COMBAT INFORMATION TRANSPORT SYSTEM (CITS) / INFORMATION TRANSPORT SEGMENT (ITS)

Notice Date

July 31, 2001

Contracting Office

ESC/DII-AF -- Defense Information Infrastructure-Air Force, Bldg 1612, 5 Eglin Drive, Hanscom AFB, MA 01731

ZIP Code

01731

E-Mail Address

Click Here to E-mail the POC (kent.kinal@hanscom.af.mil)

Description

COMBAT INFORMATION TRANSPORT SYSTEM (CITS) / INFORMATION TRANSPORT SEGMENT (ITS) The AF is changing its Concept of Operations for Information Transfer from a base centric approach to a network centric enterprise managed approach. This change in Concept is driven by the DoD/AF's increased reliance on information systems to meet its worldwide mission requirements. Additionally, the change to a "One Air Force, One Network" concept will provide for increased warfighting effectiveness and efficiency of operations. Simply put, it has become too costly and operationally inefficient to continue building an AF Enterprise Network consisting of piece parts from multiple manufacturers product lines. Specifically, the lack of a standard Air Force wide network infrastructure impacts cost and operational effectiveness through poor system integration, less than desired interoperability, duplication in vendor out-of-warrantee support costs, reduced vendor accountability resulting from software changes that create network problems, increased management costs to maintain numerous configurations, increased training costs/requirements, lower than desired training effectiveness because of the inherent diversity, and an inability to support deployment taskings because of diverse training requirements. The end result is reduced readiness and less than fully effective support to the Expeditionary Air Force. The Combat Information Transport System Program Management Office has competitively acquired information transport switching devices to be installed at all active duty and reserve AF bases. In addition, MAJCOMs have installed networking equipment to satisfy day-to-day customer requirements. Collectively, over the past 8-10 years, 95 percent of AF bases have an installed Cisco systems baseline. Paramount is the AF's initiative to maintain a high level of operational effectiveness through system standardization of networking components at all bases. This also contributes to the AF's goal to provide a sound approach to sustain AF networks over the near term and foster network professional proficiency as service members rotate base-to-base worldwide. In addition, this initiative ensures the AF objectives of network system life-cycle cost efficiencies are achieved. As such, The Combat Information Transport System Program Management Office is investigating the acquisition through Cisco Systems, Inc. 170 West Tansman Drive, San Jose, CA 95134, the CITS Information Transport System (ITS) products and support services for all Air Force military installations. Products and support services are defined as all ITS electronics and support/sustainment requirements for switching, routing, multiplexing, wireless, and associated software upgrades, product support, warranties, training materials, and technical/design support services. The Government anticipates directing the use of Cisco products and services on a sole source basis while continuing to implement the CITS ITS activities using the existing Prime installation contractors under VIVID, ULANA II, and other existing services contracts. The Defense Information Infrastructure-Air Force anticipates this change in approach could become effective August 2001. Comments to the acquisition methodology should be directed in writing to Kent Kinal at the address below. http://www.herbb.hanscom.af.mil (Click address to left to access ESC Business Opportunities Web Page) kent.kinal@hanscom.af.mil (Click address to left to e-mail the POC) POC Contracting Officer: Kent Kinal, 781-377-1273.

Web Link

ESC Business Opportunities Web Page (http://www.herbb.hanscom.af.mil)

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010802/SPMSC002.HTM (D-212 SN50T5J5)