Tallapoosa County Board of Education

WAN BID 2016 TALLAPOOSA COUNTY SCHOOLS SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS PAGE 1

1.0 SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS

1.1 INTRODUCTION

The Tallapoosa County School District (authority of Tallapoosa County Board of Education), herein referred to as "The School District", is in the process of soliciting proposals for the purpose of purchasing certain technology products and/or services as defined in Section 2.0 in detail.

All suppliers (and or vendors) should thoroughly investigate this document in order to provide in their proposal sufficient substance for total evaluation. All mandatory requirements must be responded to and the proposal should include sufficient data to allow technical evaluation and cost computation of submitted proposal.

For sections stating the School District terms, conditions, or position on a subject, the supplier shall state section number followed by "Acknowledge, Accepted and Agreed”. If further information is requested from the vendor, it must be provided.

The School District reserves the right to use State Master Contracts as a response to this RFP.

1.2 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

The Sealed Proposal process will be used in this acquisition. The calendar of events is as follows.

1. Release Request for Proposals (RFP): on or before March 17, 2016 2. Bidders Onsite Meeting Dadeville High School 227 Weldon St Dadeville Time 10:00 AM March 24, 2016 3. Deadline for receipt of Proposals/Bid Opening: 3:00 p.m. April 14, 2016 4. Notice of intent to Award on or before April 25, 2016

1.3 PROCEDURAL INSTRUCTIONS

The supplier as a result of any discussion with any School District employee shall execute no negotiations, decisions, or actions. Only those transactions that are in writing from the School District may be considered in biding. The School District will consider only those transactions from suppliers, which are in writing and signed by an authorized official.

The vendor’s response to this RFP should be addressed to:

Joel Padgett 679 E Columbus St. Dadeville, Al. 36853 Email [email protected] 256-397-4174 Please email the above address with a notice of intent to bid. This will allow us to include your company in the Bid Meeting specific date/time/location and any other changes to this bid.

(Sorry, email proposals are not allowed under current Alabama Bid Law. Only original copies delivered to the address above may be considered.)

1 WAN BID 2016 TALLAPOOSA COUNTY SCHOOLS SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS PAGE 2

1.4 PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL

An original and one (1) copy of the proposal and any materials requested in Section 2.0, if any, must be submitted. Suppliers mailing proposals shall allow for normal mail time to insure the timely receipt of their proposal. Proposals submitted will become the property of the School District. All costs associated with supplier's proposal shall be expressly the supplier's responsibility.

1.5 PROPOSAL CONTENTS

Any proposal submitted must contain one original and one copy of: Itemized list of equipment and software being proposed, which is equal to or greater than the specifications provided in Section 2.

1.6 PRICING DATA (COST DATA)

Pricing data submitted by suppliers must reflect extended and total lowest cost to the School District including all shipping and any other costs. For purposes of shipping costs the address supplied in Section 1.3 should be used. Shipping costs should be itemized separately.

1.7 PROPOSAL OPENING

Proposals will be opened at the time specified in 1.2 above. LATE PROPOSALS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

1.8 REJECTION AND/OR ACCEPTANCE OF PROPOSAL

The School District reserves the right to reject any portion of any or all proposals received by reason of this request. The School District reserves the right to reject all proposals for this request. Acceptance shall be at the sole discretion of the School District as determined to be in the best interest of the School District. The School District does not intend to pay for information solicited prior to entering into a purchasing agreement with the successful proposer or proposers. The School District reserves the right to use State Master Contracts as a response to this RFP.

The School District reserves the right to waive technicalities and minor irregularities in proposals at its sole discretion. Grounds for the rejection of a proposal include, but shall not be limited to:

(a) Failure of a proposal to conform to the required specifications of the solicitation; (b) A Proposal imposing conditions which would modify the terms and conditions of the solicitation; (c) A Proposal to limit the supplier's liability to the School District beyond the solicitation requirements; (d) Proposals received that are determined to be from suppliers who are not responsible or who have shown to have product unsuitable to the School District’s requirements; (e) Unsigned Proposals;

(f) All documents with a signature line must be signed and returned. Signature must not be in pencil. Basis of Award

In keeping with the guidelines of USAC, this RFP will be awarded to the most cost effective provider. Prices will be the primary factor, but not necessarily the sole factor, in evaluating the bids. Other factors of consideration may be prior experience with e-rate and service being provided, including past performance; personnel qualifications, including technical excellence; management capability, including schedule compliance; environmental objectives; and flexibility of leasing terms and arrangements. Tallapoosa County School District does not guarantee award of a contract and reserves the right to reject all bids. These factors may be utilized in weighing the RFP responses as follows:

Specifications are not intended to eliminate any reputable manufacturer, brand or bidder. Reference to manufacturers, brand names, suppliers catalog numbers, etc., is intended to set quality standards and does NOT exclude bids from others as long as quality standards are met. Pictures, descriptions and specifications shall accompany all bids. Factor Weight Price 40% Prior Experience/Customer 20% Satisfaction Compatibility to District 20% Standards and support structure Adherence to RFP Specifications 20%

1.9 TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1.9.1 The Laws and Constitution of the State of Alabama govern this request for proposals and any subsequent purchasing agreement award. 1.9.2 During the period of the purchasing agreement, and/or renewals, no changes will be permitted in any of the conditions and specifications unless the supplier receives written approval from the School District through the Purchasing Department. 1.9.3 The contract period for this bid will be July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2019 (3 years).

1.10 Alabama Law Section 41-16-28. Bond for faithful performance of contract to be required.

Bond in a responsible sum ($2,500) for faithful performance of the contract, with adequate surety, shall be required. In lieu of bond, bidder may include a certified check in that amount. Such check will be promptly returned upon either the successful completion of the transaction (successful bidder) or if the bidder is not selected for performance under the bid.

1.11 This bid is tied to Erate funding. 3 WAN BID 2016 TALLAPOOSA COUNTY SCHOOLS SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS PAGE 4

The vendor will provide a binding contract to the School District for submission to the Schools and Libraries Division. The purchase order will be created after notification of award from the Schools and Libraries Division (SLD). The purchase order will show the amount that is the responsibility of the local school system only. Issuing the purchase order will be contingent upon approval by the Universal Services Funding Agency (E-rate). Complete payment to the vendor will be subject to the rules of the Schools and Libraries Division (SLD). If for any reason the School District should lose funding from any source, including approval of the local IT Services budget, the School District is only responsible for the work completed up to the time of the funding loss. A non-appropriation (funding out) clause will be made part of all contracts. (Subject to negotiations with the successful bidder).

1.12 Bidders On-Site Meeting (if applicable)

The Bidder On-site meeting is mandatory for all bidders so we can assure that all bidders receive the same information. The School District cannot be responsible for bidders not attending and missing information that may be distributed at that meeting. In addition, no other opportunities will be afforded vendors for on-site reviews of the School Locations unless specific conditions warrant such visits and the visits are authorized by the School District. If vendor plans to attend On-Site meeting, vendor must notify Joel Padgett to obtain meeting information.

SECTION 2.0 – DETAILED REQUIREMENTS I. Overview

Tallapoosa County Schools (TCS) requires a continuation of its current leased, switched high-speed Internet Access and wide area network (WAN) wherein all schools can communicate with the internet. The current Internet Access configuration consists of a fiber optic, 1 Gigabit network that connects all schools and the central office. There is a 10mb link to the internet from a central point in the network. Proposed network configurations must provide at least the current level of communication and meet the requirements as stated in these detailed specifications. See Attachment B for the location/addresses of the schools and central office location. If a location closes it is required that the location be removed from service/billing by the following month without penalty.

****NOTICE: VENDORS MUST RESPOND TO BOTH OPTIONS TO BE ACCEPTED.**** II. Specifications

1. OPTION 1: Vendor shall submit a leased layer 3 routed and managed, 1 Gigabit full duplex fiber optic video and data network proposal to all TCS locations (as listed in Attachment B) with a 10 mbs minimum connection to the Internet from the Central Office location (for all the School District to access). (See Attachment C for Network Details). Internet access should be cost allocated separately from the WAN service. 2. OPTION 2: Vendor shall submit a leased layer 2, switched and managed, 1 Gigabit full duplex fiber optic video and data network to connect all TCS locations (as listed in Attachment B) with a 10 mbs minimum connection to the Internet from the Central Office location (for all the School District to access). See Attachment C for Network Details. Internet access should be cost allocated separately from the WAN service. 3. Contracts and pricing should assume a 3 year period beginning July 1, 2016 until June 30, 2019. 4. TCS reserves the right to terminate services due to reduction of Erate funding available and/or lack of vendors non-performance under this contract. 5. WEB CONTENT FILTERING SERVICE. Vendor should provide, as a function of the network, a filtering function that is compliant with the Children’s Internet Protection Act. Filters should be updated daily with the ability for local override using Windows 2012 Domain logon authorizations. In addition, websites can be added to the service as needed. (See Attachment C for details)

SUMMARY – VENDOR CHECKLIST

1. Proposed Wide Area Network will be fully functional, to Bid specifications, and ready for operation on or before July 1, 2016. 2. Timeline to complete each phase of the Bid is included. (ie: The WAN must be fully functional, to specification, and operational no later than July 1, 2016.) 3. A complete list of permits/licenses along with permit/license cycle time (i.e., length of time for the permit to be granted) is attached for any and all permits required to complete the WAN as defined by the bidder and according to specification. 4. Bidder understands the stipulation about the submission to the SLD. 5. Bidder understands the stipulation about acceptable network mediums. 6. Network will be managed/monitored 365 days/year, 24 hours/day. 7. List of references and their contact information is included. 8. Bidder is a qualified telecom provider as defined on the SLD website. 9.. omitted 10. Bidder has a green light status with the FCC Redlight Rule. 11. Pricing includes all installation, setup, taxes, and configuration fees. 12. Pricing includes all “curb into the school” fees. 13. A method for requesting Adds/Moves/Changes is included. 14. A summary of the process involved in adding a new site is included. 15. omitted. 16. omitted. 17. Detailed analysis and explanation of proposed WAN is included. 18. Detailed WAN/Network diagram and design is included. 19. Both WAN options have been submitted. 20. Prohibition of Committed Bandwidth links understood/agreed. 21. Concur with Full Duplex & non Shared links terminology. 22. All backbone equipment is Carrier grade equipment. 23. Proposed WAN can support QoS, VoIP & Distance Learning requirements. 24. Description of resources used to manage and monitor WAN included. 25. Brand names of hardware and/or software used for detection included. 26. Bidder understands firewall solution stipulations. 27. Intrusion Detection/Prevention documentation has been included. 28. Bidder understands Internet/Intranet Content filter stipulations. 29. Description of available personnel/resources for use by the school district included. 30. Description of company's project management process included. 31. Specializations and/or Certifications of bidder personnel included. 32. Bidder understands E-rate stipulations. 33. Bidder understands Award criteria. 34. A detailed Maintenance & Repair Plan (single point of contact) included.

[This list is intended as a general guide of bid requirements and NOT an exhaustive list of requirements.]

ATTACHMENT A – PRICING FORMS

ERATE ELIGIBLE SERVICES MONTHLY PRICE ANNUAL PRICE WAN ACCESS Option 1: Total Monthly price for 1 Gigabit WAN network between locations and the internet as specified. (Layer 3, routed and managed) Options 2: Total Monthly price for 1 Gigabit WAN network between locations and the internet as specified. (Layer 2, switched and managed network) .

Specific details or notes regarding pricing above:

ERATE NON -ELIGIBLE MONTHLY PRICE ANNUAL PRICE SERVICES

Option 1: Total Monthly charges for Non-Eligible Services Options 2: Total Monthly charges for Non-Eligible Services

Specific details or notes regarding pricing above:

Note: General recommendation for presentation of prices and not intended to be example of Item 21 Erate attachment. Vendor may present prices in other formats as desired.

ATTACHMENT B: TCS LOCATIONS

Dadeville Elementary 670 Columbus St. Dadeville, Al 36853

Horseshoe Bend High School 10684 hwy 22 East New Site, Al 36256

Reeltown High School [See Note 1] 4085 AL Hwy 120 Notasulga, Al 36866

Dadeville High School 227 Weldon St. Dadeville, Al 36853

Edward Bell Career Technical Center 251 MLK St. Camp Hill, Al 36850

Councill Middle School 254 Leach St. Dadeville, Al 36853

Central Office Location 679 E Columbus St Dadeville, Al 36853

Note 1: Reeltown High School has a High School building that must be connected to the network also (same specifications as main classroom location). Fiber currently in both locations.

8 ATTACHMENT C – NETWORK DETAIL WAN BID 2016 TALLAPOOSA COUNTY SCHOOLS SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS PAGE 9

The School District will require the vendor to design and implement an all fiber WAN. This new WAN must be in place and fully operational by 1 July 2016. This new network should run parallel with the current fiber network during the testing phase. The testing phase must be complete and ready for full operation by 1 July 2016.

OPTION 1 The new WAN will be a Layer 3 routed, managed network and must support and provide at each school a minimum of a 1 Gigabit Non Shared and Full Duplex connection Day 1. Committed Bandwidth Links with burstable capability will not be accepted as meeting this specification. . This bid requires the network to be monitored and/or managed on a 24 hour by 365 day schedule. The School District will not be the primary source for informing the vendor that a location has lost connectivity. The vendor must also guarantee the network meets the quoted throughput rating 99% of the time. The guaranteed percentage is derived from a time period of Monday – Friday, 7am-5pm. Penalties for not meeting these required ratings will be negotiated between THE SCHOOL DISTRICT and the winning vendor before the contract is executed.

OPTION 2 The new WAN will be exactly as stated above except the network will be a Layer 2, switched network. All other aspects of the network and this RFP will be the same for both OPTIONS unless otherwise stated. The essential difference of these two options is that in OPTION 1 the vendor will own and control the routing within the network and the first demarcation point in the network will be a layer 3 switch. In OPTION 2, the first demarcation point in the network will be layer 2 switch and all Layer 3 routing equipment will be owned and operated by the School District.

NETWORK SPECIFICATIONS AND SERVICES The following are required as part of the project. Vendors are expected to point out any other items required to provide a complete functional solution: 1. All pricing must include installation, setup, taxes, surcharges, and configuration of the new and existing equipment fees. 2. Fees are to include all costs from the curb into the school. There should not be any portion of the installation, setup, or configuration that is not covered within the Bid pricing. 3. The vendor must define and describe in the Bid the timelines necessary to complete each phase of the Bid, including all construction to build redundancy requirements and permits. 4. The vendor must submit with the Bid a list of all permits that are needed to build the network out as quoted. Note: Licenses, permits, etc., necessary for the execution of the work shall be secured and paid for by the vendor. 5. The vendor must describe the method for requesting Adds/Moves/Changes to the completed network. 6. The edge access devices used for termination of the vender network (demarcation point) at remote locations must provide a fiber connection and CAT5 connection for integration with the School District owned switches. List required rack space and electrical requirements. 7. The vendor must provide GBICs, attenuators, fiber patch cords, and any other supplies that may be needed at each location to successfully integrate with the existing School District equipment. 8. Omitted 9. These links must be able to take advantage of full port bandwidth. 10. If vendor proposes distribution sites throughout the school sites, the distribution equipment backup power supply must run independent of school’s backup power supply. 9 ATTACHMENT C – NETWORK DETAIL WAN BID 2016 TALLAPOOSA COUNTY SCHOOLS SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS PAGE 10

11. The School District must own the first switch after the demarcation point. THE SCHOOL DISTRICT’s switch cannot duplicate the vendor's edge access device. 12. NOT USED 13. The vendor must protect against “oversubscribing” CO/core sites. Oversubscribing refers to allowing multiple locations to converge into the site at the referenced speed, but not adequately allowing the combined speeds out of the CO/core site to another CO/core site. (For example: ten 100MB sites and one 1GB site converge to a common CO for a total of 2GB. If the connection between that CO and its core site is 1GB, an oversubscription of 1GB would exist.) 14. NOT USED. 15. The required network medium is fiber. 16. NOT USED. 17. The vendor's backbone must consist of Cisco carrier grade or equivalent equipment. This is to include any CO, Distribution Center, or Core site. All equipment that is used for transporting THE SCHOOL DISTRICT network and internet data must meet this requirement. Alternatives to Cisco carrier grade equipment will be considered but must be pre-approved in writing by THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. 18. Omitted 19. The network must be designed in such a way that QoS, VoIP and Distance Learning can take full advantage of advanced components and services implemented, with no additional hardware. This is to include implementation and configuration of QoS on the CO, Core, Distribution Center, and the vendor owned edge equipment level. 20. The vendor must provide a single point of contact and help desk for ongoing maintenance and troubleshooting of all components of this network, including WAN devices and circuits, filters, and LAN devices. Single point of contact must be available to open trouble tickets 7x24 and provide at a minimum Level 1 and Level 2 support. This support will be provided to district personnel only. 21. The vendor may use subcontractors to perform work upon THE SCHOOL DISTRICT approval. However, all responsibilities rest with the vendor. THE SCHOOL DISTRICT will only communicate with the vendor and it is the vendor’s responsibility to clearly identify, translate, and communicate all correspondence to the applicable subcontractor(s). 22. The vendor must provide THE SCHOOL DISTRICT the ability to monitor its network for various different problems on a granular level, i.e. ability to see protocol and port data for packets. These problems include but are not limited to: packet loss, packet transmission errors, network congestion, and excessively high network link usage caused by viruses, worms, or other malware related applications. Generic diagrams will not be considered as meeting this specification. 23. Vendor must work with THE SCHOOL DISTRICT employees on reconfiguration of existing equipment and configuration of all new equipment. 24. The vendor must include the following features accessible from the District Central Office: • Intrusion detection and prevention reporting • Stateful packet inspection reporting • Detection, Prevention, and Reporting of Internet web content for the following areas: Virus, Worm, Trojan, Ad blocking, Spyware, and Malware. • Internet/Intranet content filtering that will track, log, report, and if necessary block access by URL and/or content. • Reporting and blocking function that will classify, rate limit, block, track, log, report, and control P2P, IM, and other types of application traffic. • Packet filtering • Monitoring and control of network utilization and performance to any one site, device, user, or application at that site. Including monitoring of specific internal IP address utilization and performance. • Rate-Limiting capability on the per packet, user, ip address, protocol, and application basis. • QOS packet priority and implementation • Centralized configuration, management, and reporting functions to monitor and maintain the network. This is to include monitoring packet loss, packet transmission errors, and network link congestion. omitted

25. THE SCHOOL DISTRICT expects the need for increased capacity during the duration of this Bid. THE SCHOOL DISTRICT requires the ability to add, move, and remove sites during the length of this contract. Please provide a brief summary of the process involved in adding a new site (school) to the proposed WAN.

INTERNET ACCESS SPECIFICATION AND SERVICES The following are required as part of the project. Vendors are expected to point out any other items required to provide a complete functional solution: 1. Vendor must provide a firewall solution that meets the demanding needs of THE SCHOOL DISTRICT such as the Cisco ASA 5550. The firewall should be sized correctly to provide maximum throughput with all services running. The firewall solution must include and have enabled the following services. These services are not to be offloaded to the Content Filtering appliance. 1. Cisco ASDM Web Management Feature 2. Object/Policy based firewall management 3. Failover and load balancing of multiple high-speed 1GB links to the internal network and the Internet.

2. Vendor must provide an Internet/Intranet content filter that will track, log, report, and block access by URL and/or content. In addition, the filter should provide Peer to Peer, Instant Messaging, Proxy, Virus, Worm, Trojan, Ad blocking, Spyware, and Malware detection and prevention with detection signatures updated multiple times daily at no additional charge. The filter must adhere to CIPA guidelines for the classification, blocking, and preventing of questionable material. The filter must allow the application of policies that will allow granular levels of access to different users, workstations, and/or groups of users or workstations. Due to performance concerns, the vendor must size the Internet/Intranet content filter(s) correctly with the ability for the filter(s) to be upgraded to meet future needs. The Vendor may need to add additional filters to offload reporting or additional capabilities to minimize performance issues when pulling reports. Vendor is required to use Enterprise/Corporate level appliances to perform these functions. The appliance must utilize 1GB network connection interfaces. These interfaces are to fail “closed” in case of an issue with the filters. Failing “closed” means that when the filter fails, all internet traffic stops. Equipment must be housed and managed at a vendor location and not in the The School Districts locations unless expressly agreed upon by the School District prior to implementation.

REQUIRED NETWORK DESCRIPTIONS 1. All network segments must be dedicated full duplex (not shared) high-speed bandwidth services. Committed Bandwidth Links with burstable capability will not be accepted as meeting this specification 2. Vendor must submit in the Bid a Network Diagram and a description of the network design including transport speeds between each location. A description of the vendor's carrier line and speeds must also be provided. All transport protocols used must be listed with the network description. 3. Vendor must submit in the Bid a Network Map that geographically shows the locations of the proposed fiber WAN. THE SCHOOL DISTRICT reserves the right to request a detailed map of the exact location(s) of the fiber to make sure THE SCHOOL DISTRICT specs have been met. 4. Vendor must describe all internal switching technologies and core/edge switch chassis used for this network proposal. 5. Vendor must provide detailed IP address configuration of all equipment used within the scope of the Bid. This includes all equipment at the THE SCHOOL DISTRICT school/office level, vendor CO level,

11 ATTACHMENT C – NETWORK DETAIL WAN BID 2016 TALLAPOOSA COUNTY SCHOOLS SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS PAGE 12 and any other buildings the vendor uses to transport data. For both Network Options, the school system’s IP address scheme of sub-net addressing must be retained and supported fully within the network. 6. The vendor must describe the resources they will use to monitor, manage and repair both their fiber- optic/copper infrastructure at the primary and secondary node locations. This management and monitoring must be 24 hour by 365 days to be acceptable.

E-RATE 1. All network designs must adhere to E-rate guidelines for local network independence. The guideline states: The local data network cannot be dependent on the edge equipment. If the onpremises priority1 components are removed, the local area data network must continue to function. In addition applicants cannot overcome this requirement by installing redundant components, because that would be contrary to the requirement to select the most cost-effective service. This independence is further described as: On- premises components such as network hubs and network switches that are used to distribute data signals to multiple locations within a local area network would not meet this requirement, because if they were removed then the communication paths among the various network points would be broken. 2. Vendor must submit with the Bid a listing of their E-rate SPIN number. 3. Vendor must submit with the Bid a listing of their E-rate contact person. This is to include their Name, Office number, Mobile number, and any other information that may be needed to contact this person directly. 4. Goods and services provided shall be clearly designated as “E-rate Eligible”. Non- Eligible goods and services shall be clearly called out as 100% non-eligible or shall be ‘cost-allocated’ to show the percentage of eligible costs per SLD guidelines. 5. Vendor must include an Item 21 Attachment describing E-rate services. 6. THE SCHOOL DISTRICT requires the vendor invoice only the portion of the costs not funded by E- rate. That is, the vendor will collect the E-rate supported portion of the expense directly from the E-rate agency and not through THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

NETWORK RESOURCES 1. Provide a reference list of past projects of the same scope or larger. Vendor must include customer name and contact information. 2. Describe the various resources of your company that will assist in executing the project. 3. Indicate the availability of local resources to support the School District, including but not limited to, local technicians available for network and equipment installation, repair, and support. 4. THE SCHOOL DISTRICT requires a project management function as part of the services delivered by the service provider. Please describe your company's project management process including competencies to coordinate project activities, resources, and communications. 5. The Project Manager will be required to provide regular updates to key SCHOOL DISTRICT staff on the progress of the WAN. 6. Describe your company's ability to provide a single point of contact for voice network, data network, data equipment, and voice equipment as relates to sales support, project implementation support, and on going maintenance needs. Please specify which of these support features will be available/administered locally. 7. Provide information on any Specializations and/or Certifications of your company and employees to design, implement, and maintain the equipment proposed in your proposal.

INSTALLATION PLANS 1. Provide an installation plan, including site-by-site schedule.

2. Provide a list of all subcontractors to be used during installation. Vendor is required to manage the project installation through to completion. See earlier request for Project Management expertise. 3. The vendor shall protect all buildings, underground facilities, equipment, personal items, trees, shrubs, lawns and all landscaping on school property from damage. Any damaged property shall be repaired or replaced at the vendor's expense. Labor shall be included in all restoration (leveling, sodding) of grounds broken up during the installation of this project. Call before you DIG!

NETWORK MAINTENANCE 1. Provide a detailed Maintenance & Repair Plan - for WAN, equipment, and Voice Network Services. Describe the flow of your trouble resolution process. 2. Provide the cycle time for notifying THE SCHOOL DISTRICT that service(s), site(s), or filter(s) are unavailable. The vendor should not rely on THE SCHOOL DISTRICT to notify them that an outage has occurred. It is the vendor’s job to notify THE SCHOOL DISTRICT of any outage. 3. Maintenance is not to be performed during the hours of 5:30am and 9:30pm Mon-Fri without THE SCHOOL DISTRICT’s approval. 4. Describe the process for submitting and tracking service requests and associated timelines and response times. 5. Outline ability to monitor and maintain all network services and equipment installed at the sites including network facilities i.e. WAN and Voice services, filters, and other equipment. 6. The vendor must provide THE SCHOOL DISTRICT the ability to monitor its network and Internet access for various different problems on a granular level. These problems include but are not limited to: packet loss, packet transmission errors, network congestion, and excessively high network link usage caused by viruses, worms, or other malware related applications. 7. The vendor must provide a single point of contact and help desk for ongoing maintenance and troubleshooting of all components of this network, including WAN devices and circuits, LAN devices, IP Telephony system, and public voice network. Single point of contact must be available to open trouble tickets 7x24 and provide at a minimum Level 1 and Level 2 support and have the ability to dispatch technicians. Response times must be included with your proposal. Describe your ability to meet these requirements and any deviation from them. If applicable, please supply list of subcontractors and their support abilities. 8. The Bid is between the vendor and THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. If any subcontractors are to be used, it is the vendor’s responsibility to clearly identify, translate, and communicate all correspondence to the applicable subcontractor. THE SCHOOL DISTRICT requires a single point of contact and thus will only interface with the vendor and not the subcontractor(s). 9. Provide training to key SCHOOL DISTRICT personnel on ongoing administration and end user support of this system. This would include access to firewall, filters, routers, switches, and servers. 10. Line or Link testing will be submitted in electronic form. The vendor will provide THE SCHOOL DISTRICT with complete detailed test results. Tests at each location in the presence of the designated IT employee must be conducted prior to submitting electronic results. These results must be delivered to THE SCHOOL DISTRICT before final payment. 11. The vendor must provide THE SCHOOL DISTRICT with a mechanism to test fiber throughput capabilities from one site to another. The mechanism must provide the ability to test whether THE SCHOOL DISTRICT is sending and receiving the stated bandwidth for each site.

GENERAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS - All Bid and related documents submitted to THE SCHOOL DISTRICT by the vendor and any resulting contracts are governed under the laws of the State of Alabama.

Provide details on any additional requirements including but not limited to the following: 1. The vendor must be a qualified telecommunications provider as defined on the SLD website. Companies that meet Qualified service provider status only, (ie. not Telecommunications Providers) will not be accepted. 2. The awarded vendor is required to maintain qualified telco status with the SLD and keep a green light status with the FCC Redlight Rule. 3. The vendor must enclose its latest audited financial statement or corporate annual report. Note and explain any key factors that have changed. 4. The vendor should submit a minimum of two (2) copies of each Bid response in addition to all other requested information. 5. No consideration will be given to any claims based on a lack of knowledge of existing conditions. All questions must be submitted in writing seven (7) days prior to Bid opening. We will attempt to answer simple questions via e-mail distribution to all Bid recipients. 6. Licenses, permits, etc., necessary for the execution of the work shall be secured and paid for by the vendor. THE SCHOOL DISTRICT reserves the right to request proof of such licenses and/or permits. 7. It is understood that the vendor and their representatives shall follow all applicable school district regulations while on THE SCHOOL DISTRICT property, including the no smoking, no weapons, and drug free policies. All vendors and their representatives must check in with school office personnel prior to any on-site work. No work shall interfere with school activities or environment unless the Principal or person in charge gives permission. All vendor personnel shall be easily identified by the use of identification badges and uniforms or shirts with the vendor's logo clearly visible. 8. This is an asbestos notification: Some buildings in the Tallapoosa County School System may contain asbestos. The successful vendor is required to examine building layouts (or request same from District personnel) showing the location of asbestos and acknowledge by signature and date that they are aware of the asbestos and its location. Under no circumstances is asbestos-containing material to be scraped, cut or disturbed in any manner. However, if damage should occur, a THE SCHOOL DISTRICT representative must be immediately contacted and repairs made at the vendor's expense. 9. The vendor will be responsible for repairs of damage to buildings, roads, equipment, existing cable, or property. The vendor will report to a representative of THE SCHOOL DISTRICT any such damage to any SCHOOL DISTRICT property. 10. The vendor may use subcontractors to perform work. However, all responsibilities rest with the vendor. Upon the completion of each workday, the vendor must remove all tools, equipment, rubbish and debris from the premises and must leave the premises clean and neat. The vendor is responsible for disposal of all debris through the vendor's outlet. The vendor cannot use THE SCHOOL DISTRICT's garbage dumpsters or any other THE SCHOOL DISTRICT garbage service to dispose of rubbish and debris. 11. All work on THE SCHOOL DISTRICT property must adhere to all applicable city, and state codes. These include but are not limited to building codes and fire codes. 12. NOT USED. 13. The School District reserves the right to choose the "Best Buy". That is, the School District may purchase the services subject to this invitation to Bid that best conform to the specifications as set forth in this invitation to Bid, with consideration given to the purposes for which required, past performance and experience with the product and company, company references, and other factors allowed by law. These factors will impact the THE SCHOOL DISTRICT decision in addition to the cost factor. 14. Bidders may not withdraw bids after the scheduled closing time for receipt of bids for a period of thirty (30) days. The bidder will not be penalized by delays beyond his control. 15. The successful vendor(s) shall furnish a Certificate of Insurance within fifteen (15) calendar days after award of contract but prior to the start of the work. Certificate should provide for the following: a.

Workmen's Compensation with 500,000 employees’ liability coverage. b. Comprehensive or Commercial General Liability: - Bodily Injury: $1,000,000 each occurrence/Aggregate - Property Damage: $1,000,000 each occurrence/Aggregate c. Business Automobile Liability Insurance with a combined single limit as indicated per occurrence for bodily injury and property damage. Coverage shall include uninsured motorist (UM) for $1,000,000 and medical payments for $5,000.00. This insurance shall include for bodily injury and property damage the following coverage: 1. Owned Automobiles; 2. Hired Automobiles; 3. Non-owned Automobiles.