Dell Inspiron 13 Notebooks

Limited Sources Rationale Subject: Funding No. IT09101 The following paragraphs, IAW FAR Part 13.106-1(2)(b), are provided to support Brand Name limited source justification for proposed orders exceeding the micro-purchase threshold, but not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold . DeCA has a requirement to purchase Dell Inspiron 13 Notebooks (Qty 18), for use within the Agency for ease of portability and to reduce resource requirements while managing presentation documentation. The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) manages commissary operations worldwide for the Defense Department. This includes the Headquarters, region offices, and 280 commissaries worldwide. The Desktop Support Division of the DeCA HQ requests Dell hardware (computers, laptops, netbooks, servers, monitors, keyboards, mice, monitor stands, and docking stations) to provide quality technology and to maintain DeCA's configuration standardization. Currently, DeCA has 5,200+ pieces of Dell hardware (including 530+ laptops) supporting our CONUS/OCONUS commissaries & HQ facilities. DeCA has implemented a very successful desktop support and configuration management program using PC-ghosting technology. DeCA builds and maintains a comprehensive - image of each desktop platform including the operating system, every piece of COTS and custom software, as well as all of the drivers required to operate in the DeCA environment. Each individual piece of software and every driver is carefully integrated and tested within these images to ensure full compatibility and functionality. With these images, support technicians can load new workstations or reload and configure existing workstations in a matter of minutes using ghosting techniques. The ghosting process has reduced deployment and support activities to a fraction of the time required a few years ago. Workstations produced by different manufacturers require unique - images, and these unique images require huge investments of time to integrate and test our existing software and the new driver's specific to the new manufacturers. In addition, the multiple images necessary to support platforms from different manufacturers add significant complexity to our configuration management efforts and to the ongoing revision of images as software is updated. Workstations produced by Dell, even new and different models, can utilize our existing images thereby reducing the total number of images required to support the DeCA environment. Fewer images mean faster PC deployments and repairs, so DeCA saves time and money and increases the productivity of the workforce. With new Dell hardware, we can quickly update and test our standard - image with the Dell device drivers and software that are specific to the new model. This process takes approximately one to two hours. Hardware provided by a different vendor will require building, testing, and documenting a new - image from the ground up. Every piece of software and every driver will have to be integrated and tested individually and collectively to ensure compatibility. In addition, this process requires driver research, technician training, and documentation changes that can significantly affect our deployment schedules for new equipment. For comparison purposes, we invested approximately 120 man-hours at approximately $60/hr during the initial creation of each of our existing images. Building new images could delay our deployment schedules by 60 to 90 days waiting for review and approval of these new images. During this time, the new equipment must sit in the warehouse while the manufacturer's warranty period has already started. Dell and their re-sellers have proven reliable in their ability to fulfill and deliver DeCA orders, no matter how big, within 30 days of the contract award. Dell and their re-sellers have proven they are capable of continuing this effort without a substantial negative impact to the DeCA mission, thus providing the Agency and its worldwide commissaries the hardware they need to support the military and their families. Based on the justification provided by DeCA, a determination has been made to solicit brand name from authorized resellers the above described requirement.