J -- Maintenance of Integrated Satellite System

The Social Security Administration (SSA) intends to negotiate with Electronic Data Systems 13600 EDS Drive Herndon, Virginia 20171, on a sole-source basis for continued maintenance of their Interactive Video Tele-training (IVT) Satellite System ? IVT Satellite Integrator, which is a portion of the entire IVT network. The IVT network currently delivers Social Security Administration (SSA) training material to a majority of Headquarters, field office (FO), Office of Disability Adjudication Review (ODAR) and Disability and Determination Services (DDS) employees nationwide. The IVT Network was developed to provide an economical training delivery system to support our customer. The customer, in this case is the IVT downlink sites or FO, the IVT studio personnel and the Office of Training. The FO IVT system consists of satellite receivers, a viewer response system, video cassette recorder (VCR) and a big screen television. The FO participant receives the IVT broadcast from the satellite receiver and views this on their big screen television. The FO participant can respond to the instructor through the viewer response system. This technology enables instructor / student based communication to occur ? resulting in two-way communication. The IVT Network is comprised of two systems: ? The IVT Satellite System o Satellite Transponder Air-Time (STAT) o IVT Satellite Integrator (ISI) ? Satellite Uplink System ? Satellite Downlink System ? Satellite System Re-pointing ? IVT Satellite On Site Technical Personnel/Helpdesk ? VCCC Project Management ? Portable Satellite Maintenance ? Optional ? Purchase of New Equipment ? SSA and other United States Government Agencies ? The IVT Classroom System o Viewer Response System (One Touch) o Video Cassette Recorder o Big Screen Television o IVT Classroom Network Management The IVT Satellite Integrator is summarized below: Satellite Uplink System The satellite uplink system is currently located at the National Computer Center (NCC) in Baltimore, MD. The state of the art digital uplink facility is the collective source of 7 IVT studios. SSA has 7 fully equipped studios and 1 partially equipped studio. There are 3 broadcast studios in Baltimore, MD, 1 studio in ? Kansas City, MO; Atlanta, GA; Dallas, TX and Seattle, WA; and the partially equipped studio in New York, New York. Once the studio signals are received in the Visual Communication Control Center (VCCC), the signals are then digitized, combined, scrambled, encrypted, compressed and transmitted to the satellite uplink antenna and then dispersed to the IVT classroom downlinks. Satellite Downlink System The satellite downlink system is installed in the majority of Headquarters, FO, ODAR and DDS sites. The standard satellite downlink system consists of a (1) 1.2M or 2.4M Prodelin satellite dish, (1) Low Noise Block down converter (LNB), (1) Dual feedhorn, (1) non-penetrating roof mount, cable and Integrated Receiver Descrambler (IRD). Most offices, except for ODAR offices, are installed with two IRD?s. The ODAR office typically has only one IRD. Currently, SSA has approximately 1640 FO?s installed with the IVT system. SSA anticipates the award of a firm fixed-price purchase order for the period February 1, 2008 through March 31, 2008. The Government will consider all responses to this notice, but a determination by the Government to conduct a sole source acquisition remains at the discretion of the Government. The Government will not pay for any information submitted. Interested sources that believe they have the ability to perform the services required should submit a detailed statement of their capabilities in writing to Leslie Hyman, Contract Specialist, via email at Leslie.Hyman@ssa.gov. Responses must be received by 2:00 p.m. EST on January 28,2008. If no viable responses are received by January 28, 2008, the Government will issue a Purchase Order to Electronic Data Systems.