage and support its network and infrastructure, standardize all systems of collecting and managing data, FNS must reduce short and long term cost. The agency will sole source the Microsoft Premiere Support directly to Microsoft for the following reasons: Microsoft support services has direct access to Microsoft software developers and source code for current and future products. This direct access is unique and invaluable to FNS. This direct access to both current and future product issues plays a key role in allowing Microsoft Support Services to have unique insight into the architecture of current solutions today which can facilitate smooth migrations to future unreleased products/versions based on our in-depth access to Microsoft internal resources. Microsoft Premier Support staff has a direct path to Microsoft software developers and engineers to quickly address product support, trouble-shooting and hot-fix type issues. Microsoft support services can immediately establish a valuable technology feedback link between FNS and Microsoft development teams to help shape the future direction, features and functionality of forthcoming products. Premier Support staffs have been instrumental in facilitating important new product features/functionality to be considered and implemented based on direct feedback from FNS. After working with Microsoft for several years, Microsoft has gained a detail expert knowledge and understanding of our network system, topology, and applications. Syncsort & NetApp Backup Solution: Syncsort software is the agency-wide backup solution, this software is proprietary and other backup software solution cannot read Syncsort tapes. Included with the Syncsort backup solution is the NetApp Filers which is a proprietary piece of equipment. The NetApp Operating System uses the snap shot and snap mirror technology to capture an exact copy to a file server data and files. This process makes the NetApp Filers one of the few unique backup solution in the industry. There are approximately two other vendors which uses this method however, each of those vendor products are not compatible to the other (this also includes NetApp). This snap shot capability data is snapped mirrored (copied) to a remote site. The tape backup is no longer needed, everything is disk to disk. VMware (ACE)--VMware ACE gives FNS administrators the ability to lock down PC endpoints and protect critical company resources against the risks presented by unmanaged PCs. With VMware ACE, FNS administrators package an IT-managed PC within a secured virtual machine and deploy it to an unmanaged physical PC. Once installed, VMware ACE provides a secured and IT-compliant PC endpoint enabling safe access to IT resources. If FNS changes vendors all enterprise applications and confidential data can be accessed by an increasing number of unmanaged PCs used by contractors, outsourcers, telecommuters, and partners. Unmanaged PCs are not owned or maintained by IT and therefore present increased costs and security risks to FNS enterprise. Consistency with technology, service, support, and durability of equipment is most important to the government. No other vendor can offer these options. Rational Suite AnalystStudio--Rational Suite AnalystStudio integrates a combination of tools for business, application and data modeling, requirements and use case management, defect and change request tracking, and best-practice process guidelines. It also includes the Rational Suite Team Unifying Platform, an integrated platform for the cross-functional team. The tools that make up the Analyst Studio are Rational Unified Process, Rational Rose (Professional Data Modeler), Rational RequisitePro, Rational ClearQuest, Rational TestManager, Rational ClearCase LT, Rational SoDA. The Tools in the suite integrate with each other providing for accountability for each phase of an application lifecycle whether it is to track defects or enhancements. There are currently no tools on the market that provide integration from requirements tracking to production for configuration management implementation. The purpose of these specific hardware and software systems is to provide a standard approach to record, collect, visualize, analyze and report information to cooperating and regulatory entities. These software applications and support agreements will allow the agency to meet their mission and goals throughout the program areas. Qualified firms offering these software products may respond by submitting product catalogs to FNS, 3101 Park Center Drive, Alexandria, VA 22302.