Land Mobile Radio (LMR) Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD)

The US Army Product Lead Land Mobile Radio (PL LMR) is seeking information from Industry partners about providing Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) capabilities to Army installations world-wide. The PL LMR mission is to manage, acquire, and deliver non-tactical LMR systems to include CAD used for Public Safety and base operations on Army posts, camps, and stations. The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to assist PL LMR as it conducts a market research of CAD systems. This RFI provides CAD system integrators and manufacturers an opportunity to educate PL LMR on their CAD products/services and other innovations that meet or exceed the minimum PL LMR requirements as outlined below. The Army is seeking information to improve the Government's understanding of industry's capability to provide CAD. The intent of this RFI is to understand industry best practices for providing CAD. Through this process, PL LMR intends to refine its acquisition strategy, requirements and issue a solicitation. Additionally, the Army is seeking information to improve the Government's understanding of industry's capability to provide CAD as a contracted service. The intent of this RFI is to understand industry best practices for providing CAD as a contracted service and how that model can be implemented in support of Army installations world-wide. Key for the Government is to understand how to best implement an orderly transition from the current Army owned and operated world-wide CAD systems as a contracted service. Critical for this understanding, is a discussion of Government concerns over how industry will meet Government Cyber Security/Information Assurance requirements; industry concerns for maintaining communications reliability while using the Army's Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) transport network; industry's ability to provide touch-labor on Army installations world-wide for responsive maintenance, programming and troubleshooting; and industry's ability to monitor network operations, and report Information Assurance Vulnerability Management (IAVM) compliance and trouble-ticketing in accordance with Army requirements for trouble ticketing and cyber security compliance. The Government is NOT looking for Marketing Material regarding CAD products or equipment but rather information on the capability and interest of vendors in providing CAD as a contracted service. This RFI is issued solely for informational and planning purposes; it does not constitute an invitation for bids, request for proposals, or request for quotations and is not related to any request for proposal. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract, nor do they affect a potential offeror's ability to respond to any future synopsis/solicitation which may or may not follow or restrict the U.S. Government's eventual acquisition approach. Additionally, the U.S. Government will not provide reimbursement for any information that may be submitted in response to this RFI. Respondents are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. ? Respondents will not be notified of any results derived from a review of the information provided; however, information gathered may be utilized for future technical and acquisition purposes. Additional follow up market analysis meetings and discussions are anticipated to include an industry day event, which will include opportunities for one-on-one discussions with the Government. The U.S. Government will not pay for any costs associated with such discussions or meetings. Interested industry partners are requested to provide written responses to the questions below. In addition to responding to the questions below, please include in the response any intent to attend an Industry Day event in person. Questions to be addressed: Contractual Questions: 1. Point of Contact Information: a. Company Names: b. Address: c. Point of Contact: d. Phone Number: e. Fax Number (s): f. Email address: 2. Please identify your company's small business size standard based on the applicable NAICs code of 334220 and 334290. The Small Business Size Standard for these NAICS codes is 750 employees. For more information refer to http://www.sba.gov/. a. Large Business Concern b. Small Business Concern c. 8(a) d. Small disadvantaged Business (SDB) e. Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB) f. Historically underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) g. Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB) h. Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) 3. If you identify your company as a Small Business or any of the SB subcategories as stipulated in Question 2 above, is your company interested as a prime contractor for the CAD effort? 4. If you identified your company as a Small Business or any of the SB subcategories as stipulated in question 2 above, under the current SB recertification regulations do you anticipate your company will remain a small business under NIACS code 334220 and 334290 in FY19? Technical/Operations Questions: 5. Please provide a capabilities statement of your company's capabilities to provide CAD. Please include a detailed list of all features and functionalities of the system. Please include a list of all equipment required in a CAD solutions. Please include a list of all interfaces to other First Responder Communications systems to include, but not limited to, E911/NG911, Land Mobile Radio (LMR). 6. What data sources (ALERTS etc) can the CAD system interface with to provide operating picture to first responders? 7. Can current architecture support an enterprise level implementation of CAD (e.g. CAD Hardware/ Software installed, maintained, and managed at the Main System (Core) locations with only the required services pushed to the edge (posts/camps/stations).) What are the advantages/disadvantages of implementing CAD at the enterprise level? 8. How would industry implement Information Assurance (IA) requirements for the architecture providing at a minimum, the following capabilities: patching/updates, secure technical implementation guides (STIG) compliance and updating, scanning and reporting via Assured Compliance Assessment Solution (ACAS)? 9. How would industry address the various interfaces required for CAD at the Federal, State and possibly local levels while maintaining the Government Cyber Security/Information Assurance requirements. CAD as a Contracted Service Procurement Questions: 10. What cost model would industry suggest using to determine billing for CAD? Would you recommend using an "Infrastructure as a Service" model (commercially owned/ maintained - Government operated infrastructure) or an entire CAD service model? Why or why not? 11. Noting that there is significant Government investment in CAD infrastructure world-wide, is there any potential to "buy back" existing government owned LMR network infrastructure during the transition from Army owned to a leased service? How much could be reused? What determination would industry recommend to determine which existing LMR assets will be bought back? How would you recommend this be accomplished? 12. Would industry providing CAD "Infrastructure as a contracted service" be a viable model? If not, why not? 13. What types of installation touch labor support does industry recommend be required as part of CAD? What would be the best industry/Government mix? ? 14. Given that competition is a priority for the Army when seeking goods and services, what is the best method to maximize competition for CAD? How would industry suggest implementing the recommended approach? 15. The Government needs to determine how much to budget for CAD. Please provide, in your option, typical prices/rate cards of existing customers (e.g. Local and State Governments, etc.) who already purchase CAD. What is the likely range of premiums or discounts that the Army could receive as a result of either its stricter requirements or its larger size? Your response should be limited to no more than 20 pages, font size 12, Times New Roman. Any information used will be on a non-attribution basis. Restrictions that would limit the Government's ability to use the information for these purposes are of limited value to the Government and are discouraged. Proprietary information, if any, MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED. To aid the Government, please segregate proprietary information. Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned. Please send your capability statements, including responses to questions, to Mr. A. Conrad Baker, Contracting Officer at a.c.baker2.civ@mail.mil, and Ms. Kelly Herlein, Contract Specialist at kelly.herlein.civ@mail.mil by 12:00 Noon (EDT) 17 August 2018. Please email inquiries to Mr. A. Conrad Baker or Ms. Kelly Herlein. It is the responsibility of interested sources to monitor this site for the release of any follow-on information. All documentation shall become the property of the Government. Unless otherwise stated herein, no additional information is available.