AWARD SINGLE SOURCE FOR MICROSOFT INDUSTRY SOLUTIONS DELIVERY

Pursuant to the requirements of the Competition in Contracting Act (CICA) as implemented by the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO) 6.103 Class Deviation 25-11, and in accordance with the requirements of RFO 6.104, the justification for the use of the statutory authority is supported by the following facts and rationale required under RFO 6.104-1 as follows:

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Office of Procurement Operations (OPO), Science and Technology Acquisition Division (S&TAD) awarded on a sole source basis Microsoft Industry Solutions Delivery Services to Microsoft Corporation, 1 MICROSOFT WAY, REDMOND WA 98052.  

Microsoft does not permit external 're-sellers' for Industry Solutions Delivery (ISD) services.  The requirement is for Microsoft to provide ISD, formerly known as Microsoft Consulting Services (MCS) to the DHS Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate. ISD provides access to Microsoft subject matter experts, and the global partner network. ISD consultants work closely with the organization, to effectively minimize risk in deployment and configuration management of Microsoft technologies, including complex tasks. Additionally, ISD will assist S&T in achieving mission success across the growing spectrum of Digital Transformation including IT modernization and optimization.  Microsoft does not permit external 're-sellers' for ISD services.

DHS has invested in and deployed large volumes of Microsoft products across the enterprise, and therefore it is essential to have the ability to contract for onsite Microsoft personnel with the proprietary architectural and technical knowledge of Microsoft products. Due to this large Microsoft footprint, DHS needs to directly access Microsoft consultants and Microsoft developers (to include access to source code) who can aid DHS with architectural design, knowledge transfer, new product implementation, product support, trouble-shooting, and hot-fix type issues.  Microsot has proprietary control over the required services.  ISD services will include:

Direct, Immediate and Unlimited Access to Microsoft’s Product Groups (e.g., Azure, Teams, O365, Dynamics, etc.) – ISD Consultants collaborate with the influence Microsoft products to meet customer mission needs. The insertion of Microsoft Consultants with Microsoft Product Groups allows ISD to provide knowledgeable resources for large scale deployments on the newest product versions in a timely fashion which allows customers to maximize their time to investment on solutions built on ins investment in Microsoft software.

Access to Source Code for Current and Future Products – ISD consultants have access to the source code, speeding the resolution of the most vexing technical problems customers can face.

Access to Internal Microsoft Product Update Sessions – ISD consultants and designated support engineers have access to the latest information regarding current and future software offerings, enabling better planning and problem resolution for customers.

Microsoft Early Adopter Program – Early adopter programs allow enterprise customers to get experience with Microsoft products at pre-release phases during development which can enable new capabilities which meet business needs. The insertion of ISD consultants with the customer’s project team provides an experienced individual who can be the liaison to the Microsoft Product Group to champion technical scenarios and capabilities needed in the enterprise for successful deployment.