SPECIAL NOTICE
R -- SOLE-SOURCE Special Notice Concerning Support Work To Be Provided by IBM for DOT's Surface Transportation Board
- Notice Date
- 8/7/2013
- Notice Type
- Special Notice
- NAICS
- 541519
— Other Computer Related Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Transportation, Office of the Secretary of Tranportation (OST) Procurement Operations, OST Acquisition Services Division, 1200 New Jersey Ave, Washington, District of Columbia, 20590
- ZIP Code
- 20590
- Solicitation Number
- DTOS59-13-R-00323
- Archive Date
- 3/28/2014
- Point of Contact
- James H Mowery III, Phone: 202-366-4959
- E-Mail Address
-
james.mowery@dot.gov
(james.mowery@dot.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- On a SOLE-SOURCE basis, the Surface Transportation Board (STB or Board), Office of the Managing Director and the US Department of Transportation (USDOT), plan to acquire, from IBM Corporation (IBM), a wide range of IBM-specific information technology products and services to better manage the legacy IBM-product based case management system and information technology (IT) network that is critical and mission essential to the daily operations of the STB, and the technical advice and necessary support for transition to the new SQL-server based case management system, website application, and upgraded network. Currently, the Board's entire IT system is based on legacy IBM products acquired approximately 10-12 years ago, which are currently out of date and not offered for sale to the public. The STB is currently in the process of designing an entirely new SQL-server based case management system, website application, and network upgrade. During these projects, the Board has had to consult directly with IBM multiple times in order to obtain the very high level of technical assistance needed to progress on these extremely complicated IT projects, as there are no other IT professionals available to consult on adapting and transitioning from the extremely out-of-date IBM products currently in use at the Board, to a current IT system and network, due to the age of the products comprising the Board's IT system. The Board interviewed several vendors between September 2012 and December 2012, and found no IT professionals able to demonstrate the level of programming skills and technical experience needed to manage the legacy IBM products currently in use by the Board, which led the Board to consult directly with IBM in order to obtain the necessary technical advice. Working directly with the uniquely qualified experts at IBM will allow the Board to efficiently manage its legacy IT system, and also seamlessly implement and transition to the new SQL-server based case management system, website application, and upgraded network. Additionally, the programming and technical experts at IBM will give the Board the flexibility to adapt to future requirements or changes to the current mission-essential IT projects, which the Board has not been able to do up to this point, due to the lack of sufficient knowledge and experience among other IT consultants the Board has previously worked with or interviewed. IBM has significant experience working with the Federal government, and has prior USDOT and STB-specific IT and business process management experience as well. Under the circumstances, and based on the STB's technical project experience and extensive vendor interviews over the past several months, the Board believes that IBM is the only entity capable of providing the in-depth technical assistance and advice on the legacy IBM products in use at the STB and the necessary support for transition to the new SQL-server based case management system, website application, and upgraded network. IBM is uniquely qualified to provide the necessary products and services to the STB for two important reasons. First, as stated above, the Board's entire IT system is based on legacy IBM products acquired approximately 10-12 years ago, which are currently out of date and not offered for sale to the public. All vendors who have worked with, or been interviewed by, the Board lack IBM's unique familiarity and in-depth technical knowledge of the legacy IBM products currently in use at the Board, which are required to efficiently manage day-to-day operations. As IBM developed these legacy products, IBM is currently the only IT vendor with the high experience level and in-depth technical knowledge that is able to assist and advise the Board on efficient management of its legacy IBM product-based IT system and network. Second, the STB is currently in the process of designing an entirely new SQL-server based case management system, website application, and network upgrade. During these projects, the Board has had to consult directly with IBM multiple times in order to obtain the very high level of technical assistance needed to progress on these extremely complicated IT projects, as there are no other IT professionals available to consult on adapting and transitioning from the extremely out-of-date IBM products currently in use at the Board, to a current IT system and network, due to the age of the products comprising the Board's IT system. Working directly with the uniquely qualified experts at IBM will allow the Board to efficiently manage its legacy IT system, and also seamlessly implement and transition to the new SQL-server based case management system, website application, and upgraded network. The STB and USDOT believe that the Board's intended awardee, IBM Corporation, is the only entity capable of (a) accurately advising the Board on management of the legacy IBM-product based case management system and information technology (IT) network that is critical and mission essential to the daily operations of the STB and (b) providing the technical advice and necessary support for transition to the new SQL-server based case management system, website application, and upgraded network. Nevertheless, any organization which believes that it can provide a wide range of IBM-specific information technology products and services to better manage the legacy IBM-product based case management system and information technology (IT) network that is critical and mission essential to the daily operations of the STB, and the technical advice and necessary support for transition to the new SQL-server based case management system, website application, and upgraded network, so as to perform all of the functions described above, at the high level of quality and on the time schedule required by the STB and USDOT, may, not later than 11:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time August 18 th, 2013, e-mail, to james.mowery@dot.gov and to Sumithra.Rajashekara@stb.dot.gov, a Statement of Qualifications attempting to prove the submitter's capabilities.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/DOT/TASC/TASCASD/DTOS59-13-R-00323/listing.html)
- Record
- SN03140265-W 20130809/130807235540-73836c2e6c52935e1cf21e30739d9e6b (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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