SOLICITATION NOTICE
99 -- Computer Reservation Services
- Notice Date
- 7/2/2010
- Notice Type
- Justification and Approval (J&A)
- NAICS
- 518210
— Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, Contracts and Procurement, 200 West Parkway Drive - Suite 300, Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, 08234, United States
- ZIP Code
- 08234
- Archive Date
- 7/6/2010
- Point of Contact
- Marianne T Brukiewa, Phone: 609-813-3359, Melisa E Hoffman, Phone: 609-813-3373
- E-Mail Address
-
marianne.brukiewa@dhs.gov, melisa.hoffman@dhs.gov
(marianne.brukiewa@dhs.gov, melisa.hoffman@dhs.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Award Number
- HSTS07-10-D-00083
- Award Date
- 7/1/2010
- Description
- The Justification and Approval for Other than Full and Open Competition has been reviewed and approved in accordance with established TSA procedures and FAR 6.305. The Government schedules mission status travel through a Computer Reservations System (CRS). These automated systems are used to store and retrieve information and conduct transactions related to air travel. Major CRS operations that book and sell tickets for multiple airlines are known as Global Distribution Systems (GDS). The Government requires a full range of automated travel services including the ability of the GDS to internally house/store all data records for up to three years, prioritize access in times of heavy system usage, and include the ability to electronically submit a weekly reconciliation report. In addition, the contractor must provide 24 hour/7 day a week support contact for all hardware and software issues including advance notification of all scheduled system changes and/or downtime. The Government's technical requirement is for three primary segments of a solution: GDS services, GDS connection, and GDS desktop software. The Government requires a GDS that will provide the full range of services for travel services, including but not limited to: automated system capabilities, help desk and support services, electronic data storage and records management related to travel records, priority access in times of heavy system usage, direct connection or answer back capability with US flagged commercial airlines and hotels, ability to electronically submit a weekly reconciliation report, queue placing, guaranteed teletype resolution for all messaging between native system and air carriers. Additionally, the contractor's facilities and electronic systems shall adhere to Government security requirements, including all infrastructures supporting the system, which includes but is not limited to-- data, software data, and storage facilities-- shall be physically located within the United States. All network data must be encrypted using government approved ciphers. Only Sabre Incorporated can meet the Government's GDS requirement for the following reasons: Due to the enormous complexity of ensuring the multiple systems interface seamlessly both the Government's internal and external applications have been customized to interact with Sabre's GDS. Sabre Incorporated is currently the only responsible source capable of satisfying this requirement. Since the government's reservation information has been determined SSI, only sources who have infrastructure, including servers, networks, and data storage facilities, located in the United States and are administrered by U.S. citizens can meet the government's requirement.. Based on the extensive modifications and the estimated cost necessary to develop compatibility testing, without even the certainty that at that time, there would be other GDS who could meet the Government’s technical and security requirements, it has been determined that it is not in the Government's best interest to pursue this effort at this time, as it would result in substantial duplication of costs to the Government that could not be recovered through competition over time. Several types of Market Research were conducted in support of the current requirement. -Review of Historical acquisition information contained in the current contract. -Knowledge Sharing Meeting with the Program Manager and COTR to discuss current Business Practices in this industry. -Review of Internet Sources to determine commercial practices for GDS. -Search via Internet to compile a possible list of available sources that operate GDS. -Public posting of a synopsis on FedBizOpps with a statement addressing potential interested parties. This requirement was previously awarded on a Sole Source Basis to Sabre Incorporated, under the authority Acquisition Management System (AMS) Section 3.2.1.3.8, because of the customizations and level of integration required under the government’s internal and external systems. Based on the synopsis posted March 19, 2010 on FedBizOpps, at this time no additional sources have indicated an interest in meeting the Governemnt's requirement or requested additional information.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/notices/e56e045ea1f61652fb631238d94b42c7)
- Record
- SN02195449-W 20100704/100702234338-e56e045ea1f61652fb631238d94b42c7 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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