March 17, 2008

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

DISASTER RECOVERY SERVICES

RFP #08-651-005

Due Date:April 8, 2008

1:00 P.M. local time

Room #265

Bid Opening:April 8, 2008

1:15 P.M. local time

Room 250-B

Vendors may attend, however, no award will be made at this time.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

IInstruction to Vendors

  1. Scope
  2. Proposal Process
  3. Evaluation of Proposals and Awards

IISpecifications

  1. General
  2. DISASTER RECOVERY SERVICES SPECIFICATIONS
  3. Financing
  4. Indemnity, Release, Insurance and Security
  5. Default and Termination
  6. Taxes
  7. Integration

IIIAttachments

Attachment #1: Signature Page

Attachment #2: Bid Proposal

Attachment #3: Vendor Statement of Qualifications

Attachment #4: Ethical Standards Affidavit(must be notarized)

Attachment #5: Conflict of Interest Affidavit (must be notarized)

This document (Attachment #5) is required by the laws of the

State of Michigan and must be properly executed.

Attachment #6: Certificate of Insurance Form

I. INSTRUCTION TO VENDORS

A. Scope

The Wayne County Regional Educational Service Agency (RESA) is requesting proposals, on behalf of the Administrative TechnologiesDepartment, for aDISASTER RECOVERY SERVICES.

Electronic forms of all bid documents are available online at:

If you experience problems in downloading the documents, contact, Thomas Rowe of the Wayne RESA Purchasing Office. The phone number is 734-334-1431. The e-mail address is .

Introduction and Background

The Wayne County Regional Educational Service Agency (RESA), established by the Michigan Legislature in 1960, is the largest of 57 such agencies throughout the state. It is governed by a publicly elected Board of Education. RESA provides a wide variety of services to 34 public school districts in Wayne County, Michigan; serving over 350,000 students. RESA through various consortium arrangements provide a variety of services to other educational agencies through out the state of Michigan.

These consortium arrangements have Wayne RESA function as an Application Service Provider (ASP) to our client school districts. A variety of data processing applications are delivered including student records, financial reporting, payroll, and transportation routing, all of which require substantial plans for backup in the event of a disaster.

It is anticipated that this bid will be awarded at the May 21, 2008 WayneRESASchool Board meeting.

B. Proposal Process

  1. Proposal must be prepared in compliance with provisions of this RFP. Failure to comply with all provisions of this RFP may result in disqualification of the proposal.
  1. Sealed proposals must be received by mail or delivery,no later than 1:00 P.M.,local time on April 8, 2008. Bid Proposal Package must include the following:

 Signature Page (Attachment #1), use as cover page.

 Bid Proposal (Attachment #2), one (1) signed original and two (2) copies

 Statement of Qualifications (Attachment #3)

Ethical Standards Affidavit (Attachment #4)must be notarized

 Conflict of Interest Affidavit (Attachment #5) must be notarized

This document (Attachment #5) is required by the laws of the State of

Michigan and must be properly executed.

 Certificate of Insurance Page (Attachment #6)

Any proposal received after the time stipulated will not be considered, but will be recorded, filed and shall remain sealed/unopened. Proposals received by facsimile transmissions or electronic mail will not be considered valid unless also received by mail or delivery by the deadline.

  1. When submitting a bid proposal, use the forms provided in the bid packet. Electronic versions may be found on the Wayne RESA web page at: Should this form not be adequate to present your proposal, you may construct one of your own. It is requested that any such forms be straight forward and no more elaborate than necessary.
  1. ALL submitted documents must be typed or computer generated. No hand written documents will be allowed. This includes, but is not limited to, Attachment #1, Attachment #2, Attachment #3, Attachment #4, Attachment #5, and Attachment #6.
  1. Bid only the items as specified. No alternates will be accepted unless one or more, if applicable, of the following applies:

 Item has been discontinued.

 Item is about to be discontinued.

 Item available in limited quantityand will not be sufficient to cover orders for

theentire bid period.

Changes in the law, rules, regulations or other legal mandate that disallow the

use of a specified product.

  1. Address Proposals to:Thomas E. Rowe

WayneCountyRESA

Purchasing Department; Proposal #08-651-005

33500 Van Born Road

P.O. Box 807

Wayne, MI 48184-2497

  1. Proposals will be opened publicly in a manner to avoid public disclosure of contents; however, names of the Vendors and the bid amount will be read aloud.
  1. Before submitting a proposal, each Vendor shall make all investigations and examinations necessary to ascertain conditions, requirements and obstacles, if any exist, affecting the operation of the proposed services. Failure to make such investigations and examinations shall not relieve the successful Vendor from the obligation to comply, in every detail, with all provisions and requirements of the RFP nor shall it be a basis for any claim whatsoever for alteration in any term or payment required by the Agreement.
  1. Inquiries regarding the technical specifications of this RFP may be directed to:

WAYNE CURNETTORKATHY JONES

Systems & Technical SupportDirector, Computer Services

734-334-1592734-334-1630

Email:

Requests for information relating to procedural issues should be directed to:

Thomas Rowe

Purchasing Consultant

734-334-1431

email:

  1. If a Vendor discovers any ambiguity, conflict, discrepancy, omission or other error in the RFP, they shall immediately notify RESA of such error in writing and request modification or clarification of the document. Modifications will be made by issuing a revision and will be given by written notice to all parties who have received this RFP from RESA’s Purchasing Department. The Vendor is responsible for clarifying any ambiguity, conflict, discrepancy, omission or other error in the RFP prior to submitting the proposal or it shall be deemed waived.
  1. Products and services which are not specifically requested in this RFP, but which are necessary to provide the functional capabilities proposed by the Vendor, shall be included in the proposal.
  1. No allowance will be made after proposals are received for oversight, omission, error or mistake by Vendor.
  1. All proposals and any accompanying documents become the property of RESA and will not be returned.

14.RESA will not be liable in any way for any costs incurred by Vendors in the preparation of their proposals in response to this RFP nor for the presentation of their proposals and/or participation in any discussions or negotiations.

15.RESA reserves the right to withdraw this RFP at any time and for any reason and to issue such clarifications, modifications, and/or amendments as it may deem appropriate.

16.Receipt of proposal materials by RESA or submission of a proposal to RESA offers no rights against RESA nor obligates RESA in any manner.

17.RESA reserves the right to waive minor irregularities in proposals. Any such waiver shall not modify any remaining RFP requirements or excuse the Vendor from full compliance with the RFP specifications and other contract requirements if the Vendor is awarded the contract.

18.Proposal must be signed by an officer of the Vendor who is legally authorized to obligate the Vendor to a contract.

19.All proposals shall be a matter of public record subject to the provisions of Michigan law.

C. Evaluation of Proposals and Award

  1. RESA, at its sole discretion, shall determine whether particular Vendors have the basic qualifications to conduct the desired service for RESA. In determining whether a Vendor possess the basic qualifications to operate, RESA may consider the following: (a) Vendor’s general reputation for performance and service; (b) Vendor's longevity of service (number of years) and previous experience in operation of public assembly facilities; (c) Years of continuous business; (d) Vendor’s financial condition.
  1. Proposals will first be examined to eliminate those that are clearly non-responsive to stated requirements.
  1. Award shall be made to the most responsible Vendor whose proposal is determined to be the most advantageous to RESA taking into consideration the terms and conditions set forth in this RFP. A valid and enforceable contract exists when an agreement is fully executed between RESA and the Vendor.
  1. Any response that takes exception to any mandatory items in this RFP may be rejected and not considered.
  1. RESA reserves the right to accept or reject in part or in whole any or all proposals submitted.
  1. RESA reserves the right to request in writing clarifications or corrections to proposals. Clarifications or corrections shall not alter the Vendor’s price contained in the cost proposal.
  1. RESA reserves the right to negotiate further with the successful vendor. The content of the RFP and the successful Vendor’s proposal(s) will become an integral part of the contract, but may be modified by the provisions of the contract.
  1. By submission of proposals pursuant to this RFP, Vendors acknowledge that they are amenable to the inclusion in a contract of any information provided either in response to this RFP or subsequently during the selection process.
  1. A proposal in response to an RFP is an offer to contract with RESA based upon the terms, conditions, and scope of work and specifications contained in the RFP.
  1. All Vendors, by submitting proposals, agree that they have read and are familiar with all the terms and conditions of the RFP and will abide by the terms and conditions thereof.
  1. RESA has the right to use, as RESA determined to be appropriate and necessary, any information, documents, and anything else developed pursuant to the RFP, the proposal and the contract.
  1. Vendors must submit proposals that are complete, thorough and accurate. Brochures and other similar material may be attached to the proposal.
  1. All proposals must be valid for 90 days from the proposal submission date.
  1. Proposals received after the specified date and time for proposal submission shall not be accepted and will be returned unopened.

  1. SPECIFICATIONS

A.General

Specifications are intended to define the level of quality and performance of the requested equipment/service and not to be restrictive. All variations from the specified items shall be fully explained and included with the bid. Manufacturer names and manufacturer product numbers shall be used in all cases. All prices quoted shall be on a unit basis. The determination of the Bid Evaluation Committee as to what alternates are equal shall be final and conclusive.

Each bid shall include:

 Attachments 1 through 6, properly completed

 State the time necessary to complete the project

 Model and feature numbers of equipment quoted

 A plan for installation

 Used equipment, if applicable, must be stated as certified and meet original

manufacturer specifications.

 Shipping is to be invoiced separately

B.DISASTER RECOVERY SERVICES – Background, Description, and Specifications

A. Executive Summary

Please provide a concise summary of the services Bidder is offering and the advantages Bidder brings to Wayne RESA.

B. Vendor Profile

  1. History – how many years has Bidder been providing disaster recovery services?
  1. Provide a brief company overview of Bidder, including the products and services offered.
  1. What is Bidder’s approach to Customer Service?
  1. What is Bidder’s mission statement?
  1. How many full-time employees does Bidder have dedicated to disaster recovery support?
  1. Provide Bidder’s prior 12 months’ investment, and planned technical investments.
  1. Describe Bidder’s ownership (public company, subsidiary, etc.)

C. Customer Base and Corporate Experience

  1. At present, how many subscribers does Bidder currently support?
  1. How many customer declarations has Bidder supported?
  1. How many non-customer declarations?
  1. How many customer recovery tests has Bidder supported?
  1. Has Bidder ever closed a facility, and if so, why?
  1. Is any facility used for other than recovery purposes?

D. Sharing of Recovery Facility

  1. What is Bidder's policy on handling the recovery of multiple subscribers when the parties concerned are contracted for the same recovery hardware (i.e., CPU sharing)?
  1. Does Bidder allow sharing by more than one subscriber at the same recovery facility? If yes, provide an overview of the logistics for this process.
  1. What is Bidder’s policy on shared peripherals?
  1. How does Bidder limit the number of subscribers per facility?

E. Multiple/Regional Disaster Support

  1. What is Bidder’s policy on regional disasters or multiple, simultaneous disasters when more than one subscriber invokes a disaster declaration?
  1. How does Bidder assign priority of access to your customers?
  1. Can Bidder provide access to additional hardware at time of disaster?
  1. How does Bidder prevent frivolous declarations?

Disaster Avoidance

a)What is Bidder’s disaster avoidance methodology?

b)Provide examples of Bidder’s pro-active policies to avert disasters.

c)What happens if a disaster strikes Wayne RESA’s assigned recovery facility?

F. Testing Methodology and Support

  1. Provide a summary of Bidder’s testing methodology and standard support provided during tests.
  1. What type of support does Bidder provide before, during and after a test? What type of fee is associated with this support?
  1. Does Bidder provide “turnkey services”?
  1. Does Bidder support remote testing?
  1. What additional fees will subscriber incur during testing or disaster recovery (i.e. telephone expense, etc.)?
  1. What is Bidder’s test scheduling and cancellation policy?

G. Advanced Recovery Capabilities

  1. If Wayne RESA were interested in pursuing Advanced Recovery Solutions to achieve shortened Recovery Time / Point Objectives, what types of offerings does Bidder offer? Explain the intent and use of each offering in your response.
  1. Assuming Wayne RESA were to implement an Advanced Recovery Solution with Bidder, how would Bidder manage that Advanced Recovery environment?

a)Network

b)Customer Premise equipment

c)Storage

  1. What tools are available from Bidder that would allow Wayne RESA to monitor the Advanced Recovery environment?

a)Reports

b)Web interface

  1. What are the types of operational activities that Bidder would perform on behalf of Wayne RESA in support of an Advanced Recovery environment?

a)Solution Design

b)Purchase of equipment

c)Setup and implementation of the environment

d)Facilitation of testing

e)Project Management

H. References

Each bidder must provide three (3) references of customers currently under subscription for a disaster recovery configuration.

I. Financial Data

  1. This section should contain information describing the current financial condition of Bidder’s company. Include Bidder's latest annual report.
  1. Has Bidder experienced downsizing/layoffs? If yes, please explain.

J. Staff and Services

  1. Indicate the number of support staff personnel (and their position) at Bidder’s recovery site during testing and actual disaster recovery.
  1. Describe the end-user support area available with a hot site subscription for our personnel. Is this area shared with other customers?
  1. What support services are contractually guaranteed at time of disaster?
  1. Indicate the experience of your support staff. Provide examples of successful recoveries.
  1. Does Bidder offer consulting services?
  1. What services are provided as part of the standard contract, and what services are available for an additional fee?
  1. How will Bidder keep subscriber informed of new products/services?

K. Recovery Configuration

Bidder shall provide a detailed list of the hardware, peripherals and telecommunications equipment that you are proposing to match our recovery configuration requirements.

If a specific requirement cannot be met, Bidder shall explain why and if applicable, offer an alternative solution. Bidder shall also provide detail regarding optional services available.

This section of the proposal shall not contain any cost data. All cost data shall be included under the Section called “Proposed Pricing”.

L. PROPOSED PRICING

Bidder shall provide pricing for 1, 3 and 5 year terms for the proposed recovery configuration in format indicated below. Bidder shall break pricing out by equipment. Bidder shall provide pricing information for add-on and deletion of equipment during the contract as Wayne RESA’s configuration changes. Bidder shall also include pricing for all optional services proposed. Pricing shall include the monthly subscription fee, disaster declaration fee, daily usage fees and any other associated fees (including one-time fees).

M. Vendor Policies

Pre-emptive Access Rights

  1. Provide Bidder’s policy for preventing Wayne RESA’s right of access to the primary recovery configuration to be pre-empted by another subscriber.
  1. Is Bidder currently engaged in a contract that allows a customer to have greater access rights than Wayne RESA?
  1. Can Wayne RESA increase its access rights? If so, what is the procedure?

Subscriber Risk Limitations

  1. How does Bidder agree to limit the risk of simultaneous declarations from multiple subscribers of the same configuration size as Wayne RESA?
  1. Will Bidder allow a non-subscriber access to the recovery center?
  1. Has Bidder ever failed to meet their commitments to a subscriber at time of disaster?

Disaster Alert and Declaration

  1. Define Bidder’s disaster alert and declaration procedure.
  1. Describe the support Bidder provides at time of disaster.
  1. Does Bidder require a fee be paid when placing a disaster declaration or alert? If yes, please provide the associated fees.
  1. Does Bidder require subscribers to place a disaster declaration in order to "reserve" a recovery facility?
  1. How does Bidder assign a recovery facility when a subscriber places a disaster declaration?

Terms and Conditions

  1. Provide Bidder’s provisions for upgrading Wayne RESA’s recovery configuration during the term of the contract.
  1. Does Bidder’s contract contain an automatic renewal provision?
  1. Describe Bidder’s provisions for termination of the contract and any penalties for early termination.
  1. Describe Bidder’s internal quality control process. Does Bidder undergo annual audits?
  1. Can Wayne RESA or an independent, third party audit the Bidder?
  1. Liability – what is our recourse if Bidder fails to meet our requirements at time of disaster?

N. Recovery Facility Specifications

Locations

  1. Provide a list of all Bidders’ hot site recovery facility location(s). Indicate the sites that would be available and recommended for Wayne RESA.
  1. Provide a list of Bidder’s work area recovery facilities.
  1. Does Bidder offer local facilities with remote access?
  1. Does Bidder offer any mobile recovery facilities?
  1. What if Wayne RESA preferred a different site then original proposed by the bidder? Explain situation or procedure for resolution.

Telecommunications