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Pierce County Schools Wireless LAN Request for Proposals E-rate Year 2016-17 Contact Information: Pierce County Board of Education David Pittman, Technology Director [email protected] P.O. Box 349 834 East Main Street Blackshear, GA 31516 Phone: 912-449-2044 Fax: 912-449-2046

Vendors: Thank you for your interest in doing business with Pierce County Schools (PCS). The objective of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to solicit bids to provide a new wireless LAN (WLAN) for the district. Bids should be in compliance with the guidelines and specifications of this document.

Vendors are required to participate in a site visit on Tuesday, February 16th, 2016 in order to be eligible to bid on this project. The meeting will begin promptly at 8:30 a.m. at the Pierce County Board of Education. School drawings are located in the district website at http://www.pierce.k12.ga.us under the “Bid Opportunities” link.

All E-rate eligible vendors are invited to submit a proposal to the Pierce County Board of Education for this project. It is requested that all proposals be submitted to the Pierce County Board of Education in a sealed envelope/package marked "WLAN PROPOSAL" no later than 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 2nd, 2016. You will find the requirements for this project below.

Sincerely, David Pittman, Technology Director General Requirements Communication Submit questions in writing via email to [email protected]. Answers will be posted by addendum before the RFP deadline to the district web site at http://www.pierce.k12.ga.us under the “Bid Opportunities” link. Questions concerning any condition or requirement of this RFP must be received on or before the designated date and time. Vendors are responsible for downloading and reviewing all addendums posted at this website. Timetable The following timeline is subject to change by PCS.

Event Time and Date

RFP release date February 4, 2016

Questions Due February 19, 2016 – noon EST

Answers to Questions posted via Addendum February 19, 2016 – 4pm EST

Proposals due March 2, 2016 – 3pm EST

Bid Awarded March 7, 2016

Required Completion Date February 21, 2017

Interpretation of RFP The apparent silence of this RFP and any addendum regarding any details or the omission from the specification of a detailed description concerning any point shall be regarded as meaning that only the best available units shall be provided and the best commercial practices are to prevail, and that only materials and workmanship of first quality are to be used. All interpretations of this specification shall be made upon the basis of this agreement. PCS reserves the right to ask questions of a clarifying nature once proposals have been opened, interview any or all vendors that respond to the RFP, or make their recommendations based solely on the information contained in the proposals submitted. Before submitting their proposal, each vendor is required to carefully examine the request for proposal specifications and requirements and to completely familiarize themselves with all of the terms and conditions that are contained within this request. Failure of the vendor to familiarize themselves with the proposal will in no way relieve them of any of the obligations and responsibilities which are a part of the request for proposal. PCS reserves the rights to supplement, amend or otherwise modify this RFP at any time prior to the selection of a vendor. PCS also reserves the right to accept or reject at any time prior to selection of a vendor in connection with this RFP, any or all proposals, or any part of any proposal submitted in response to this RFP, and to waive any defect or technicality and to advertise for new proposals where the acceptance, rejection, waiver or advertisement would be in the best interest of PCS. A proposal that is incomplete, obscure, conditional, unbalanced or which contains irregularities, including alterations or erasures, may be rejected. Any proposal that fails to comply with any of the mandatory requirements of this RFP may be rejected. Any change required in the RFP will be posted by addendum before the RFP deadline to the district website at http://www.pierce.k12.ga.us under the “Bid Opportunities” link. Vendors are responsible for downloading and reviewing all addendums posted at this website. Pricing and Warranty Proposals must include costs for licenses, support, warranty, and/or maintenance. Hardware should be covered by warranty or maintenance agreement for three years. Proposals must state all recurring and nonrecurring costs to PCS associated with the proposed solution. Vendors must complete the “Proposal Form” that is included in this RFP. The completed form should be the first document located in the sealed envelope/package. Vendors should also provide their own cost allocation sheet that lists the cost of each individual component of the proposal. The bid should include a total cost per school since each school has an independent category 2 E- rate budget. Experience and References Vendor is to provide a minimum of three (3) references. References are to be from institutions or organizations with a similar environment. The name and address of the organization, the name(s), title(s) and telephone number(s) of the person(s) to be contacted and a general scope of services provided are to be stated in the proposal. Guarantee to Meet Service Start Date The winning vendor must be prepared to have all equipment fully functional by the end of February 21st, 2017. Bid Award Process The bid will be awarded based on best-value to PCS, as well as evaluation criteria set forth in this document. Weighted factors contributing to the award are included in the following breakdown: Weighted Factor Breakdown: FACTOR WEIGHT Cost of Services 50 Technical Features & Functionality 30 Prior experience with the vendor/References 15 Local or in-state vendor 5

TOTAL 100 Point Award Process Points awarded for Cost of Services will not be subjective but will be based on a fixed formula. The formula for awarding points for the factor of cost will be: Dollar amount of lowest priced vendor = LPV Dollar amount of each responding vendor = RV Each vendor’s Cost of Services points awarded = 50 * LPV / RV Therefore, the lowest priced vendor will be awarded 50 points for the Cost of Services factor. All other vendors will be awarded points based on their proximity in price to the lowest priced vendor. Example: A vendor with a bid twice as expensive as the lowest priced vendor will mathematically receive 25 points. The judge(s) will weigh all factors other than Cost of Services on a five point scale, up to the maximum points available in each weighted factor. Example: for “Technical Features & Functionality”, judge(s) will award either: 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 or the maximum 30 points. Award or Rejection of Vendor Proposals Final award will be made to the vendor offering the solution deemed to be in the best advantage to PCS. PCS will be the sole judge in making such determination. PCS reserves the right to reject any or all proposals. Although cost is the primary evaluation factor, it will not be the sole factor considered. The decision as to the acceptance of any proposal is final. The final award of this proposal is contingent upon the approval of the Board of Education. Objective PCS is seeking proposals from qualified vendors to install a new wireless network that supports a 1:1 device initiative for staff and students. This includes wireless access points, controller(s), network cabling, and installation services. The vendor will remove the current wireless equipment and place it in a designated location at the site it is currently located. Work will need to take place outside the normal school operating hours. The district expects the transition from the existing wireless network to the new wireless network to take place in a manner that downtime is not incurred while school is in session. Background PCS serves approximately 3,700 students at three elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. The school district has approximately 400 employees located at the schools and the central office. School locations can be obtained from the following URL: http://www.pierce.k12.ga.us/?PN=Schools2.

The following table details the approximate user population at each school. Location Staff Students Total Blackshear Elementary School 95 820 915 Midway Elementary School 58 500 558 Patterson Elementary School 49 469 518 Pierce County Middle School 79 855 934 Pierce County High School 92 1062 1154 Central Office 21 21 Total 394 3706 4100

PCS currently has an 802.11n wireless network that was installed in April 2013. This coverage based deployment consists of two physical Ruckus Zone Director 3150 controllers and Ruckus access points. Both controllers are located at Pierce County High School (PCHS). The current network is not capable of supporting the anticipated demands for high-densities of Wi-Fi enabled devices.

The following table details the quantity of access points in each location. Location Quantity Blackshear Elementary School 25 Midway Elementary School 15 Patterson Elementary School 18 Pierce County Middle School 30 Pierce County High School 40 District Office 3 Total 131

The wireless network has three SSIDs. 1. PCSD-INT – It authenticates Active Directory clients with a Windows authentication server. 2. PCSD – It has WPA2 encryption with a passphrase and is primarily used for district iPads and Chromebooks. 3. PCSD-Guest – It is an open SSID. PCHS is the district demarc location and the hub for WAN connections to the central office and other schools. The central office and schools connect back to PCHS via 1Gb fiber links. The PCS LAN will have new Extreme Summit switches installed by June 30, 2016. At least 50% of the ports in each MDF/IDF will have PoE+ ports by the end of June. Minimum Specifications Wireless Hardware ● Dual Band - AP supports both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands concurrently

● Supports 802.11ac Wave 1 - Solution can support clients with 802.11ac wave 1 capabilities

● Outdoor AP Option in Product Line - Outdoor APs in product line to allow for outdoor coverage

Solution Management ● Dynamic Transmit Power - AP can dynamically/automatically change its transmit power to intelligently increase or decrease coverage cell size or adjust to changing environmental conditions

● Single Management Interface with Role Based Access Control (RBAC) - Single interface to manage and monitor entire wireless solution with Role Based Access Control to restrict management access with preset privileges

● Monitor and Report AP, Client, Application - Management solution has the ability to view, sort, and report usage of AP, client, and applications

● Dynamic Channel Adjustment - System is able to detect interference and change channels accordingly

● Security Policy Management - Solution allows administrators to create system-wide security and bandwidth throttling policies based on group, SSID, device type, or user access.

● Bandwidth Policy Management – Solution should allow administrators to manage bandwidth based on SSID or by other methods

● Zero/Low Touch Configuration - Solution is able to provision new APs with little to no individual configuration per AP

● Spectrum Analyzer Mode - AP is able to enter a mode such that it can listen to and report RF activity on its frequency band

● Spectrum Management - Solution will track sources of interference over time and adjust AP channels accordingly

● Usage Graphs - Management solution has the ability to show usage graphs for network, AP, client, and application Performance ● Client Band Steering – Solution has the capability to steer clients toward the least congested band

● 3+ Spatial Streams - AP has the ability to support 3 or more spatial streams

● Supports More Than One SSID - Solution has the ability to support more than one SSID

● 802.11b With Ability to Disable - AP has the ability to support 802.11b clients but has the ability to disable if needed

Security ● 802.1x/EAP and AES/TKIP - Solution is capable of authenticating clients via 802.1x and EAP, and encrypting traffic to the client via AES and TKIP

● Off Channel Scanning Capabilities - AP has the ability to scan off channel to detect interference and/or for WIPS purposes. Scanning can be on a client servicing radio.

● Rogue Detection/Containment Without Overlay - Solution is able to recognize a rogue AP, determine if they are on the network, and attempt to mitigate the rogue without overlay APs

Supplemental Features ● Backward/Forward Compatible - Controller can manage legacy APs as well as the newest 802.11ac APs

● Scalability - Med/Large - Solution is scalable to 500 APs

● Client/AP Balancing - System is able to balance clients from a heavily loaded AP onto a less heavily loaded AP

● Seamless Roaming L2 - Clients are able to roam from one AP to another, as long as the two APs are on the same L2 network

Manufacturer value-add ● Product/Expertise Availability - Manufacturer has staff or partner ecosystem to provide local sales, expertise, and design assistance

● Business Hours Technical Assistance - Manufacturer has technical assistance (can be via contract) available during school/business hours

Architectures ● Controller based architecture - Solution uses physical hosted controller to manage the wireless network. Controller must have multiple GE or a 10GE interface(s), resilient behavior when a controller link fails, and split tunnel functionality. Cable and Cable Components Requirements Vendor will provide cable installation as part of the overall project that consists of the following: ● Installation of American made Cat 6 4‐pair PVC cable (plenum where needed per codes) per access point with a 6 ft. service loop at the access point end ● Vendor is allowed to utilize Cat 6 runs to existing access points to connect new access points ● Each run will be terminated at the access point end with a RJ45 jack and at the IDF/MDF end in a Cat 6 RJ45 modular patch panel port provided by the vendor ● Vendor is allowed to utilize existing Cat 6 modular patch panels ● Vendor is required to provide Cat 6 patch cables from patch panel to switch ● Cable color for all Cat 6 cable should be blue and jack colors should be coordinated with the district ● The district will provide rack space or a cabinet

Cable and Cable Components Installation Requirements

 Install cabling per manufacturer’s requirements and in accordance with applicable national, state, and local electrical and cabling codes as well as industry standards  Vendor is responsible for inspecting all existing structures, cableways, IDF/MDFs, wiring closets and fiber infrastructure to determine if they are adequate for the purpose  Cableways must be utilized where available  If a sleeve does not exist in the existing corridor walls a new (minimum size is 1”) conduit should be installed for penetrations through walls or floors and shall be sealed with intumescent fire stop system in accordance with the UL testing detail  Grout mixture or fire stop system should be used to seal the perimeter of any new conduit installed in the corridor walls  Cabling shall not be laid on ceiling grid structure, ceiling tiles, or supported on any structure not specifically designed for supporting cables  Cable supports should be provided if a cable tray is not present,  Cable supports shall be “J” hooks or other supporting devices  Cable sag between supports shall not exceed 12 inches  All cables shall be neatly bundled and secured with appropriately rated fasteners  Perform testing / certification on each cable run and provide test results in PDF format  Label patch panels with indelible labels/ink indicating MDF/IDF identifier, patch panel identifier, and unique port number Access Point Installation  Access points should be mounted to ceiling grid where possible  Access points should be labeled with the MAC address of the access point so that it is visible when mounted  The ceiling grid or area near access points should be neatly labeled displaying MDF/IDF identifier, patch panel identifier, and unique port number for the Cat 6 run to the access point Additional Information  The wireless network shall be designed by the vendor to support at least 25 simultaneous active connections from high-speed wireless devices in each classroom  Media Centers shall be designed to support at least 50 active connections  Cafeterias, multipurpose rooms, and auditoriums shall support at least 75 active connections  Pre-K classrooms and the central office should not be included in this bid. A separate quote will be obtained from the winning vendor for these areas.  The controller(s) that are currently in use at PCS can be used with the new system if the vendor can guarantee support through 2021. The current controllers cannot be used if they are scheduled to be end of life before 2022. The current controllers must be able to provide complete functionality with the new access points. Any vendor planning to utilize controller(s) currently owned by PCS should provide three years of maintenance costs in the bid.  Controller should tunnel only the control plane and allow the data plane to be placed onto the appropriate VLAN at the AP instead of at the controller  Configuration should include at least three SSIDs on dedicated VLANs for the following client types:  Active Directory  PCS tablets and Chromebooks  Guests  Active Directory clients should be automatically placed in a SSID via an authentication server and group policy. The vendor is expected to configure the PCS authentication server(s) and group policy.  Guests should be placed on a guest VLAN to keep guest traffic separate from internal traffic. An access control lists (ACL) should be configured to prevent guest VLAN from accessing internal network (essentially direct only to the Internet). When guests try to access the wireless network, they should be presented with a captive portal, either asking them to enter a username/password or accept the Internet use terms. Pierce County Schools Proposal Form Wireless LAN E-rate Year 2016-17

This form should include the total cost of all components of the solution. Vendors must complete this “Proposal Form”. The completed form should be the first document located in the sealed envelope/package. Vendors should also provide their own cost allocation sheet that lists the cost of each individual component of the proposal. The bid should include a total cost per school since each school has an independent category 2 E-rate budget.

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