Unify maintenance, services and equipment

This is a Sources Sought Notice ONLY. Requests for copies of a solicitation will not receive a response. This Notice is for planning purposes only and shall not be misunderstood as a Request for Proposal or Request for Quote or as an obligation on the part of the National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) for conducting a follow-on-acquisition. NIST does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this Notice, or otherwise pay for the information requested. No entitlement or payment of direct or indirect costs or charges by NIST will arise as a result of submission of responses to this Notice and NIST use of such information. NIST recognizes that proprietary data may be part of this effort. If so, respondents are responsible for identifying proprietary components, interfaces and equipment, and clearly marking restricted or proprietary data and presenting it as an addendum to the non-restricted / non-proprietary information. In the absence of such identification, NIST will assume to have unlimited rights to all technical data in the information paper. NO SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS EXIST AT THIS TIME. Section I: Sources Sought Information: 1. Synopsis: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) seeks contractor support services for maintenance, on-site tech support, moves/adds/changes (MAC), and telecommunications system enhancements for new and existing Unify brand name telephone equipment. In addition, the contract will allow the procurement of Unify brand name telephones (refurbished), and ancillary equipment. Vendors responding to this sources sought notice should demonstrate capabilities to provide the services requested. After results of this market research are obtained and analyzed and specifications are developed for NIST's minimum requirements, NIST may conduct a competitive procurement and subsequently award a Contract. 2. Background: The existing telephone system at NIST was manufactured exclusively by Unify, the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). The required software releases (upgrades) can only be obtained directly from Unify or authorized resellers of Unify as they are restricted/proprietary. Unify maintains all records of the NIST Telephone System and licenses and possesses knowledge that is critical to ensure seamless operation and minimal down time. If updates are not available or accessible, NIST will not be able to keep up with system improvements, security requirements, and could jeopardize the functionality of the telephone system leading to catastrophic failures. In addition, to ensure that there is no compromise to performance, operation, or maintenance of the telephone system, it is critical that all telephones and ancillary equipment be Unify tested and Unify Certified. System cards must be the latest version of firmware for chipsets on cards. Telephones must be refurbished with Unify Repair Kits and new components 3. Statement of Requirements: NIST's requirements are detailed in the attached draft Statement of Work (SOW). NIST seeks to obtain specific information in writing from vendors on their current capabilities to provide all of the attached requirements. 4. Information Sought - In your response to the sources sought notice, please address your expertise/experience in the items listed in the SOW, including services for maintenance, on-site tech support, moves/adds/changes (MAC), and telecommunications system enhancements for new and existing Unify brand name telephone equipment, and the ability to provide Unify brand name telephones (refurbished), and ancillary equipment. NIST is seeking responses from all responsible sources, including large, foreign, and small businesses. Small businesses are defined under the associated NAICS code for this effort, 811213, as those domestic sources having average annual gross receipts that do not exceed $11 Million for the past three years. Please include your company's size classification in any response to this notice. Companies that can provide such services are requested to email a detailed written response (see Section II - Responses defined below) describing their abilities to contact@example.gov and contact@example.gov no later than the response date for this sources sought notice. The report should include achievable specifications and any other information relevant to your product or capabilities. Also, the following information is requested to be provided as part of the response to this sources sought notice: 1. Name of the company(ies) that are experienced in providing the described services, their addresses, and a point of contact for the company (name, phone number, fax number and email address), and DUNS number. 2. Indication of whether the services are currently on one or more GSA Federal Supply Schedule contracts and, if so, the GSA FSS contract number(s). 3. Any other relevant information that is not listed above which the Government should consider in developing its minimum specifications and finalizing its market research. Section II: Responses: Each vendor should submit written responses within the following framework: 1. Vendor profile/background information (Include DUNS Number) a) Company Background 1. Date Incorporated, Size, Core Competencies 2. Litigations (pending or active) 2. Key Arrangements/Strategies/Prior Experience (Elaborate on each) a) Teaming Arrangements/Agreements (sub-contractor agreements to be utilized for a possible future NIST RFP submission) b) Address capability to provide each of the items listed in SOW Responses are limited to a total of fifteen (15) pages. The responses must be in MS WORD. Please send via email to contact@example.gov and contact@example.gov.