fairfield county commissioners - ottawa county notices/rfp ip-pbx - ottaw… · web viewottawa...

OTTAWA COUNTY COMMISSIONERSPort Clinton, OH 43452

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)for

MULTI-SITE TELEPHONY SYSTEM

GENERAL STATEMENT

Purpose

The Ottawa County Commissioners are requesting Proposals to provide major enhancements to the telecommunications system(s) and networking for Ottawa County, 315 Madison Street, Port Clinton, Ohio 43452. Ottawa County plans to implement a new VoIP-capable telephony system, including voice mail, centralized network management, unified communications, security enhancements, call accounting, and other applications at specified sites in 2015.

Key Dates

The following are the key dates associated with the RFP process. Proposals received after 1:00 P.M. on Tuesday, December 1, 2015 will not be considered. A complete list of dates appears in Paragraph 1.3, Calendar of Events.

RFP PUBLICATION DATE: Monday, October 26, 2015.RFP ADVERTISING PERIOD: Thursday, October 29, 2015 (One Week).INQUIRY PERIOD BEGINS: Friday, October 30, 2015, 9:00 A.M.PRE-PROPOSAL MEETING:** Friday, November 6, 2015, 1:00 P.M.WALK-THROUGH DATES: Thursday, November 12, 2015 (by Appointment).

Friday, November 13, 2015 (by Appointment).INQUIRY PERIOD ENDS: Wednesday, November 25, 2015, 4:00 P.M.RFP DUE DATE: Tuesday, December 1, 2015, 1:00 P.M.

** Mandatory

Structure

This RFP consists of (9) sections of (46) pages, and (9) attachments totaling (14) pages. A three (3) page table of contents is also included. The RFP package will also include the Prevailing Wage document and all documents are available on the County’s website under the legal notices tab. The website is www.co.ottawa.oh.us. The person(s) receiving or accessing both documents (RFP and Prevailing Wage) is responsible for ensuring that all pages are received. A detailed list of parts and attachments is listed in the Table of Contents at the beginning of this RFP.

http://www.co.ottawa.oh.us/

SECTION ONE - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1.0Purpose

This document is a Request for Competitive Sealed Proposals (RFP) under Section 125.071 of the Ohio Revised Code and Section 123:5-1-08 of the Ohio Administrative Code. The Ottawa County Commissioners are soliciting competitive, sealed Proposals for the design and implementation of a state-of-the-art telecommunications system, peripherals, and networking for all defined County locations and operations. If a suitable offer is made in response to this RFP, the Ottawa County Commissioners may enter into a Contract to have the selected Offeror (the Distributor / Manufacturer / Offeror) perform all aspects of the Project. This RFP provides details on what is required to submit a Proposal for the Work, how the County will evaluate the Proposals, and what will be required of the Offeror in performing the Work.

This RFP also gives the estimated key dates for the various events that are part of the submis -sion process, selection process, and work commencement. While these dates are subject to change, the County will make best efforts to adhere to the dates contained herein. Once awarded, the term of the Contract will be from the award date through the implementation completion date as documented in the winning Offeror’s Project Plan. The Plan must receive the approval of the County.

1.1Objectives

The purpose of this RFP is to solicit Proposals that fulfill the requirements, performance expectations, and deliverables as outlined in the Scope of Work (see Paragraph 5.1). It shall be the successful Offeror's obligation to ensure that personnel involved with this Project are qualified and certified to perform their portions of the Work.

1.2Prevailing Wage

Prevailing rates of wages on public improvements as described in Section 4115.06 of the ORC will apply to this RFP. See Attachment 1.0, Prevailing Wage for additional prevailing wage instructions.

1.3Calendar of Events

The schedule for the Project is shown below and is subject to change. The County may change the key dates at any time. Schedule changes before the mandatory Pre-Proposal Meeting are not expected. If schedule changes occur after the Pre-Proposal Meeting, all participants will be notified via email. Email announcements will be followed by an addendum(s) to this RFP. It will be the responsibility of the prospective Offeror to check email on a regular basis for posted addendums, changes, and other RFP information. Instructions for direct contact with Ottawa County representatives / staff or consultant support are outlined in Section 2 of this document.

Ballou Consultants Inc. of 49 October 26, 2015

KEY DATES

RFP PUBLICATION DATE: Monday, October 26, 2015 .RFP ADVERTISING PERIOD: Thursday, October 29, 2015 (One Week). INQUIRY PERIOD BEGINS: Friday, October 30, 2015, 9:00 A.M.PRE-PROPOSAL MEETING: Friday, November 6, 2015, 1:00 P.M.WALK-THROUGH: Thursday, November 12, 2015(by appt.)

Friday, November 13, 2015 (by appt.)INQUIRY PERIOD ENDS: Wednesday, November 25, 2015 4:00 P.M.RFP DUE DATE: Tuesday, December 1, 2015, 1:00 P.M. OFFER OPENING DATE: Tuesday, December 1, 2015, 1:00 P.M.

OTHER ESTIMATED DATES

CONTRACT AWARD NOTIFICATION: Tuesday, December 22, 2015.PURCHASE ORDER ISSUED: Tuesday, January 5, 2016.IMPLEMENTATION START DATE: Monday, January 11, 2016.

There are references in this RFP to the Proposal Due Date. This Date equates to the date and time that the Offeror’s response is due at the Ottawa County Courthouse in Port Clinton, Ohio. Proposals received after 1:00 P.M. on Tuesday, December 1, 2015 will not be evaluated.

1.4Advertising Period

In accordance with Ohio Revised Code Section 307.87, this shall serve as notification that this notice is available on Ottawa County’s internet web site on the world wide web by logging onto www.co.ottawa.oh.us and going to the legal notices / bids link. Click on the main page to view the notice, plans, specifications, addendums and clarifications in PDF format.

1.5Mandatory Pre-Proposal Conference

There will be a Mandatory Pre-Proposal Conference held at the Ottawa County Courthouse, First Floor, 315 Madison Street, Port Clinton, OH on Friday, November 6, 2015 at 1:00 P.M. Only those Offerors in attendance will be considered for award. Questions pertaining to this RFP can be addressed during this meeting. The project will be discussed as well as the format for the response. Some questions may be taken under advisement and answered after-the-fact via email. Proof of attendance will be the sign-in sheets provided at the meeting. Site walk-throughs will be offered. Procedures and scheduled dates and times will be announced and confirmed during the conference.

1.6Location for Response Opening

The following is the site for the public opening of Offeror’s response(s).

Ottawa County CommissionersCommissioner’s Assembly RoomFirst Floor315 Madison Street Port Clinton, OH 43452.



SECTION TWO - GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

The following sections provide details on how to respond to this Request for Proposal (RFP). All responses must be complete and in the prescribed format.

2.1 Contacts

For this RFP process, the following individual will be the contact for Ottawa County:

Ballou Consultants Inc. Attn: Mr. Douglas R. BallouPresident / Principal740.687.1266 (phone)

740.687.1133 (fax)ballou@ballouconsultants .com

2.2 RFP Documents

The RFP, including Prevailing Wage information, may be obtained at the:

Ottawa County CourthouseAttn: Rhonda SlauterbeckCounty Administrator / Clerk315 Madison StreetFirst FloorPort Clinton, OH 43452

As an alternative, all documents are available on the County’s website under the legal notices tab. The website is www.co.ottawa.oh.us.

2.3 Inquiries

2.3.1 Offerors may make inquiries regarding this RFP any time during the inquiry period posted in the Calendar of Events. Offerors must use email to make their inquiry. Inquiries must be addressed to [email protected]. Emails must include the first and last name of the person making the inquiry, the company represented, business phone number and email address, and the pertinent question. If other than a general question, sender must reference the specific location in the RFP that is being questioned, using the page number and paragraph heading. The specific question should then be stated. Multiple questions may appear on the same email but each question must be numbered.

2.3.2 Offerors submitting inquiries will receive a timely email acknowledgement of receipt. Both questions and responses will be emailed to all candidates for award via broadcast email. The County has a goal of responding to inquiries on the day of receipt unless additional research is required. If research is required, responses are not expected to exceed 36 hours. The deadline for receiving inquiries is Friday, November 25, 2015, 4:00 P.M.

2.4 Protests

2.4.1 Any potential or actual Offeror who objects to the award of a Contract resulting from the issuance of this RFP may file a protest of the award of the Contract, or any other


mailto:[email protected]


mailto:[email protected]

matter relating to the process of soliciting the Proposals. Such protests must include the following information.

2.4.2 The protest must be filed by a prospective or actual Offeror that is objecting to the award of a Contract resulting from the RFP contained herein. The protest must be in writing and contain the following information:

2.4.2.1 The company name, representative’s name, address, and telephone number;

2.4.2.2 The name and number of the RFP being protested;

2.4.2.3 A detailed statement of the legal and factual grounds for the protest, includ-ing copies of any relevant documents;

2.4.2.4 A request for a ruling by the County’s governing body;

2.4.2.5 A statement regarding the form of relief requested; and

2.4.2.6 Any other information the protester believes to be essential to the determination of the factual and legal questions at issue in the written request.

2.4.3 A timely protest will be considered by the County if it is received within the proper time period. A protest based on alleged improprieties in the issuance of the RFP, or any other improprieties preceding the closing date for receipt of Proposals, must be filed no later than five (5) business days prior to the Proposal Due Date. If the protest relates to the recommendation of the Evaluation Committee for an award of the Contract, the protest must be filed as soon as practicable after the Offeror is notified of the Committee’s decision. An untimely protest may be considered by the County, if warranted, and must include an explanation by the Offeror of why the protest was not made within the required time frame.

2.4.4 This specific protest procedure pertains only to this RFP. All protests must be filed with the Ottawa County Prosecutor’s Office, 315 Madison Street, Room 205, Port Clinton, Ohio 43452.

2.5 Addenda

2.5.1 If the County decides to amend this RFP before the Proposal Due Date, an addendum will be announced to all participating Offerors via email. Once issued, Offerors will be requested to acknowledge receipt. If an addendum is such that it results in an extension of the Due Date, the same email procedure will be followed. Addendum announcements may be provided any time up until 5:00 p.m. on the day before the Proposal is due. It is the responsibility of each prospective Offeror to check for announcements and other current information regarding the RFP. Addenda will be posted to the County’s website.

2.5.2 After the submission of Proposals, addenda will be distributed only to those Offerors whose submissions are under active consideration. When the County creates an addendum to the RFP after Proposals have been submitted, the County will permit


Offerors to withdraw their Proposals. This withdrawal option will allow any Offeror to remove its Proposal from active consideration should the Offeror feel that the addendum changes the nature of the transaction so much that the Offeror's Proposal is no longer in its best interests. Alternatively, the County may allow Offerors that have Proposals under active consideration to modify their Proposals in response to the addendum.

2.5.3 Whenever the County issues an addendum after the Proposal Due Date, the County will advise those Offerors remaining under active consideration whether they have the option to modify their Proposals in response to the addendum. If the Offerors are allowed to modify their Proposals, the County may limit the nature and scope of the modifications. Unless otherwise stated in the County's notice, modifications, and withdrawals must be made in writing and must be submitted within ten (10) business days after the addendum is issued. Withdrawals and modifications must be made in writing and must be submitted to the County using the same process required for submitting the original Proposals. Any modification that is broader in scope than the County has authorized may be rejected and may be treated as a withdrawal of the Offeror's Proposal.

2.5.4 Addenda or withdrawals of Proposals will be allowed only if the addendum or with-drawal is received before the Proposal Due Date. No addenda or withdrawals will be permitted after the Due Date, except as authorized by this RFP.

2.6 Submittals

2.6.1 Additional submittal requirements are detailed in Section Three, Offeror Submittals and Section Four, Proposal Organization. The Proposal(s) must be submitted in a sealed envelope / package and must be clearly labeled. On the outside of the package, the label must read: “Ottawa County Commissioners, Multi-Site Telephony System, RFP Response.” Offeror’s name and address must also appear on the outside of the package. Each Offeror must submit one (1) original and five (5) copies of their response.

2.6.2 Each Proposal must include an Executive Summary that must be signed by an individual who is authorized to contractually bind the Offeror. The signature must indicate the title or position the individual holds in the Offeror’s organization. Any and all unsigned Proposals will be rejected.

2.6.3 Also to be included in the sealed package, Offeror must include one (1) complete copy of the Proposal on a thumb drive or CD-ROM in Microsoft Office Word 2007 format, or higher, and / or PDF format as appropriate. In the event there is a discrepancy between the hard copy and the electronic copy, the hard copy will be the official Proposal. Proposals are due no later than the RFP Due Date at 1:00 P.M. Proposals submitted by email or fax will not be considered. Proposals must be delivered to: Ottawa County Courthouse, Attn: Rhonda Slauterbeck, County Administrator / Clerk, 315 Madison Street, First Floor, Port Clinton, OH 43452.

2.6.4 Each Offeror must carefully review the requirements of this RFP and the contents of its Proposal. Once opened, Proposals cannot be altered, except as allowed by this RFP.


2.6.5 By submitting a Proposal, the Offeror acknowledges that it has read this RFP, under-stands it, and agrees to be bound by its requirements, terms, and conditions. The County reserves the right to reject any Proposals which take exception to the terms and conditions, including, but not limited to, standards, specifications, and require-ments as specified in this RFP.

2.6.6 All Offers must remain valid for a period of sixty (60) calendar days. The Contract award may be issued at any time during the sixty day (60) day interval.

2.7 Offer Opening

2.7.1 Offerors shall be solely responsible for the timely delivery of their responses in the manner and time prescribed. No Offer shall be considered if it arrives after the time scheduled, as determined by the County. The County will reject late Proposals regardless of the cause for delay.

2.7.2 Sealed Offers will be received by the County until the time scheduled in the Advertise-ment for responses. Under Ohio’s RFP process, the County will not reveal results until after an award has been made by the Evaluation Committee. Responses that are unsigned, improperly prepared, contain arithmetical errors, alterations, or irregularities of any kind may, at the County’s discretion, be declared unacceptable.

2.7.3 Failure to provide bid security, bonds, or bid supplement requirements may, at the County’s discretion, invalidate the offer. All Proposals and other material submitted will become the property of the County and may be returned only at the County’s option. Additionally, all Proposals will be open to the public after the award of the Contract has been announced.

2.8 Waiver of Defects

The County may waive any defects in an Offeror’s Proposal or in the submission process. The County will only do so if it believes that it is in the County’s interests and will not cause any material unfairness to other Offerors.

2.9 Alternate Proposals

The County will accept multiple Proposals from a single Offeror, but the County requires each Proposal to be submitted separately. Additionally, the Offeror must treat every Proposal submitted as a separate and distinct submission and include in each Proposal all materials, information, documentation, and other items this RFP requires for a Proposal to be complete and acceptable. No alternate Proposal may incorporate materials by reference from another Proposal made by the Offeror or refer to another Proposal. The County will judge each alter-nate Proposal on its own merit.

2.10 Proposal Instructions

2.10.1 Each Proposal must be organized in an indexed binder with its contents organized in the same order as the listing in Section Four of this RFP. The County requires clear and concise Proposals. Offerors should, however, take care to completely answer questions and meet the RFP's requirements thoroughly. Annotations directly following RFP statements are recommended. All Offerors, including current


Contract holders, if applicable, must provide detailed and complete responses, as Proposal evaluations and subsequent scores are based solely on the content of the Proposal and associated responses.

2.10.2 As stated earlier, additional instructions for the Proposal's contents and formatting are contained in Section Three, Offeror Submittals and Section Four, Proposal Organization of this RFP.

2.10.3 The County will not be liable for any costs incurred by any Offeror in responding to this RFP, regardless of whether the Offeror awards the Contract through this process, decides not to go forward with the Project, cancels this RFP for any reason, or Contracts for the Project through some other process or by issuing another RFP.

2.11 Bid Guaranty

2.11.1 The Offeror must file a Bid Guaranty payable to the “Ottawa County Commissioners”, in the form of either:

2.11.1.1 The signed Bid Guaranty and Contract Bond Form (Attachment 2.0) contained in the Contract Documents for the amount of the offer(s) in accordance with Section 153.54(B), ORC; or

2.11.1.2 A certified check, cashier's check, or letter of credit, as provided in Section 153.54(C), ORC must be made out to the Ottawa County Commissioners. Any letter of credit shall be revocable only by the Ottawa County Commissioners.

2.11.2 The Bid Guaranty shall be in form and substance satisfactory to the Ottawa County Commissioners and shall serve as an assurance that the Offeror will, upon Acceptance of the Offer, comply with all conditions precedent for Contract execution, within the time specified by the Ottawa County Commissioners.

2.11.3 If the blank line on the Bid Guaranty and Contract Bond is not filled in, the penal sum will be the full amount of the Offer(s). If the blank line is filled in, the amount must not be less than the full amount of the Offer(s), stated in dollars and cents. A percentage is not acceptable, pursuant to Section 153.571, ORC. See Attachment 2.0, Bid Guaranty and Contract Bond Form.

2.11.4 The authorized agent who executed the Bond on behalf of the Surety shall affix thereto a certified and current copy of his Power of Attorney. The Bond must be issued by a Surety authorized by the Department of Insurance to transact business in Ohio.

2.11.5 The requirements of Section 3905.41, ORC, may be applicable to require that the Bond be countersigned by an Ohio resident agent. The Offeror shall determine the applicability of this provision.


2.11.6 Bid Guaranties for all Offerors will be retained until the successful Offeror has signed the Contract and furnished an acceptable Bid Guaranty and Contract Bond, or sixty (60) days have elapsed without extension, or all Offers have been rejected. If used, a certified check, cashier's check, or letter of credit will be returned to the winning Offeror upon providing the Bond required by Section 153.54(C), ORC. Subsequent to execution of the Contract, Bid Guaranty for each of the remaining Offerors will be returned upon demand.

2.11.7 If the Offeror fails to enter into a Contract, and the Owner awards the Contract to the next lowest responsive and responsible Offeror, the Offeror who failed to enter into a Contract shall be liable to the County for the difference between such Offeror’s Offer and the Offer of the next lowest responsive and responsible Offeror, or for a penal sum not to exceed ten (10) percent of the Offer amount, whichever is less, pursuant to Section 153.53, ORC.

2.11.8 Offeror must use an original or a copy of Attachment 2.0, Bid Guaranty and Contract Bond Form.

2.12Bid Guaranty and Contract Bond

The winning Offeror shall provide a Bid Guaranty and Contract Bond for one hundred percent (100 percent) of the Contract Sum with their Offer. Offeror shall use an original or a copy of the Bid Guaranty and Contract Bond form. The authorized agent who executed the required Bond on behalf of the Surety shall affix thereto a certified and current copy of the Power of Attorney. The Bond must be issued by a Surety authorized by the Department of Insurance to transact business in Ohio. Both the Surety and agency through which the Bond is provided must be acceptable to the Ottawa County Commissioners.

2.13 Affidavits / Agreement

This RFP contains three (3) affidavits and an agreement that must be completed, signed by an authorized representative of the company, and notarized. The affidavits are Attachment 3.0, Non-Collusion Affidavit and Attachment 4.0, Exhibit ORC Affidavit. In addition, Attachment 5.0, Hold Harmless Agreement requires Offeror’s review and signature.

2.14 Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)

The Offeror shall maintain policies of employment in accordance with the requirements of the Ohio Department of Administrative Services, Division of Equal Opportunity Division and shall comply fully with the provisions of the Revised Code Sections 153.59 and 153.60.

2.15Indemnification

The contractor will indemnify and hold harmless the Owner and the Engineer and their agents and employees from and against all claims, damages, losses and expense including attorneys’ fees arising out of or resulting from the performance of the Work, provided that any such claims, damage, loss or expense is attributable to bodily injury, sickness, disease or death or to injury to or destruction of tangible property, including the loss or use resulting therefrom; and is caused in whole or in part by any negligent or willful act or omission of the


Contractor, and Subcontractor, anyone directly or indirectly employed by any of them or anyone for whose acts any of them may be liable.

2.15.1 In any and all claims against the Owner or the Engineer, or any of their agents or employees, by any employee of the Contractor, any Subcontractor, anyone directly or indirectly employed by any of them or anyone for whose acts any of them may be liable, the indemnification obligation shall not be limited in any way by any limitation on the amount or type of damages, compensation or benefits payable by or for the Contractor or any Subcontractor under workers’ compensation acts, disability benefit acts or other employee benefits acts.

2.16Taxes

Materials purchased for use or consumption with the proposed Work will be exempt from the State of Ohio Sales Tax as provided in Section 5739.02 ORC.


SECTION THREE –OFFEROR SUBMITTALS

3.1Qualification Statement

3.1.1 In responding to this RFP, Offeror represents that Offeror’s company possesses the capabilities, hardware, software, and personnel necessary to provide an efficient and successful installation of properly operating equipment within seventy (70) calendar days from date of award (See paragraph 1.3 for the Calendar of Events). Offeror must also ensure continued maintenance and support, including on-site support of the proposed systems by Offeror’s trained and certified personnel, and available parts, both over a seven (7) year period.

3.1.2 A Manufacturer's letter of support (sometimes known as a "comfort letter") must be included as part of this response and must include support guarantees for the required seven (7) year period.

3.1.3 Offeror / Manufacturer must be on the state of Ohio’s State Term Schedule (STS) or on the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Schedule. Registration on either or both Schedules is a requirement in order to respond to this RFP. However, the County is not obligated to accept STS or GSA pricing. Registration proof is required.

3.1.4 Offeror must complete the form associated with Attachment 6.0, Certified Copy of Corporate Resolution.

3.1.5 In addition, Offeror represents that Offeror’s firm has a quality post-cutover program that will provide timely ongoing system support (system / network diagnostics, traffic engineering, system optimization, etc.); provide technical advice and support in such areas as IP telephony, voice mail / automated attendant, unified communications, voice / data networking, network management, call center (ACD / CRM), call accounting, etc.; and, generally act as a single point of contact for all trouble reporting, requests for service, etc.

3.2 Offeror Profile Requirements

This is a significant RFP for Ottawa County. In addition to the size and cost of this project, the winning Offeror / Distributor in responding to this document, will be making a major long-term support commitment to Ottawa County and its long-range telephony and network strategies. As a result, in order to respond to this RFP, the Offeror / Distributor must meet a minimum profile. This profile shall include the following requirements:

3.2.1Offeror / Distributor shall have been in business for at least five (5) years.

3.2.2Offeror or Manufacturer's revenues shall exceed $200 million per annum.

3.2.3Offeror's main business shall be in telephony with a significant portion of that business dedicated to the sale and implementation of multi-location, networked PBXs / VoIP Telephony Systems during that five (5)-year period.


3.2.4Offeror must show that its business has a record of success (list of satisfied customers, profitable operation, etc.) and must have a customer installed base of IP-capable telephony systems that are of similar size and type.

3.2.5Offeror and Manufacturer (if different) shall demonstrate present and future financial viability.

3.2.6Offeror shall be a Manufacturer-authorized distributor of the proposed product and must have sufficient factory-trained and certified technicians and vehicles to support the indicated Ottawa County site(s) without the use of sub-contractors.

3.2.7Offeror must meet all six (6) requirements. Failure to meet any one of these require-ments could disqualify the Offeror. Offeror must also meet other requirements as detailed in this RFP.

3.3 Other Offeror Requirements

3.3.1 The selected Offeror shall be responsible for: the engineering and design of the network; engineering and design of a unified numbering plan; all hardware; all software; implementation / installation; selected Offeror-installed wiring; training; maintenance; and, ongoing support required to meet the scope of this RFP. Offeror shall also be responsible for system(s), network optimization and professional documentation. Installation requirements must be communicated and coordinated with Ottawa County staff in advance of actual shipment.

3.3.2 Selected Offeror shall demonstrate the expertise and experience of key personnel that are assigned to this important and complex project. Such personnel may include the Account Manager, Project Manager, Service Representative, key technical and design personnel, training personnel, foremen, and field technicians. See Paragraph 4.10 for clarifying statements.

3.3.3 Sub-contractor arrangements, if any, must be fully described in Offeror’s response. After award of the Contract, the selected Offeror shall not hire or use Sub-contractors without prior written approval from Ottawa County. Sub-contractors shall be fully certified in the selected equipment by the Manufacturer. All sub-contracted work shall be at the expense of the Offeror.

3.4 Delivery

Ottawa County may delay any delivery to a mutually agreeable time. All deliveries shall be by FOB destination. Unless arrangements are made between the Offeror and County, selected Offeror must be on site to receive and document all deliveries.


SECTION FOUR – PROPOSAL ORGANIZATION

4.1 Proposal Copies / Content

Offerors must submit one (1) original Proposal plus five (5) complete copies. A Proposal must include the sections and the order described in Paragraph 4.3, Response Section Order. The location of the various sections must be referenced in the Proposal table of contents. All information submitted in response to the RFP will be reviewed as part of the evaluation process. The response shall include sufficient data to allow the Evaluation Committee to verify the total cost of the RFP and all Offeror claims of meeting RFP requirements.

4.2 RFP Response Instructions

These instructions describe the required format for Offeror’s Proposal(s). Offerors may include any additional information deemed pertinent. An identifiable tab sheet shall precede each section for easy reference. The Proposal submitted shall follow the same format as described in Paragraph 4.3 below. All pages, except pre-printed technical inserts, must be sequentially numbered. All materials submitted in response to this RFP shall become the property of the County and may be returned only at the County's option.

4.3 Response Section Order

Any Proposal submitted shall contain the following sections in the indicated order. Each must be tabbed and labeled.

4.3.1 Table of Contents (see Paragraph 4.5)

4.3.2 Executive Summary / Cover Letter / Authorized Signature (see Paragraph 4.6)

4.3.3 Manufacturer’s Profile (see Paragraph 4.7)

4.3.4 Distributor Profile (if different) (see Paragraph 4.8)

4.3.5 Manufacturer’s or Distributor’s References (see Paragraph 4.9)

4.3.6 Key Personnel Profile Summaries (see Paragraph 4.10)

4.3.7 System Capabilities, Both Present and Future (see Paragraph 4.11)

4.3.8 Technical Documentation (see Paragraph 4.12)

4.3.9 Offeror Response Information (see Paragraph 4.13)

4.3.10 Implementation and Training Plan with Time Line (see Paragraph 4.14)

4.3.11 Warranty / Maintenance Plan(s) (see Paragraph 4.15)

4.3.12 Cost Summary and Component Breakdown / Purchase, Lease Information (see Paragraph 4.16)

4.3.13 Options Pricing and Spare Equipment Costs (see Paragraph 4.17)


4.3.14 Proof of Insurance (see Paragraph 4.18)

4.3.15 Bid Guaranty, Contract Bond and Affidavits (see Paragraph 4.19)

4.3.16 Contracts / Agreements (see Paragraph 4.20)

4.4 Right to Reject

This format (Section 4.3) is designed to simplify the Evaluation Committee’s comparative analysis. Ottawa County reserves the right to reject any and all Proposals that do not meet this format.

4.5 Table of Contents

Each Proposal must contain a Table of Contents with sections/tabs identified and must show page numbers for the beginning of each section.

4.6 Executive Summary / Cover Letter

A brief description of the scope of services and an overview of the recommendation is to be provided in the Executive Summary / Cover Letter. The cover letter must be signed by an authorized representative of the Offeror. The Letter must also include the Offeror’s main contact for contractual issues, a contact for questions regarding the RFP response, the Purchase Order address, tax identification number, and a statement that the prices will be valid for sixty (60) days from the Proposal Due Date.

4.7 Manufacturer's Profile

If Offeror is not the Manufacturer, Offeror must provide information that shows the quality of the Manufacturer. Important issues are years in business, market share, profitability, product strategies, management strength, number of employees, home office location, and so on. If peripherals (voice processing, unified communications, call detail recording, etc.) are from different Manufacturers, general company and product information must be provided for each Manufacturer.

4.8 Offeror Profile

4.8.1 Having met all Offeror profile requirements in Paragraph 3.2, this section shall provide a brief organizational history or background including, but not limited to, recent data describing the current organization, date of incorporation, annual revenue, statement of profitability, number of employees, home office location, number of certified technicians, manufacturer affiliations, industry experience, marketplace experience, relationship with the Manufacturer of the proposed system, experience with the proposed system and financial strength.

4.8.2 A description of the range of products and services that are provided by the Offeror for this project must be included. An explanation of the Offeror’s experience with converged and / or IP telephony systems, voice processing systems, unified communi-cations, centralized network management systems, call detail recording systems, etc. must also be included.


4.8.3 The Offeror, if the Manufacturer, shall provide financial information including, but not limited to, the last audited financial report. The most recent annual documents are requested. If the Offeror is not a Manufacturer of the proposed equipment, equivalent financial information for both the Offeror and Manufacturer is required.

4.9 Offeror References

Offeror references shall include a minimum of three (3) multi-location customers with successful installations. Systems must be of the same type and software level and must be similar in configuration and size. References provided must agree to be interviewed by Ottawa County concerning the Offeror's products, services, and experience. Full contact information must be made available. References must be located in Ohio.

4.10 Key Personnel Profile Summaries

Profile summaries shall be completed for the key personnel who will be assigned to this project. Summaries must demonstrate each person's experience and ability to perform the functions as assigned for this project. Key personnel shall include, but are not limited to the following: Project Manager, Account Manager, Service Representative, key technical and design personnel, installation and field technician(s), training personnel, peripheral experts, etc.

4.11 System Capabilities, Both Present and Future

Descriptive literature providing a general overview of the hardware and software contained in the Offeror’s response must be provided for general information. Evidence of a strong migration path toward advanced present and future capabilities is important.

4.12 Technical Documentation

Technical information on all recommended products must be provided. The intent is to be able to evaluate the products recommended from a technical standpoint. Advanced engineering or installation manuals are not required but information provided should be detailed enough so that the information is at a meaningful technical level and beyond general sales information.

4.13 Offeror Response Information

This section must contain direct responses to requirements specified in this RFP. Offeror must employ Microsoft Word® software to respond to this RFP, inserting replies directly below the appropriate paragraph. It is further requested that in addition to Offeror’s printed Proposal, one (1) copy of the annotated RFP CD-ROM or thumb drive be included in the response (one copy only). This will permit a quicker and more thorough evaluation of the Offeror’s response by using global search and other computer-related capabilities as part of the evaluation process.

4.14 Implementation and Training Plan with Time Line

A sample milestone chart (also known as a "Gantt chart" or "timeline bar chart") must be included with the RFP response to indicate time frames associated with the typical system implementation. Equipment ordering lead-time after Contract signature must be stated. Training intervals must also be included. Once the Contract is awarded, the winning Offeror, working with Ottawa County personnel, will develop a firm milestone chart and timeline.


4.15 Warranty / Maintenance Plan(s)

The Offeror shall provide a detailed description of its service process and options. Warran-ties shall be for a minimum of one (1) year. Important information might include, but is not limited to:

4.15.1 Response times for critical and standard maintenance (1/24 required).

4.15.2 Locations of maintenance facilities,

4.15.3 Spare parts warehousing locations and availability,

4.15.4 A sample of service reports,

4.15.5 A description of the Offeror’s service dispatch and management system and how and when technical support is obtained from the Manufacturer, and,

4.15.6 A list of local technicians employed by the Offeror, their factory-certification level on the proposed system and the number of years they have been installing / servicing the type of system being proposed. Technician’s distance from the site is important.

4.16 Cost Summary and Component Breakdown

4.16.1 A general cost summary must be included in this section. In addition, costs for each system must be broken down by component for each location. In addition, detailed costs for the Sheriff’s Department and EMA must be broken out separately. The included costs will be for hardware, software, installation, shipping, and training. Each component will be identified by part number plus a plain-English description, which will be meaningful to the Evaluation Committee. The costs will be divided into categories so that the system and peripherals will be shown separately. Each of the categories will show installation costs by component. Indicate if costs reflect Ohio State Term Schedule (STS) Contracts.

4.16.2 Offeror shall also provide lease options in this section. Lease options will be for five (5) and seven (7) years respectively. "True lease" and “$1 Buy-out” rates are requested.

4.16.3 Maintenance costs after the warranty period must also be included. It is the goal of

Ottawa County to have a "not-to-exceed" fixed price for maintenance for at least three (3) years following the warranty period.

4.17 Options and Spare Equipment Costs

The Offeror’s Proposal shall include costs for all hardware, software, and services required to support any options contained herein. In addition, Offeror will provide an itemized list with discounted prices for spare equipment in this section. Such prices shall be fixed for a period of twelve (12) months from system cutover.


4.18 Proof of Insurance

4.18.1 Selected Offeror and any sub-contractors shall carry and furnish evidence of insurance against liability for death, injury, and damage to property caused by selected Offeror, its employees, and agents, as described below. Ottawa County shall be named as an additional insured on all policies.

4.18.2 The selected Offeror and any sub-contractors shall hold Ottawa County harmless for all liabilities under the resulting Contract, whether groundless or not, and shall be added to all Offerors' and sub-contractor’s policies as additional hazards.

4.18.3 Selected Offeror is required to furnish broad form liability, property damage, workers compensation, and owner's contingent (protective) public liability and protective coverage, as well as all other insurance as required by the laws of the state of Ohio. The County requires selected Offeror to have $1,000,000 liability insurance coverage on any project under $100,000 and $3,000,000 coverage on any project greater than $100,000.

4.18.4 The Offeror awarded this work shall not commence work under Contract until all required insurance has been obtained as specified and all insurance has been reviewed by Ottawa County.

4.19 Bid Guaranty, Contract Bond and Affidavits

All completed and signed forms associated with the bid guaranty contract bond and required affidavits that are detailed in Paragraphs 2.12 and 2.13 must be placed in this section. All expenses associated with the furnishing of bonds are to be borne by the Offeror.

4.20 Contracts / Agreements

All contracts, warranties, SLAs and other legal documentation associated with the Project must be placed in this section. Offeror’s Contract package and Contract flexibility is an important part of the County’s evaluation.


SECTION FIVE – PROJECT DESCRIPTION / OVERVIEW

5.1 Scope of Work

5.1.1 The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to select a proposed Offeror to design and implement a state-of-the-art Telephony System for Ottawa County. This project is intended to provide major enhancements to the telecommunications network for Ottawa County. The County plans to implement a new, scalable VoIP-capable telephony system(s), including: PBX hardware and software, voice mail, networking, centralized network management, advanced reporting (including CDR), mobility applications, Unified Communications, E-911, and other capabilities contained herein.

5.1.2 This RFP contains specifications for Offerors to provide a Proposal(s) for a new enter-prise telecommunications system, associated peripherals, and connectivity. Offeror’s response shall fully cover requirements for a turnkey enterprise communications system(s) to be described herein. All VoIP-capable telephony systems will be considered. Both converged (hybrid) and VoIP systems will be evaluated. Converged systems are able to accommodate both TDM and VoIP technologies.

5.1.3 It is assumed for this RFP and for all practical purposes that all in-place wiring will be re-used. Ottawa County is aware of the requirement for a robust infrastructure to support VoIP technology. Infrastructure updates are presented in Paragraph 5.4.

5.1.4 This RFP and all County contracts are contingent on the availability of funds. It is the County’s intent to include all locations identified in this document. Offeror responses will dictate if adequate funding is available to include every site in the initial project phase. Multiple phases may be required.

5.2 Ottawa County Abstract

5.2.1 Ottawa County, hereinafter referred to as the “County”, is located in northern Ohio. Adjacent counties are Erie County to the southeast, Sandusky County to the south, Wood County to the west, and Lucas County to the northwest. As of 2010, the popula-tion was 41,428. Its county seat is Port Clinton with a population of 6,056. Port Clinton is 44 miles east of Toledo. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the County encompasses 585 of which 255 square miles is land and 330 square miles is water. The county is also made up of seven (7) villages and twelve (12) townships.

5.2.2 The County manages numerous operations throughout Ottawa County. Most of these operations are located either in Port Clinton or Oak Harbor. Attachment 7.0, Ottawa County Area Directory is a list of Port Clinton locations / departments with their respective telephone numbers. Attachment 8.0, Ottawa County Voice Network Diagram, places the major sites on a location map with associated addresses. It also provides present system networking information.

5.3 Present System

5.3.1 Ottawa County utilizes multiple telephone systems throughout the County. The main system is located in the Courthouse, 315 Madison Street. It is a Nortel Option 11C installed in 2002. It consists of 170 digital telephones and 32 analog station ports. Analog station lines are typically CentraNet provided by Frontier Communications. There is a single Nortel 2250 console located by the first floor waiting area. There are


two (2) PRIs provided by Ohio Telecom. Long distance service is provided by First Communications. The voice mail system is Nortel’s CallPilot. Not all employees have access to the voice mail system. In addition, there is a Nortel Carrier Remote that extends to the County / City Complex, 1856 East Perry Street. The Complex consists of the MSMJ Jail, Health Department, Coroner, and Municipal Court. The Municipal Court has its own standalone system. See additional detail in Attachment 9.0, Present Telephony System Configuration. Totals for Offeror’s pricing are included in this section.

5.3.2 Most of the Courthouse desk sets are M2008s, M2616s or M9316 along with miscellaneous single line analog phones. There are numerous facsimile lines throughout the Courthouse that may or may not be included in the analog station count. Analog counts are close estimates.

5.3.3 The Sheriff’s Department, located in the Courthouse, has its own system. It is a Nortel BCM 450 R1 installed in April, 2010. It has 29 digital telephones and eight (8) analog station ports. Telephone models are T-7316e and T-7208. This department has its own BCM 450 32-seat voice messaging system. The Sheriff has one (1) PRI provided by Frontier. PBX lines are voice recorded. The system is virtually independent from the Courthouse system.

5.3.4 Also in the Courthouse is the Emergency Management Agency (EMA). This department has an operating live CentraNet system in the lower level. The system is funded by FirstEnergy Corporation and is associated with the Davis Bessie nuclear facility located in Oak Harbor, Ohio. There are 51 CentraNet lines, 20 telephones and a fax machine. The County would like to explore the possibility of incorporating the requirements associated with the EMA system into the Offeror’s proposed system.

5.3.5 The County has a main telephone number where calls that are not directed to specific departments are answered and screened. The telephone number is 419.734.6700. The calls are answered by an attendant using the Nortel 2250 console that is located near the Courthouse entrance. It should be noted that call volumes may not warrant a console in the proposed system.

5.3.6 The County is planning an extensive fiber network in Port Clinton. Currently, there is no County fiber in place in Port Clinton. However, there is a County fiber network in Oak Harbor that connects many of the County sites. No Oak Harbor locations are included in this RFP.

5.3.7 The County has an E-911 Center located in the Sheriff’s Department, 315 Madison Street. The E-911 Center is not included as part of this RFP.

5.3.8 The County’s main Data Center is located in the Courthouse. The IT environment is a Cisco network with a 10 GB backbone. All switch ports are one (1) GB. No switches are PoE-equipped. The Courthouse has a limited coverage wireless LAN network (802.11 a/b/g). LAN enhancements are in the plans. The County runs all Windows Server products in a VM environment except for two (2) physical servers. The Internet is accessed through a Cisco ASA device. The current Internet provider is Ohio Telecom. Network changes are in the offing with Frontier for a 500 MB Internet connection at the Courthouse that will extend to each of the Port Clinton facilities. In addition, there are plans underway for a 1 GB E-Line connection to the Resource


Center (JFS) in Oak Harbor. The current email service will be converted to Google’s Gmail by November, 2015.

5.3.9 Although all in-place systems have the capability for 4-digit dialing within each particular system, in some cases, simple 4-digit dialing between systems has not been implemented. Those departments excluded are Emergency Management, Sheriff’s Department, and Municipal Court. Investigation into an improved dialing plan is requested.

5.3.10 The County has an elevator in the Courthouse. Offeror must assure emergency access from the elevator telephone.

5.4 Infrastructure

The County is aware that some new cabling may be required to meet connectivity and techni-cal requirements for the implementation of the new telephony system and its peripherals. It shall be the responsibility of the Offeror to survey the various sites to determine if the respective infrastructures will support their recommended system. Additional inside wiring, if necessary, will be the responsibility of others. Offeror shall be responsible for cross-connects, for ensuring final end-to-end connectivity, and for wiring from the wall to the desk telephone, terminal, or other equipment. The Offeror will ensure continuity to the desktop and verify that sufficient pairs exist to provide the desired service(s). Offeror must not assume that facility inside wiring will be properly labeled and identified.


SECTION SIX - SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

6.1 Overview

6.1.1 The specifications in this section are intended to provide guidelines for a new telephony system to replace current systems described in Section 5.0. Offerors should assume that the new system and its peripherals will be installed in the present MDFs and IDFs at their respective sites. Although there are questions concerning inside wire categories in some areas, it should be assumed for the purposes of Offeror’s response that in-place wiring will be re-used.

6.1.2 This section is intended to define the requirements for the designated telecommunications system and associated networking. The term "PBX" will continue to be used throughout this document, knowing that there are now several different technologies / terms that provide communications between station users. All proposed systems will be VoIP or hybrid (VoIP and TDM).

6.1.3 Regardless of the technology selected, the successful Offeror shall provide all hard-ware, components, software, and networking necessary to make the system(s) work according to the manufacturer's specifications. The winning Offeror shall also provide installation (labor), professional training for all employees (train-the-trainer is unacceptable), specialty training for attendants and technical support people, plus full warranty and maintenance agreements and support as prescribed herein.

6.1.4 In general, and for pricing purposes, all telephone instruments will be replaced. In reality, some existing single line analog sets may be retained for power failure transfer purposes or spares. It is imperative that the existing systems remain fully operational until the point of cutover. The selected Offeror shall take all steps necessary to eliminate or minimize downtime. The Offeror shall, in general, complete all non-interfering tasks before making the final cutover.

6.1.5 All existing equipment not scheduled for replacement (key systems, hybrids, faxes, modems, routers, etc.) shall be made to interface and fully function with any proposed PBX.

6.1.6 All efforts must be made to ensure that no outages associated with implementation will occur during the standard business day.

6.1.7 If the winning Offeror is the incumbent, that Offeror will be responsible for de-installing or modifying the existing system leading to the final cutover of the new or upgraded system. If the winning Offeror is not the incumbent, then that Offeror must work with the incumbent to coordinate and remove old system equipment from the premises.

6.1.8 Selected Offeror’s personnel shall remain on site for three (3) consecutive working days after cutover to support users, provide training, make any system modifications and clear up any malfunctions that are uncovered or may develop during that period.

6.1.9 The successful Offeror shall be responsible for all LEC and long-distance carrier coordination required for new system operation.


6.2 Codes / Standards

6.2.1 All work performed by the winning Offeror under the resulting Contract shall comply with all appropriate current national and local codes. All work shall conform to accepted industry telephone and / or equipment installation and repair practices, as well as specific practices of the manufacturers of the equipment and materials used.

6.2.2 All work shall be performed in a neat and orderly fashion to facilitate re-entry and repair. The spaces will be left neat and shall not be used as storage for tools or supplies. The installation of cabling and wiring, where applicable, shall be made in accordance with the appropriate current articles of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), National Electrical Code (NEC) and national and local codes.

6.2.3 Appropriate floor plans for the major sites will be made available to the winning Offeror as part of the system implementation process.

6.3 Proposed System Description and Requirements

6.3.1 General Requirements

6.3.1.1 All systems must be integrated, flexible, scalable, state-of-the-art, digital PBX's built on an advanced VoIP platform. Regardless of the system recommended, there must be an economical migration path that will allow Ottawa County the ability to take advantage of the latest technologies (Unified Communications, SIP, mobility applications, etc.) and networking. System manufacturers might include Avaya, Cisco, Mitel, NEC America, ShoreTel, Siemens, or other product companies with equivalent architectures.

6.3.1.2 The County is aware of the availability of hosted systems provided by a number of manufacturers and carriers. If the Offeror wishes to propose both a premise and hosted system, complete and separate proposals are required.

6.3.1.3 For current and future planning, the proposed networking arrangement must support virtually all locations now served by the County, including Port Clinton and Oak Harbor (although Oak Harbor is not part of this RFP). The estimated station count for Port Clinton is approximately 277 stations (see Paragraph 6.3.27.4 and Attachment 9.0, Present Telephony System Configuration for more detail).

6.3.1.4 The proposed system must be capable of supporting 50 percent growth without replacement of any installed hardware or software.

6.3.1.5 The proposed arrangement must operate as a single system. Station, attendant and system features must operate transparently regardless of location.

6.3.1.6 There must be 4-digit dialing between all system users / locations.

6.3.1.7 The system shall have Direct Inward Dialing (DID) capability for all stations with name and number display.


6.3.1.8 The systems management server(s) is to be located in the Courthouse and must use a single unified database for all station user profiles, equipped system design, peripherals, and system-level operations.

6.3.1.9 The system design shall provide access to a centralized voice mail / voice processing system with an advanced automated attendant and menuing.

6.3.2 Redundancy / Reliability

6.3.2.1 The proposed telephony system common control (call processing, signaling, etc.) must be based on a fully redundant duplicated design. Redundant components may be provisioned as active / passive or load sharing with seamless switchover operation between control elements in case of errors or failure. All active calls and programmed feature states must be preserved during the switchover process.

6.3.2.2 Offeror must define their proposed system's redundancy architecture and

redundancy levels.

6.3.2.3 Offeror must also provide the expected uptime and Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) statistics for the proposed system(s).

6.3.3 Power

6.3.3.1 Briefly describe the recommended system’s power requirements and the integrated power distribution design.

6.3.3.2 Proposals must include a UPS recommendation. Offeror must provide pricing for both a 1-hour and 4-hour UPS.

6.3.4 Survivability

6.3.4.1 It is required that all remote sites be survivable sites; that is, users at these sites must be provided with full, uninterrupted access to hub location fea-tures and services regardless of hub common control failure or LAN / WAN connectivity issues due to switch, router, or private network transmission service errors or failures. Each remote site must perform a seamless switchover to a local secondary common control while all active local intercom and trunk calls, and programmed feature states are preserved.

6.3.4.2 It is required that remote station users have access to messaging services if there is a WAN link disruption to the hub location.

6.3.4.3 It is required that the system have the capability for network failover resil-iency which requires that all station users and port carrier / media gateway equipment at all facilities can automatically re-register to a designated back-up telephony system when needed.

6.3.5 Session Initiated Protocol (SIP)

The proposed system must support SIP-compatible stations and trunk networking as specified by IETF Work Group RFC documents. Offeror must identify the specific RFC standard that the proposed system supports. All telephones must be SIP-compatible.


6.3.6 Analog Telephones

Analog telephones and facsimile equipment will continue to be required in the proposed system. Indicate how such equipment is logically and physically supported by the common control telephony server, identifying all intermediary hardware elements necessary for control signaling transmission.

6.3.7 Blocking

Offeror must fully describe blocking characteristics of the proposed telephony system.

6.3.8 Loss of Service

The recommended PBX(s) shall be wholly self-contained and provide continuous service. Loss of service from the Local Exchange Carrier (LEC) Central Office shall not affect intra-building communications capabilities.

6.3.9 Networking / Compatibility

6.3.9.1 Systems shall have advanced voice communications, data communications, and multimedia capabilities. The switch must be able to handle simultane-ous voice and data. The system must be able to handle LAN connectivity (Ethernet, etc.), personal computer / workstation connections, Internet access, and video to the desktop. The PBX must have an architecture that makes optimum use of the latest signaling and network technologies, including SIP, Gigabit Ethernet, H.323 and other IP protocols. The system shall also support all common audio codecs (G.711, G.723. etc.).

6.3.9.2 System administration of the PBX and peripherals must operate over Ottawa County’s LAN and be capable of being accessed by multiple PCs under password control. Indicate whether system administration on the system and peripherals can be accomplished utilizing a single database and terminal and show what additional costs, if any, will be applied to achieve these requirements.

6.3.10 Power over Ethernet

The County currently uses Cisco switches (e.g., 2960S-48TD-L) that are not equipped for PoE. Offeror, as an option, must indicate whether or not the switches are upgradeable to accommodate PoE and, if so, provide pricing. If not upgradeable, and also as an option, indicate what similar Cisco switches are available to accommodate PoE with appropriate pricing.

6.3.11 FCC Requirements

All proposed equipment shall meet or exceed standards, rules, and regulations of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), including Rule 68. The Offeror is required to supply the proposed system's registration number and date when first placed on the market.

6.3.12 Interfacing

The system shall have the ability to be equipped to interface directly with any carrier services, including DSL, T-1, SIP, advanced Sonet rings and other network services.


The system shall have the capability to route incoming and outgoing voice, data and video transmissions through the PBX. Offeror must specify how analog (facsimile, etc.) technology will be accommodated. The system must have the ability to terminate a private business / CentraNet line on an individual's proprietary system telephone.

6.3.13 Trunk-to-Trunk

The system must be capable of accepting a mixture of trunk types at one console, and extending calls received to station users and other County-related sites, either on or off-net. Procedures and processes shall emphasize ease of use. Trunk-to-trunk transfer restrictions shall be user controllable.

6.3.14 NANP / WNP

The PBX shall have fully installed digit-handling capability to accommodate all aspects of the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) and the international World Numbering Plan (WNP), both present and future.

6.3.15 Classes of Service

6.3.15.1 The proposed PBX shall be capable of providing a minimum of sixteen (16) Classes of Service (COS) to establish restrictions as required. A class of service capability, or equivalent, shall be used to fully separate restricted stations and unrestricted stations.

6.3.15.2 A wide range of Class of Service capabilities shall be provided, including the ability to completely block access to any outside lines and / or the operator, or to limit access to outside lines through the console operator only. Stations may also have access to, or be restricted from, all features, functions, LEC trunks, tie lines, toll-free and 900 numbers, long-distance and long-distance directory assistance if so programmed.

6.3.16 Access / Authorization Codes

The telephone system(s) shall have the capability for authorized persons to use confidential access codes to place outgoing calls when in areas where stations are otherwise restricted. The number of digits shall be selectable and must be no less than five (5). Other applications for access codes may include company identification, project management, and so on. Loading access / authorization codes into the new system will be the responsibility of the winning Offeror.

6.3.17 System Management / System Maintenance

6.3.17.1 The PBX shall have a powerful diagnostic system and network management capability. The PBX shall be equipped with automatic routine, self-diagnostic maintenance programs that can be run concurrently with traffic processing. Powerful diagnostics must be able to detect and locate failure(s) rapidly down to the digital telephone set level.

6.3.17.2 In addition to being able to detect and diagnose system faults locally, the PBX shall be equipped to allow remote access to the respective system(s) for detecting, diagnosing and correcting system faults by the selected Offeror's service staff or diagnostic center.


6.3.17.3 The PBX shall have on-site programs and data-loading capabilities that will automatically reload within five (5) minutes or less after power or system failure conditions are corrected.

6.3.18 E-911

It is required that that the proposed system support E-911 services provided by a Public Service Answering Point (PSAP) as defined by the FCC. This means that emergency 911 callers located on the PBX system will receive the same level of 911 service that is received in a residence location. That is, emergency service providers, based on the directed DID or non-DID number will be able to expediently find the exact location of the emergency within the County campus. The proposed solution must support all user stations, regardless of service type (VoIP, analog, etc.). System moves and changes must automatically be communicated to the PSAP.

6.3.19 Wireless / Mobile Technology

6.3.19.1 The proposed system must be able to support and interface with the latest mobility devices and protocols, including smart phones and tablets. Although several users have experienced a strong interest in wireless technology, specifications will be identified through the user interview process.

6.3.19.2 The proposed system must be able to support a mobile cellular extension option. The option should be capable of working with almost any cellular carrier network and support mobile handsets and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs). Indicate what mobile clients are supported and what functions and operations are supported.

6.3.19.3 The mobile handset / PDA must be able to receive incoming calls directed to the station user’s primary system directory number, and calling party information should be displayed at the mobile handset. Calls placed from the mobile handset / PDA to other communications system subscribers must appear to look like calls from the station user’s primary desktop telephone, including calling party name and caller ID display.

6.3.19.4 System users must be able to program incoming calls to ring simultaneously or sequentially at the desktop instrument and mobile handset / PDA.

6.3.19.5 Telephony features that should be supported in mobile extension mode must include hold, transfer, conference, and call forward-don’t answer to the County’s voice mail system.

6.3.19.6 Call detail records must be collectable and stored for all mobile extension calls.

6.3.20 Unified Messaging

The system must have the capability for Unified Messaging. Unified Messaging integrates voice mail, facsimile, and email while providing a standards-based messaging interface directly from Microsoft Exchange, Google Apps for Business, IBM Notes, etc.


6.3.21 Unified Communications

6.3.21.1 The proposed system must be able to provide Unified Communications and associated features to the County. Capabilities required include station user programmed call screening, coverage and routing; presence management and control; conference tools for audio, data and video communications; and, collaboration tools for desktop screen sharing, management and editing.

6.3.21.2 Instant Messaging (IM) must be fully integrated into Offeror’s Unified Communications solution and should be able to integrate with public IM services.

6.3.21.3 Offeror’s response must describe their proposed system’s text-to-speech capabilities for the purpose of converting text messages to speech format for access from various voice terminal devices.

6.3.22 Network Security / Toll Fraud

System architecture and Offeror’s system design configuration shall emphasize network security and network integrity. Offeror must present features and steps that will be taken that are designed to prevent security breaches, both voice and data. If available, Offeror must provide details for implementing toll fraud packages. Pricing and associated detail must be provided as an option.

6.3.23 Emergency Notification

6.3.23.1 The County has a strong interest in the range of Offeror's emergency notification capabilities. Incidents might include bomb threats, terror attacks, fire, spills, or weather emergencies. Threats may be to individuals, to County employees, or countywide. The County is seeking simple solutions for users to notify proper in-house staff and / or authorities for quick response. The County’s security team is looking for a non-descript duress button on each phone / terminal that would automatically send a notification to the 911 system indicating that a problem exists in the caller’s office or in a specific area of a County building. Ideally, the notification process will open up a remote speaker for one way monitoring audio. There is also interest in mass notification capability that would signal a lockdown or evacuation for various levels of coverage.

6.3.23.2 Offeror should be aware that such a system must be expandable to take advantage of the County’s planned fiber network connectivity to their multiple locations. Regardless of location, it is a requirement that comprehensive alert information be made available to the system administrator and to the Security Committee. Alerts are currently limited to texting groups and Reverse 911. Because the County has multiple telephone systems (ShoreTel, Nortel, etc.), the County also has an interest in how the proposed Emergency Notification System will integrate with the Offeror’s proposed system. The future vision for security purposes is to marry a telephony duress signal with 911 and accentuate capabilities with a camera system for viewing a subject area, all under administrative control. Offeror must provide an example of how their proposed equipment and software


might address stated requirements. Proposed pricing should be treated as an option.

6.3.24 Overhead Paging Interface

Certain sites will require overhead paging access through the telephony system. Offeror shall include the cost of the paging interface (Valcom, etc.) and zone require-ments and maintain such service with the new equipment. Any paging system modi-fications will be provided by others.

6.3.25 Radio Frequency Interference

The Offeror shall assure that the proposed equipment is not affected by Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) and will function properly.

6.3.26 Night Answer

Systems must be able to operate in night answer mode without loss of capabilities.

6.3.27 Telephone Set Requirements

6.3.27.1 All newly proposed telephone sets, whether analog, digital, or VoIP shall be hearing-aid compatible. All digital and IP sets must have displays and speakerphones. Analog sets, where replacement is required, shall minimally have "tap" buttons, message waiting lights and recall buttons.

6.3.27.2 Messaging capabilities are important and, as a result, displays where utilized must be easy to read. Speakerphones must have clarity, quality, and virtually no clipping.

6.3.27.3 Where required, sets must have options (volume control, etc.) for the hearing impaired. All telephone sets must be line powered. Adapters are not acceptable.

6.3.27.4 For proposal purposes, telephone sets are categorized as Basic, Administrative, and Executive. Basic sets are largely 2-line/port sets with display and speakerphone. Administrative sets are multi-button, multi-line sets that are used for coverage purposes and include displays, speaker-phones, and expansion capability (possible add-on modules). Executive sets are multi-line, multi-button sets with displays, extra feature buttons and speakerphones. Buttons are designed for single touch features. Proposals should include 260 Basic and 17 Multiline phones. One (1) Executive phone (for possible console use) may be needed. Three (3) add-on modules may be required depending on proposed set capacities.

6.3.27.5 All digital / VoIP telephones will be SIP compatible.

6.3.27.6 All telephones will be labeless.

6.3.28 Attendant Consoles

It was indicated earlier that an attendant operator console may not be required. If an actual console is not used, a multi-button, multi-line set with display and speakerphone may be the recommendation. A PC client softphone application


alternative may also be proposed. The attendant application should include several distinct display fields, such as incoming call queue and active caller information. If a PC client softphone is recommended, GUI capabilities must support drag and click operations.

6.3.29 Multi-Party Conference Calls

The proposed system must be able to support a minimum six (6) party add-on conference call between on-net and off-network stations. The system must also support a minimum of three (3) off-network stations per multi-party conference call when required. Meet-Me Conference options are invited.

6.3.30 Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD)

Offeror’s proposal must include one new TDD unit that employs the latest TDD technology.

6.3.31 Voice Mail / Auto Attendant

6.3.31.1 Capacity / Integration

Proposed systems must have a fully integrated (100%) voice mail / auto attendant package with redundant capability that will support all Port Clinton sites (centralized design). Pricing and appropriate detail must be provided to reflect levels of redundancy (mirroring). It is preferred that the voice mail / auto attendant product be manufactured by the PBX manufacturer. System sizing is left to the Offeror. The system must be modular in order to add additional ports and storage when needed. The Offeror shall verify that the proposed solution is adequate for all locations that must access the system. Administration of the systems must operate over the County LAN and be accessed by multiple PCs under password control.

6.3.31.2 Automated Attendant

The proposed voice processing systems must have an integrated automated attendant package providing voice prompting for automating routing of calls to selected destinations within the facility or voice mailboxes. The proposed system must have advanced menuing and routing capabilities and must be easy to use and program.

6.3.31.3 Default

Callers shall have the capability to default to the operator or alternative coverage if they do not wish to select any of the other menu options for the system. Furthermore, the system must have the capability to time out and return callers to the operator.

6.3.31.4 Out Calling

The system shall have the ability to "out call", in which the user can program his / her mailbox to place a call to deliver messages to any other designated telephone number or mobility device when a message is received. The system must be easy to use and must have the capability for personal


greetings. It also must have the ability for users to access their mailboxes remotely when outside of the telephone system premise (with password protection).

6.3.31.5 Growth

The voice processing system must be expandable without replacement. The system must also have a migration path in which adding memory / servers can easily accommodate further growth. Replacement is not an acceptable option. Indicate the maximum number of ports and hours before additional modules / components must be added.

6.3.31.6 Survivability

It is required that remote station users have access to messaging services if there is a WAN link disruption to the Courthouse.

6.3.31.7 Networking

The recommended voice-processing product shall have the capability for communicating to other voice mail systems made by both the same and different manufacturers.

6.3.31.8 Additional Capabilities

The voice processing system shall have the capability for instant recording purposes. The system should have the capability to record an in-process conversation and save it to voice mail by a push of a button on the user’s telephone or terminal. In addition, 24-hour recording solutions may be required for selected PBX lines / ports (e.g., Sheriff’s Department).

6.3.32 Automatic Call Distribution / Call Center

There is no current Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) / Call Center application requirement for this system. However, for some basic queuing operations, etc., Ottawa County desires that the proposed system have the capability for basic ACD that could be activated in the future, at low cost, if needed. “Basic” means that the system must be able to queue calls, play a series of recorded announcements, distribute calls, provide a variety of call handling capabilities, be user-configurable, and provide basic management reports on a real-time basis.

6.3.33 Call Detail Recording (CDR)

6.3.33.1 General Requirements

These specifications shall cover the requirements for an optional Call Detail Recording System. Offeror’s price for CDR must be turnkey, including hardware (including the PC) and software, installation, testing, training, debugging, and initial support. Systems must be capable of handling the anticipated growth of the facility without upgrade or replacement. Capabilities to handle remote sites on a centralized basis are also required. Indicate the CDR warranty period if different from the overall PBX warranty. Also indicate the source and cost of ongoing support after warranty.


6.3.33.2 Capacity and Operation

CDR software shall be menu-driven, shall have capability for a minimum of 500 stations, and must be expandable without replacement. The system shall be capable of recording number called, originating or receiving extension, origination date and time, duration, trunk used (when applicable,) and authorization code used so that originating internal, local, and long-distance calls can be logged, and so that incoming calls also can be logged. The ability to capture “local call” detail is a requirement. It is expected that call detail recording will operate as a background task. System administration must be able to operate on the LAN and be accessed from multiple PCs under password control.

6.3.33.3 System Reports

The system software must provide the following reports as a minimum: Individual Call Costing, Summary Usage Reports, Extension Summary Reports, Selective Extension Reports, Long Calls, Frequently Called Numbers, Most Costly Calls, Departmental Reports, Alert Reports (Monitored Called Numbers), Trunk / Line Reports and Directory Reports. Reports shall show name and extension number with full cost accounting and allocation. The system must also be capable of providing custom reports specified by and generated by the user. Such report-writing capa-bility should allow the user to specify any of the fields to be printed in any sequence, and the users must be able to set up filters (specifications to suppress printing of unwanted information), and user defined subtotal points.

System software must allow both manual (ad hoc) and automatic report generation (reports print automatically at predetermined times). The system shall be able to run reports at any time without loss of call collection capability. Inquiry and report responses must be virtually instantaneous.

6.3.33.4 Archiving

System must be capable of archiving call records to any selected storage device in such a manner that, at a later date, reports can be generated from said records in the event that later facts warrant examination of archival call records. Indicate if the proposed system has any archiving restrictions.

6.3.33.5 Rate Tables

Factory-produced rate table updates shall be available for seven (7) years following installation. Indicate the annual cost of this service.

6.3.33.6 Ease of Use

The recommended package must be easy to load, use, and update. Processes must be intuitive and simple to understand.


6.3.33.7 Support / Training

Offeror must provide primary CDR support for seven (7) years. Offeror must be expert on the recommended package and must be capable of total implementation and support. Manufacturer support must be secondary. Offeror shall include the cost of implementation and training, including loading the database.

6.3.34 Security

The County requires a secure network solution to optimize system performance and reduce the probability of toll fraud, restricted calls, and illegal system and network access.

6.3.35 Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)

The Offeror will provide pricing for UPS systems where required. Offeror will provide UPS detail and pricing that will provide two (2) options. The options are 1-hour support and 4-hour support for both. Offeror shall identify any sites where a UPS is recommended.

6.3.36 Line Protection

6.3.36.1 The proposed telephony system shall be equipped with current surge protectors to prevent damage to the PBX from power line induced voltage, spikes, lightning surges, etc. Lightning protection shall be provided for all trunks.

6.3.36.2 Surge protection shall include: five (5) nano-seconds or less response time to the transient. All power supplies shall be protected against primary line surges. Devices shall be UL listed.

6.3.36.3 Voltage protection threshold, line to neutral, starts at 200 volts peak, and the transient voltage shall not exceed 300 volts peak. The protector must not short the AC power line at any time, except upon failure of the protector.

6.3.37 Power Failure Sets

Analog sets identified as power failure sets must be capable of functioning under normal conditions and during power failure situations. Power failure sets will be capable of initiating (dialing) or receiving calls and be red in color. Selected Offeror will be responsible for marking power failure stations in a professional manner so that they can be quickly located during an emergency. Selected Offeror shall have responsibility for ensuring that power failure sets function as intended, and if any coordination with the LEC is required, shall provide such coordination as a part of this agreement without additional compensation. Dial tone to power failure sets must be automatic upon loss of power. The power failure system must also have the capability to permit County personnel to manually activate the system.

6.3.38 Site Preparation

Environmental Requirements

All proposals shall identify the environmental specifications for housing the Offeror’s proposed PBX. Such specifications shall include, but are not limited to the following:


6.3.38.1 Floor loading for batteries and cabinets.

6.3.38.2 Minimum floor space and ceiling heights.

6.3.38.3 Specific power requirements.

6.3.38.4 Ambient temperature and relative humidity operating ranges recommended by the manufacturer to prevent equipment damage.

6.3.38.5 Air conditioning requirements (expressed in BTU / hour) based on the maximum capacity of the system.

6.3.38.6 Equipment dimensions, environmental conditions, and total physical characteristics shall be submitted with each component of equipment bid.

6.3.38.7 Thirty (30) days prior to delivery date, the successful Offeror will present to Ottawa County a planned layout of the equipment and a plan to displace and eliminate the old equipment where necessary.

6.3.38.8 The successful Offeror shall include site preparation specifications in such detail as to ensure that the equipment will operate efficiently in the environment in which it is to be maintained.

6.3.38.9 The County shall prepare the equipment sites for new installation as well as relocate equipment in accordance with selected Offeror supplied specifications. Both parties, in writing, must mutually agree to any modifi-cations to the specifications.

6.3.38.10 It is required that power supplies and wiring must handle the maximum system capacity. System must be protected from primary power source fluctuations. Offeror must provide power requirements and average power consumption levels, and provide information about transient protection in the primary AC power, lightning protection, grounding, bonding, and shielding requirements. System will be protected from electrical noise from either the equipment or cabling. All equipment must be working satisfactorily without grounding-based problems. It shall be the provider's responsibility to ensure that this is the case.

6.3.38.11 Selected Offeror is responsible for proper system grounding and all recommended lightning protection.


SECTION SEVEN – MAINTENANCE / WARRANTY

HARDWARE

7.1 Selected Offeror shall render maintenance to keep hardware in, or restore hardware to good working order. This maintenance includes preventive and remedial maintenance, installation of safety changes, and installation of engineering changes based upon the specific needs of the individual item of hardware. The maintenance shall include the repair, replacement, or exchange deemed necessary to restore the hardware to good working order. For purposes of the Contract, hardware restored to good working condition shall be defined as hardware that shall perform all functions as prescribed in the manufacturer's published specifications for such hardware as originally manufactured. The selected Offeror is required to supply a copy of the manufacturer's specifications to Ottawa County as part of the Contract agreement.

7.2 Maintenance shall include adjustments and replacement of maintenance parts deemed neces-sary. Maintenance parts may or may not be manufactured by the original hardware manufacturer, may be altered by the selected Offeror to enhance maintainability, but shall be acceptable to the original hardware manufacturer. All maintenance parts shall be furnished and replaced at the installation site on an exchange basis, and the exchanged part shall become the property of the selected Offeror.

7.3 Selected Offeror shall exert its best efforts to perform all fault isolation and problem determi-nation including hardware, software, and network problem diagnosis, attributed to the hardware, software, and networking covered under the Contract. There shall be no additional charge to the County for the maintenance performed by the selected Offeror whether or not the actual cause was determined to be isolated within the hardware, software, and networking included in the Contract.

7.4 Selected Offeror agrees to cooperate with Ottawa County personnel, hardware manufacturer representatives, other vendor / carrier personnel and / or communications systems suppliers to diagnose and correct hardware malfunctions. Selected Offeror agrees, when requested by Ottawa County, to coordinate diagnostic testing efforts involving other vendor / carrier personnel and to accept direction from other referenced parties in carrying out diagnostic testing of telephony system malfunctions.

7.5 Selected Offeror warrants that all hardware shall be free from defects in material and workmanship for a period of twelve (12) months after the date of its Acceptance. At the option of the County, the selected Offeror shall repair, replace, or exchange any defective piece of hardware that the selected Offeror or Ottawa County determines to be defective. The selected Offeror shall bear all costs and risks regarding the return of any defective piece of hardware.

7.6 Selected Offeror warrants to Ottawa County good and clear title to the hardware, free and clear of any liens or encumbrances.

7.7 Selected Offeror warrants that it shall provide all parts and labor during the warranty period at no additional cost to Ottawa County. Trip charges shall be included. All hardware maintenance shall be performed on site.


7.8 Selected Offeror warrants that any hardware maintenance performed under the resulting Contract shall be governed by the same terms and conditions as set forth in the maintenance sections herein.

SOFTWARE

7.9 During the 12-month warranty period that begins from the date of Acceptance of the software and for any software maintenance performed with selected Offeror under the terms and conditions of the Contract, selected Offeror warrants that when the software is delivered and installed, it will operate on the specified telephony system and / or its peripherals in the manner as described in the relevant software documentation.

7.10 Selected Offeror warrants that while the software is under maintenance, Offeror will maintain the software to operate in a manner as described in the relevant software documentation, will supply technical bulletins and updated user guides from time to time, and will supply the County with updates, improvements, enhancements, or modifications to the software, which are not charged for separately.

7.11 Selected Offeror will service the software in a professional manner with qualified and certified personnel. The County acknowledges that said software documentation shall change over time with subsequent software releases and that following the warranty period, reason-able additional charges may be required for significant software upgrades.

7.12 Selected Offeror shall exert its best efforts to correct any programming error, which is directly attributable to the selected Offeror or manufacturer within a reasonable time, provided that the County notifies the selected Offeror of a problem with the software by telephone, email, or mail and that the County provides Offeror with information sufficient to identify the problem. Such information might include, but shall not be limited to: error diagnostic messages, diagnostic memory dumps, operator console log, data file dumps, application program listings, and other written explanation and documentation of said problem.

7.13 Offeror shall guarantee a 24-hour response time or less for routine maintenance and a one (1) hour or less response time for critical maintenance. On site critical maintenance response must be within four (4) hours. Response time shall be defined as the time it takes the selected Offeror to respond to a service call placed by the County to the toll-free number assigned for service by the selected Offeror. Critical maintenance is defined as a total system outage or any major component rendering the system non-functional to users and / or to the public, or has a significant impact on the County's ability to conduct business. Routine maintenance covers all other failures.

7.14 It is understood that any software delivered with the new telephony system, its peripherals and networking or any upgrades, are provided with a "right to use" understanding. Title remains with the manufacturer. Such software shall be supported by the manufacturer and selected Offeror as long as the equipment remains on the County's premises.

7.14.1 A copy of Offeror’s maintenance service agreement shall be furnished with the Proposal. Ottawa County reserves the right to cancel the Maintenance Agreement with a 60-day advance written notice.

7.14.2 Offerors shall state in their Proposal where their service center for maintenance support and inventory parts is located and a toll-free number for that service. Factory-trained and certified personnel, and an adequate parts supply inventory shall


be located at a Repair Facility situated within a 75-mile radius (or such that the selected Offeror can meet the 1/4 hour (one [1] hour response, four [4] hour on-site) response time requirement during emergency service of the facility, regardless of weather conditions.

7.14.3 Repair personnel shall carry critical hardware and software in their maintenance vehicles so that parts, diagnostic equipment, and software necessary to correct common problems are immediately available. All maintenance and repair work shall be performed by factory certified personnel, or by individuals who are accompanied by factory certified personnel.

7.14.4 Offeror’s Proposal shall include a copy of the type of maintenance service reports that will be kept, including date and time of problems, action taken to clear problems, service repairs made, parts replaced, the time the problem cleared, and the preventive maintenance schedule. Following cutover, copies of these records shall be furnished by Offeror upon request.

7.14.5 Each Offeror shall certify that they will be able to supply all parts, circuit boards, routers, servers, etc., for the entire system for at least seven (7) years. If the Offeror is not the manufacturer, the Offeror shall submit documentation from the manufacturer to guarantee parts and manufacturing field support for a period of seven (7) years from the date of accepted installation.

7.14.6 Offerors shall include projected life cycle maintenance service costs over a three (3) year span (warranty year plus two [2] additional years).

7.14.7 The successful Offeror shall provide a minimum warranty of twelve (12) months, starting from the date of Acceptance of the PBX, which shall include all necessary parts, labor, travel, or any other expense(s) to keep the telephony system fully opera-tional during the warranty period. Please note that this warranty shall include wiring repairs and maintenance of the telephony system, and wiring repairs to the cross-connect point. Other wiring repairs will be under the selected Offeror’s time and materials schedule.

7.14.8 The input / output format for maintenance, moves, changes, and administration shall be in high-level language using English, and does not require support personnel to interpret output data in binary or other machine language.

7.14.9 Emergency Service. During the entire contract period, including warranty and maintenance periods, the successful Offeror shall provide emergency service on a 24-hour basis, seven (7) days a week to include all Ottawa County holidays. The successful Offeror shall respond within one (1) hour after notification by Ottawa County and arrive on-site within four (4) hours (provided remote repair does not resolve the problem). An emergency situation will be considered if there is ten percent (10 percent) or more system capacity (equipment) failure at any time or as determined by the delegated Ottawa County authority. Both parties shall consider any outages that negatively affect or inhibit the ability to conduct business as an emergency.


SECTION EIGHT – OTHER TERMS AND CONDITIONS

8.1 Intentions

It is the intent of Ottawa County to describe in this RFP a complete working hardware and software configuration. Offeror must provide any incidental items omitted from these speci-fications in order to deliver a working hardware and software configuration that is in compli-ance with all manufacturer's specifications and requirements.

8.2 Hardware and Software Requirements

All additional or replacement hardware and software proposed shall be new, not reconditioned or refurbished. All hardware and software provided shall be at the latest engineering release level as offered by the original manufacturer. All technology proposed shall be available at the time of the award of the Contract.

8.3 Travel Expenses

Any travel or per diem required by the selected Offeror, which is part of the normal scope of work, shall be at the selected Offeror's expense. Ottawa County shall pay any additional travel, requested by Ottawa County after award of the Contract, only with prior written approval. All additional travel and per diem shall be paid in accordance with the travel rules of Ottawa County.

8.4 Compliance with the Law

The selected Offeror agrees to comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws in the conduct of the work hereunder. Offeror is reminded that this is a prevailing wage project. Selected Offeror accepts full responsibility for payment of all taxes and insurance including workers’ compensation insurance premiums, unemployment compensation insurance premiums, all income tax deductions, social security deductions, and any and all other taxes or payroll deductions required for all employees engaged by the selected Offeror in the performance of the work authorized by the resulting Contract. Ottawa County does not agree to pay any taxes.

8.5 Confidentiality

The Offeror and its sub-contractors, if any, understand that any information about Ottawa County’s recipients, and employees is confidential. "Confidential information" shall mean information or material proprietary to Ottawa County, or to any related member entity, or designated by law or by corporate policy, which may be obtained through the process of performance of this Agreement. Such information also includes any information described which Ottawa County treats as proprietary, whether or not owned or developed by Ottawa County. Title to confidential information shall remain with Ottawa County. Offeror agrees that it shall not use or reveal all or any portion of such information except for purposes described in this Agreement. Offeror's obligation of confidentiality shall be a continuing obligation.

8.6 Drug-Free / Smoke-Free Workplace

Offeror agrees to comply with all applicable state and federal laws regarding a drug-free and smoke-free workplace. Selected Offeror shall make a good faith effort to ensure that all selected Offeror employees or its sub-contractors, while working on Ottawa County property, will not purchase, use or possess illegal drugs or alcohol or abuse prescription drugs in any way. Ottawa County maintains a smoke-free workplace.


8.7 Assignment

Neither the resulting Contract or any rights, duties, or obligations described therein shall be assigned by either party hereto without the prior express, written consent of the other party.

8.8 Standards of Performance and Acceptance

8.8.1 System Acceptance is dependent upon a thirty (30) day successful standard of performance as defined herein. This also applies to replacement substitute hardware, and hardware which is added, or field modified after the site has completed a successful performance period. "System" is defined as the installed Telephony System, including hardware and software and all the related peripherals, and all components necessary to make the "system" work according to the manufacturer's specification. For purposes of performance and acceptance, measurements shall be applied to critical system components, software, and related networking that are necessary for maintaining normal business operations and shall not apply to individ-ual telephones, non-essential terminals, etc.

The standards of performance are:

8.8.2 A performance period shall begin on the cutover date of the Telephony System and shall end when the System has met the Standard of Performance for a period of thirty (30) consecutive days by operating in conformance with the selected Offeror's technical specifications (as set forth in the manufacturer's operations manual or as quoted in the Proposal) at a minimal effectiveness level of 99.0 percent.

8.8.3 In the event the system does not meet the Standard of Performance during the initial thirty (30) consecutive days, the Standard of Performance test shall continue on a day-to-day basis until the Standard of Performance is met for a total of thirty (30) consecutive days.

8.8.4 If the system fails to meet the Standard of Performance after ninety (90) calendar days from the start of the performance period, the selected Offeror shall be in default. Such a default shall only be remedied when Ottawa County agrees that a successful performance period has been completed. In addition to all other rights and remedies conferred to Ottawa County under the Contract, Ottawa County reserves the right to request replacement hardware / software, terminate the order, or assess damages.

8.8.5 The effectiveness level for the system is computed by dividing the sum of the up time of all critical devices at an installation site by the total of the number of working hours.

8.8.6 Operational use time for performance testing for a system is defined as the accumu-lated time during which all Telephony System hardware and software components, including peripherals, are in actual operation.

8.8.7 Operational use time for performance testing for added, field modified, substitute, or replacement hardware is defined as the accumulated time during which the hardware is in actual use.

8.8.8 System downtime is that period when any hardware or software in the system is inoperable due to failure.


8.8.9 During a period of downtime, Ottawa County may use selected Offeror certified operable hardware / software when such action does not interfere with repair of the inoperable hardware / software. The entire configuration shall be considered down during such periods.

8.8.10 Downtime shall start from the time Ottawa County makes a bona fide attempt to contact the selected Offeror's designated representative until the hardware / software is returned to proper operating condition (rounded to the nearest quarter hour).

8.8.11 Ottawa County shall maintain appropriate records to satisfy the requirements of the above paragraphs and shall notify the selected Offeror in writing of the first date of the successful performance period.

8.8.12 Hardware / software shall not be accepted or charges paid until the performance period is complete.

8.8.13 Uptime and downtime shall be measured in hours and quarter hours.

8.8.14 Should it be necessary, Ottawa County may delay the start of the performance period, but such delay shall not exceed 30 consecutive days. Unless otherwise mutually agreed to by Ottawa County and the selected Offeror, the performance period must start no later than the 31st day after the System cutover date.

8.8.15 Invoicing shall begin on the first day of Acceptance of the Telephony System by Ottawa County and shall not be invoiced until that date.

8.8.16 Equipment purchased under this RFP may be operated for any period of time at the convenience of Ottawa County (exclusive of time required for preventative and remedial maintenance) and shall not be restricted for any reason.

8.8.17 If necessary, and as defined by the County, the successful Offeror shall provide one (1) system software / networking reconfiguration within 90 days following cutover and / or acceptance, if needed, at no additional cost. It shall include design support or any other services necessary to properly optimize the system and its peripherals and to resolve identified problems.

8.9 Wiring Standard

Although station rewiring is not part of this RFP, any additional wiring work that is done will be performed in accordance with the latest TIA / EIA published standards and guidelines. All installed wiring in the Equipment Room area and any other wire installed will be Category 6 or better Commscope wire. The purpose is to establish the highest level of end-to-end capability and to prepare for future voice, data and video requirements. It is important to note that no patch panels are currently in place to support Cat 6 cabling.

8.9.1 Selected Offeror shall follow indicated and other published standards for cross-connect activities and any additional wiring that may be required throughout the building.


8.9.2 The successful Offeror shall be responsible for cross-connecting new systems to exist-ing wiring schemes. Offeror must not assume that the existing facility wiring will be properly labeled and identified.

8.9.3 Offerors shall assume that there will be some changes to current station arrange-ments. Adequate pairs will be available to operate new telephone instruments. No changes or additions to the proposed routing scheme will be allowed if it requires or involves changes over and above the final contracted amount, unless authorized in advance by Ottawa County.

8.9.4 Grounding and bonding shall meet or exceed EIA / TIA-607.

8.9.5 Additional telephone station wiring shall conform to accepted industry, FCC and NEC Standards as applicable to size, color code, insulation, etc. All selected Offeror installed wiring shall be new.

8.9.6 In the event additional horizontal subsystem home runs are required, Offeror shall provide a quote for the installation, including labor and materials before proceeding.

86.1 Cable connectorization, splicing, and termination shall be done in accor-dance with Industry Accepted Practices and standards.

8.9.7 All costs associated with the testing of wiring, both new and old, in preparation for the implementation of the new Telephony System, will be the responsibility of the selected Offeror, and shall be included in Offeror’s response.

8.9.8 Successful Offeror shall be responsible for assuring that existing station wiring will not adversely affect the performance of the selected Offeror’s proposed PBX or subsystems and that distribution to user terminals (telephones, routers, etc.) will meet manufacturer’s specifications and Ottawa County requirements.

8.10 Installation

8.10.1 Installation shall conform to the applicable State basic building code (OBBC), National Electric Code (NEC) and all other applicable national and local codes and with accepted telecommunications industry standards.

8.10.2 Where components, cables, cabinets, etc. are mounted on walls, ceilings, etc., suitable anchors must be used, so that if any one hanger should fail, the device will remain securely in place.

8.10.3 Unless otherwise noted, all cable and components shall be supported by the building structure. In no case shall any cables be fastened to or laid on a suspended ceiling. In no case shall any cables be fastened to the support wires of suspended ceilings, electrical conduits, or any mechanical or plumbing system pipe or other equipment.

8.10.4 All manufacturers' recommendations must be strictly adhered to. Cable pulling tension and bend radii are critical. Improper handling will cause physical abnor-malities that will cause signal degradation.

8.10.5 The successful Offeror shall take all steps necessary to protect all building compo-nents, finishes, and equipment from damage and shall be responsible for the repair or


replacement, to the satisfaction of Ottawa County, of all building components, finishes, and equipment damaged by the selected Offeror or his workers.

8.10.6 The selected Offeror shall at all times, keep the work sites free from accumulation of waste materials and / or rubbish resulting from delivery of services. Offeror shall keep the site at least broom clean. Upon completion of services at the work site, selected Offeror shall ensure that any remaining waste materials or rubbish are removed from the work site as well as all Offerors’ tools, construction equipment, machinery, temporary structures, and / or surplus materials.

8.10.7 No exposed wiring or wire mold or other surface mounted raceway will be permitted in finished areas.

8.10.8 The successful Offeror shall provide all necessary labor, equipment, and accessories to complete the job in a satisfactory manner.

8.11 Engineering

8.11.1 An initial planning meeting will be held with the successful Offeror to clarify all requirements (systems, services, distribution methods, etc.), identify responsibilities, and schedule the events that will transpire during the implementation of the project. Within one (1) week of the initial meeting, the selected Offeror shall provide a project schedule that will clearly document the events and responsibilities associated with the project.

8.11.2 Upon completion of the initial engineering stage, the selected Offeror shall make available engineering documentation for each location for approval by Ottawa County. Ottawa County will review the engineering documentation within a one (1) week period. If no revisions are required, the documentation shall be formally accepted in writing by Ottawa County. Any revisions shall be completed by the selected Offeror within a one (1) week time period and resubmitted for review.

8.12 Patching and Painting

It shall be the responsibility of the selected Offeror to restore damaged walls, ceilings, and / or wall coverings to their original condition.

8.12.1 The quality of workmanship shall be “Type 1 - Recommended,” as set forth in the latest edition of the Painting Specifications of the Painting and Decorating Offerors of America.

8.12.2 The quality of patching shall maintain the same fire rating as the original wall or ceiling covering.

8.12.3 Offeror shall submit requirements for cutting and patching to the Ottawa County Project Manager for approval.

8.13 Firestopping and Smoke Seals

Firestopping includes, but is not limited to, openings in fire-rated floors and walls for cables, conduits and trays, etc. Firestopping materials shall conform to ratings as required by local and state building codes and as tested by nationally accepted test agencies per ASTM E814 and UL 1479 fire tests.


8.13.1 Fire ratings shall be a minimum of one (1) hour but not less than the fire resistance of the floor or wall being penetrated.

8.13.2 Codes and Standards for firestopping materials include:

ASTM E814 UL 1479 NFPA 101-88. 6-2.2.5 and 6-2.2.8

8.13.3 Installation shall conform to manufacturer's printed instructions for installation.

8.13.4 Firestop materials shall be non-combustible silicone elastomer sealant having a UL Classification as a "fill, void, or cavity material.”

8.13.5 The winning Offeror shall submit manufacturer's product data, specifications, and installation instructions to the Ottawa County Project Manager for review and approval prior to making any penetrations.

8.13.6 All penetrations and accompanying firestopping shall be documented in writing by the selected Offeror. Such records shall include objects penetrating, characteristics of the penetration, and location.

8.13.7 Firestops shall be examined by Ottawa County staff and any applicable Code authorities prior to closing in work.

8.14 Disaster Management

A 'disaster' is herein defined as an act, such as fire, flood, vandalism, etc., which renders the system at least 50 percent inoperable and results in life-threatening situations. In the event of a disaster, successful Offeror agrees to take the following steps.

Successful Offeror shall:

8.141 Respond immediately to the problem, giving it priority over all normal production, installation, and service work. Interim emergency telecommunications equipment shall be immediately provided.

8.142 Assume responsibility for emergency service coordination with the operating telephone company. Successful Offeror will not be held responsible for restoring service with the operating telephone company but will be responsible for coordinat-ing the restoral effort.

8.143 Make every reasonable effort to deliver a temporary system and other necessary temporary equipment within 24 hours and install that equipment within 48 hours of notification by Ottawa County.

8.144 Provide all needed staff support to restore service promptly.

8.145 Make every reasonable effort to install a permanent replacement system to duplicate the destroyed system within 30 days of notification by Ottawa County. Successful Offeror will install permanent instrumentation and other equipment to duplicate the


destroyed instrumentation and other equipment within 30 days of notification by Ottawa County based on the then-current equipment configuration.

8.146 It will be the responsibility of Ottawa County to make appropriate payments to the successful Offeror for the actions itemized above at the then-current rates.

8.15 Spare Equipment Pricing

Each Offeror shall provide an itemized list with discounted prices for spare equipment. These prices shall be construed to be effective for twelve (12) months from date of installation. Installation charges, if any, of each item shall also be identified. All prices shall be considered proprietary.

8.16 Training and Documentation Requirements

8.16.1 Offeror's company must have professional instructors specifically trained for telephony implementations. The importance of good user training cannot be over-emphasized. Offeror's training people will conduct user training on site no earlier than two (2) weeks before Ottawa County implementation and will be on site on the initial user’s cutover date. These people will also conduct console training (if applicable) and will be available for 30 days at no charge to Ottawa County following implementation. Offeror shall provide a comprehensive description of the training curriculum, methods, and training materials.

8.16.2 User training shall be comprehensive and appropriate to the user groups and telephone sets and peripherals that they utilize. A minimum of one (1) hour of training per user shall be provided. Training sessions will be held in such a manner that disruption of normal work routines is minimized. Group sessions, generally arranged by work group and including up to 15 employees, will be required during the weeks before cutover. Exact dates will be scheduled with the approval of department heads and / or Project Manager. Training must cover user features of the proposed system, including voice mail. Separately, console training for attendants and their back-ups must also be included (if applicable). Live demonstration sets must be installed in a room identified by Ottawa County for hands-on trials. Detailed written instructions and quick reference cards must be provided to all users. Selected Offeror and Ottawa County, as part of Acceptance, shall mutually agree upon the adequacy of training.

8.16.3 The selected Offeror shall also conduct on-site training for the system administrator and technical support people in the basic use of all facets of the telephony system, including system administration, moves and changes software programming, routine maintenance, malfunction diagnosis, voice mail / automated attendant programming and administration, call detail recording, and any other applicable system support training.

8.16.4 Training will be on-site and thorough. After on-site training, more advanced classes may be given consideration whether online or off-site. Offeror is requested to provide a typical training program for Ottawa County’s technical staff with approximate cost and duration. The cost of any training shall be included in the response.

8.16.5 The selected Offeror's training staff shall be available for questions during normal working hours for a period of thirty (30) days immediately following cutover.


8.16.6 Offeror must guarantee availability of training for console attendants, users, and system administrators, for the life of the system (minimum of seven [7] years). Such training may be a separately chargeable item following Acceptance. Offeror must specify the cost and availability of providing comparable training for future personnel. Hourly rates quoted shall remain firm for year one (1) of the Contract. Rates for subsequent years are subject to negotiation.

8.17 Other Offeror Requirements

8.17.1 Station user guides are required for every station user plus extra copies. Additional copies must be available on demand at Offeror's then-current rate.

8.17.2 One (1) complete copy of the Installation Manual and one (1) complete copy of all Technical System Operating Manuals will be provided to Ottawa County. Offeror must indicate if these manuals are available on some optical storage medium or online. Any associated cost must be included in the Offeror’s Proposal.

8.17.3 Responder is asked to describe backup system software procedures and backup software to be provided to the County.

8.17.4 During the warranty period, all system maintenance programming will be completed by the selected Offeror or by Ottawa County staff under the supervision of the selected Offeror.

8.17.5 Equipment Maintenance Logs and other such records are to be maintained and kept in each location’s MDF and must be accessible by Ottawa County staff.

8.18 Hardware Title

The title to and risk of loss and damage (unless caused by the negligence of the facility personnel) to all items of equipment shall remain in and be the responsibility of the successful Offeror until final delivery, Acceptance of, and final payment for the system by Ottawa County.

8.19Security

The work comprising this project will be performed at Ottawa County facilities. The selected Offeror shall comply with the following special working conditions:

8.19.1 Selected Offeror must be cleared for security access by Ottawa County. Selected Offeror shall submit a list of names of all persons expected to be on the project site. The completed list shall be submitted to the Ottawa County Commissioner’s office for approval prior to any person's appearance at the site for work assignments.

8.19.2 Selected Offeror shall check in with Ottawa County security daily. Selected Offeror shall follow all Ottawa County security rules.

8.20 Safety

8.20.1 Selected Offeror shall comply with federal, state, municipal, and OSHA laws, rules, regulations, and code requirements.


8.20.2 Selected Offeror shall be responsible for initiating, maintaining, and supervising all safety precautions and programs in connection with performing services. Selected Offeror shall take all reasonable precautions for safety, and shall provide all reasonable protection to prevent damage, injury, or loss to, (1) all employees pro-viding service and other persons who may be affected, (2) all materials and equipment to be used in providing the services, and (3) other property at the site or adjacent thereto.

8.20.3 Selected Offeror also shall take necessary steps to ensure that required fire fighting apparatus is accessible at all times. Flammable materials shall be kept in suitable places outside County buildings.

8.21 Problem Notification

If after any award of the Contract, the selected Offeror becomes aware of possible problems that could result in delay in completion of the system or schedule, the selected Offeror must immediately notify the designated Ottawa County project leader by telephone, with confir-mation in writing within 72 hours, giving the cause and probable effect, with recommenda-tions for alternative action. This notification will not relieve the selected Offeror of its contractual responsibilities; however, failure to notify promptly will be basis for determining selected Offeror negligence in an otherwise excusable delay.

8.22 Project Management

Offeror will provide a single point of contact, i.e., Project Manager, to speak for the Offeror and to provide the following functions:

Initiate and coordinate tasks with Ottawa County staff, architect, engineers, Offerors, and others as specified by Ottawa County.

Provide day-to-day direction and on-site supervision of Offeror personnel. Ensure conformance with all Contract provisions.

The Offeror's ability to provide strong project management is an important component of the final selection process.


SECTION NINE - EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS

9.1 Evaluation

An Evaluation Committee comprised of personnel from the County and the Consultant shall conduct the evaluation of submitted Proposals. The evaluation procedure will be objective, thorough, complete, and well documented. Categories will be established and will be graded and tabulated based on a weighted algorithm. Final tabulations will result in identifying the winning Offeror.

9.2 Right to Reject

The Evaluation Committee reserves the right to reject any and all Proposals in whole or in part when it has determined the award of a Contract would not be in the best interest of the County or the Offeror. The Evaluation Committee may waive minor defects that are not material when no prejudice will result to the rights of any other Offerors.

9.3 Letter of Intent

The County shall issue a letter of intent to the winning Offeror contingent on the successful negotiation of a Contract. All unsuccessful Offerors shall be notified in writing after a Contract award has been made. No information shall be released after the RFP due date until announcement of an award and execution of the resulting Contract by the County. The resulting Contract shall not take effect until the County issues a valid Purchase Order to the winning Offeror. Furthermore, the County has no obligation to award a Contract under this RFP.

9.4 Responsibility

The selected Offeror will be required to assume responsibility for all services offered in the Proposal. Further, the County will consider the winning Offeror to be the sole point of contact with regard to contractual matters, including payment of any and all charges resulting from the Contract.


OTTAWA COUNTY COMMISSIONERSPort Clinton, OH 43452

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)for

MULTI-SITE TELEPHONY SYSTEM

Table of ContentsGENERAL STATEMENT.................................................................................................................1

Purpose.....................................................................................................................................................1Key Dates...................................................................................................................................................1Structure...................................................................................................................................................1

SECTION ONE - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.......................................................................................21.0 Purpose.........................................................................................................................................21.1 Objectives......................................................................................................................................21.2 Prevailing Wage............................................................................................................................21.3 Calendar of Events.......................................................................................................................21.4 Advertising Period.......................................................................................................................31.5 Mandatory Pre-Proposal Conference.........................................................................................31.6 Location for Response Opening..................................................................................................3

SECTION TWO - GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS.................................................................................42.1 Contacts.........................................................................................................................................42.2 RFP Documents............................................................................................................................42.3 Inquiries........................................................................................................................................42.4 Protests.........................................................................................................................................42.5 Addenda........................................................................................................................................52.6 Submittals.....................................................................................................................................62.7 Offer Opening................................................................................................................................72.8 Waiver of Defects.........................................................................................................................72.9 Alternate Proposals......................................................................................................................72.11 Bid Guaranty.................................................................................................................................82.12 Bid Guaranty and Contract Bond................................................................................................92.13 Affidavits / Agreement................................................................................................................92.14 Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)......................................................................................92.15 Indemnification............................................................................................................................92.16 Taxes...........................................................................................................................................10

SECTION THREE –OFFEROR SUBMITTALS...............................................................................113.1 Qualification Statement.............................................................................................................113.2 Offeror Profile Requirements....................................................................................................113.3 Other Offeror Requirements.....................................................................................................123.4 Delivery.......................................................................................................................................12

SECTION FOUR – PROPOSAL ORGANIZATION..........................................................................134.1 Proposal Copies / Content.........................................................................................................134.2 RFP Response Instructions........................................................................................................134.3 Response Section Order.............................................................................................................134.4 Right to Reject............................................................................................................................144.5 Table of Contents........................................................................................................................14

Ballou Consultants Inc. Page i of iii October 26, 2015

4.6 Executive Summary / Cover Letter..........................................................................................144.7 Manufacturer's Profile...............................................................................................................144.8 Offeror Profile.............................................................................................................................144.9 Offeror References.....................................................................................................................154.10 Key Personnel Profile Summaries............................................................................................154.11 System Capabilities, Both Present and Future.........................................................................154.12 Technical Documentation..........................................................................................................154.13 Offeror Response Information..................................................................................................154.14 Implementation and Training Plan with Time Line................................................................154.15 Warranty / Maintenance Plan(s)..............................................................................................164.16 Cost Summary and Component Breakdown............................................................................164.17 Options and Spare Equipment Costs........................................................................................164.18 Proof of Insurance......................................................................................................................174.19 Bid Guaranty, Contract Bond and Affidavits............................................................................174.20 Contracts / Agreements.............................................................................................................17

SECTION FIVE – PROJECT DESCRIPTION / OVERVIEW...........................................................185.1 Scope of Work.............................................................................................................................185.2 Ottawa County Abstract.............................................................................................................185.3 Present System...........................................................................................................................185.4 Infrastructure.............................................................................................................................20

SECTION SIX - SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS..................................................................................216.1 Overview.....................................................................................................................................216.2 Codes / Standards......................................................................................................................226.3 Proposed System Description and Requirements...................................................................22

SECTION SEVEN – MAINTENANCE / WARRANTY....................................................................34HARDWARE............................................................................................................................................34SOFTWARE.............................................................................................................................................35

SECTION EIGHT – OTHER TERMS AND CONDITIONS..............................................................378.1 Intentions....................................................................................................................................378.2 Hardware and Software Requirements....................................................................................378.3 Travel Expenses.........................................................................................................................378.4 Compliance with the Law..........................................................................................................378.5 Confidentiality............................................................................................................................378.6 Drug-Free / Smoke-Free Workplace........................................................................................378.7 Assignment.................................................................................................................................388.8 Standards of Performance and Acceptance.............................................................................388.9 Wiring Standard.........................................................................................................................398.10 Installation..................................................................................................................................408.11 Engineering.................................................................................................................................418.12 Patching and Painting................................................................................................................418.13 Firestopping and Smoke Seals..................................................................................................418.14 Disaster Management................................................................................................................428.15 Spare Equipment Pricing...........................................................................................................438.16 Training and Documentation Requirements...........................................................................438.17 Other Offeror Requirements.....................................................................................................448.18 Hardware Title...........................................................................................................................448.19 Security.......................................................................................................................................448.20 Safety...........................................................................................................................................44

Ballou Consultants Inc. Page ii of iii October 26, 2015

8.21 Problem Notification..................................................................................................................458.22 Project Management..................................................................................................................45

SECTION NINE - EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS........................................................................469.1 Evaluation...................................................................................................................................469.2 Right to Reject............................................................................................................................469.3 Letter of Intent...........................................................................................................................469.4 Responsibility.............................................................................................................................46

Ballou Consultants Inc. Page iii of iii October 26, 2015

ALL ATTACHMENTS ARE LISTED IN THE PDF VERSION ON THE COUNTY WEBSITE

www.co.ottawa.oh.us

Ballou Consultants Inc. Page iv of iii October 26, 2015
