D -- HP 9000/N4000 maintenance

The Social Security Administration is seeking sources to provide a One (1) year maintenance agreement for hardware and software for Government-owned Hewlett Packard Company (HP), HP9000/N4000 Enterprise servers; HP RP7410 Enterprise Servers; HP RP7400 Enterprise Servers; and the licenses to use and update software. The current HP systems are located at the National Computer Center in Woodlawn, MD and at the six Remote Operations Control Centers (Jamaica, NY; Philadelphia, PA; Chicago, IL; Birmingham, AL; Kansas City, MO; and Richmond, CA.) SSA intends to add more equipment and software to the maintenance agreement during the maintenance period. The North America Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 811212. REQUIREMENTS/ SPECIFICATIONS: The Contractor must have the ability to: 1) license HP-UX and associated HP applications such as MC/Service Guard for patch support, telephone support/help desk, diagnostics and maintenance, 24 x 7 x 365. 2) provide SSA technicians with direct 24 x 7 x 365 access to the HP hotline and the website, with the use of the current system handles; no new system handles will be accepted. The Contractor must provide SSA with: 1) a customer number that allows SSA to call HP's technical support and/or access the HP website 24 hours per day 7 days a week to download patches, software fixes and new releases, with the use of the current system handles; no new system handles will be accepted. 2) at least two Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) certified employees to support each of SSA's seven sites. At least one of the OEM certified technicians must be available 24 x 7 x 365. 3) on-call (and when needed on-site) maintenance service with a response time of no more than 4-hours, starting from the time of the first call, during the Principal Period of Maintenance (PPM) which is 24 hours per day/7 days a week/365 days a year. 4) a HP designated point of contact in order to enable SSA to make arrangements regarding remedial maintenance. SSA must be capable of contacting the designated point of contact immediately upon detection of a failure. Therefore, the contractor's designated point of contact must be capable of receiving notification from SSA of the need for remedial maintenance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. 5) Technicians with CD's for the newest operating systems as well as support for past versions of the HP-UX 11.x version of the operations system. The Contractor must also be able to provide SSA technicians with CD's for all upgrades of current applications that are supported by SSA, as well as support patch bundles. 6) Contractor personnel may be required to be onsite for periodic equipment power-down and power-up of systems, and subsequent testing of systems to ensure operational performance. 7) Contractor employee(s) performing on-site at SSA facilities must meet the Agency's security clearance. They must complete some or all the listed security forms: FD-258, Fingerprint Charts; GSA-176, Statement of Personal History; Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment; Fair Credit Reporting Act authorization form; and a legible photocopy of the work authorization permit and social security card for a NON-US citizen. RESPONSE DATE: Interested firms currently performing these services are invited to submit information in sufficient detail to the contract specialist. Firms should include corporate experience and three (3) references of customers receiving service on similar equipment; technical literature; OEM certification; and a copy of your GSA schedule. Cost or pricing data may be submitted. This is not a request for proposals (RFP) and the Government will not pay for information submitted. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation of the data received. No contract award will be made on the basis of responses received; however, this information will be used in SSA's assessment of capable sources. Responses to this notice should be submitted within 15 days of this publication. Responses should be sent via email to Kathleen.Cooney@ssa.gov or by mail to: Social Security Administration, Office of Acquisition and Grants, Attn: Katie Cooney, 6401 Security Blvd, G-C-7 EHR, Baltimore, Maryland, 21235. Requests for copies of a solicitation will not be honored or acknowledged.