70 -- IBM PLUG-COMPATIBLE COMPUTER MAINFRAME

Notice Date

October 31, 2001

Contracting Office

Social Security Administration, Deputy Commissioner for Finance, Assessment and Management, Office of Acquisition and Grants, 1710 Gwynn Oak Avenue, Baltimore, MD, 21207-5279

ZIP Code

21207-5279

Description

Notice of Intent. The Social Security Administration intends to negotiate on a sole source basis wih IBM Corporation to acquire mainframe hardware required to meet the SSA's capacity replacement needs. The SSA will pursue acquiring Complementary Metal Oxide Silicon (CMOS) processors with sufficient processing capacity to begin a phased replacement of the six Hitachi Skyline processors in the data center. Additionally, the processors must be capable of operating in 31-bit mode and 64-bit mode, and capable of running OS/390 and z/OS operating systems. The processor must support z/Architecture, as the Agency's operating system will be z/OS. The z/OS operating system can only run in 64-bit real support mode on a processor that supports z/Architecture. The 64-bit real support is essential at SSA to improve operating system and application performance by eliminating page movement between central and expanded storage and increasing the 31-bit real storage size restriction. Running z/OS in 64-bit mode, which is only possible on a z/Architecture processor, is essential to SSA's future VSAM and DB2 application growth and performance. IBM Corporation is the only source known with a product capable of meeting these requirements. Any firm that feels they can provide an equivalent product must respond, in writing, within 10 days of this notice. Responses must be specific as to the alternate product proposed and must include detailed specifications to support claims of equivalency to the IBM processors. Acknowledgement of responses received will not be provided. If no acceptable responses are received, SSA shall issue a delivery order against IBM's GSA schedule contract. Responses to this notice should be submitteed in duplicate by 11-13-01 and should refer to IBM Mainframe. Requests for copies of a solicitation will not be honored or acknowledged. Faxed responses are not permitted. Questions concerning this announcement may be submitted via email ONLY.

Web Link

Visit this URL for the latest information about this (http://www.eps.gov/spg/SSA/DCFIAM/OAG/LLP111301/listing.html)

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20011102/SPMSC003.HTM (D-304 SN5119F8)