Enterprise Facility for Operational Recovery/Readiness/Response and Transition (eFOR 3 T) Support Project Request for Information August 17, 2005 The State of Colorado recognizes that in the development of this RFI it has placed various procedural, functional and performance-based requirements throughout the document. Proposers are therefore advised to take great care in reviewing the contents of this RFI to insure they have captured and identified the States intent and objectives in the preparation of your responses. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause responders to this RFI and we appreciate your patience and support.
Transcript
Enterprise Facility for Operational Recovery/Readiness/Response
and Transition (eFOR3T)Support Project
Request for Information
August 17, 2005
The State of Colorado recognizes that in the development of this RFI it has placed various procedural, functional and performance-based requirements throughout the document. Proposers are therefore advised to take great care in reviewing the contents of this RFI to insure they have captured and identified the States intent and objectives in the preparation of your responses. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause responders to this RFI and we appreciate your patience and support.
REQUEST FOR INFORMATION OVERVIEW.................................................................................................2
1.0. INTENT AND PURPOSE.....................................................................................................................................2
RULES FOR CONDUCTING THE RFI PROCEDURE.....................................................................................5
2.1. INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................................52.2. DEVELOPMENT AND SUBMISSION OF THE RESPONSE......................................................................................52.3. PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION OF RESPONSES.............................................................................................62.4. OTHER INFORMATION......................................................................................................................................6
4.1 ENTERPRISE DISASTER RECOVERY FACILITY VISION......................................................................................94.2 OVERVIEW OF PROPOSED STATE ENVIRONMENT...........................................................................................104.3 MAJOR OBJECTIVES........................................................................................................................................114.4 PROPOSED FACILITY SERVICES......................................................................................................................124.4.11 FACILITY DISTANCE AND DIRECTION FROM DOWNTOWN DENVER..........................................................174.4.12 ELEVATED FACILITIES:..............................................................................................................................174.4.13 DOCK AND STAGING AREA.......................................................................................................................174.5. OPTIONAL MANAGED SUPPORT SERVICES....................................................................................................18
SPECIFIC ISSUES.................................................................................................................................................20
State Enterprise IT Disaster Recovery Facility Project ver 1.0 page 1 of 25 August 17, 2005
REQUEST FOR INFORMATIONSTATE OF COLORADO REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
ENTERPRISE DISASTER RECOVERY FACILITY
ver 1.0
SECTION I
Request for Information Overview
1.0. Intent and Purpose
The State of Colorado intends to implement an enterprise level disaster recovery facility. This project will be known as the State of Colorado Enterprise Information Technology Disaster Recovery Facility Project. This project was funded on July 1, 2005 by the State of Colorado using Colorado Department of State cash funds.
It is the intent of the State to identify and select an enterprise disaster recovery facility solution that offers the necessary infrastructure and operational services for providing an emergency Information Technology recovery environment for the State’s 23 agencies and departments All State of Colorado government entities have been invited to participate. Participation is voluntary for any of these entities.
The DR Facility enterprise model must be designed to address the current and future business needs of State and local government agencies including provision for the continuous modernization of the infrastructure and rapid deployment of new technologies to meet potential demand.
This document is a Request for Information (RFI) for interested parties, individual companies or strategic teams who may be interested in providing an enterprise DR Facility service to the State. It is intended at a minimum, to help clarify the State’s intentions, and to obtain useful information through vendor feedback.
The intent of this RFI is to:
Describe and clarify the intended vision and strategies of the State for current and future IT Disaster Recovery needs.
Communicate information regarding current State needs, seek industry input on technology and solutions, and the most cost effective and efficient means of providing an enterprise solution for a Disaster Recovery Facility.
Provide a means for interested parties to address and indicate to the State the teaming which may be required to successfully respond to the forthcoming RFP for statewide disaster recovery facility services.
Provide the State a means of determining the scope of the forthcoming Request for Proposals (RFP) that will maximize competition to meet the service requirements for the best value.
Assist in determining the continued level of support to be required by the State in providing contract(s) for statewide disaster recovery facility operations and management.
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REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
.
1.2. Official Contacts
1.2.1. Project Official
The Project Official for the State’s Enterprise Disaster Recovery Facility is:
Brian BalayChief Information Officer Colorado Department of State1700 Broadway, Suite 50300Denver, CO 80202mailto: [email protected]
1.2.2. Project Contact
The Project Contact for administrative questions is:
Tom VillaniTechnical Consultant and Project ManagerWyant Data Systems, Inc.245 Century Circle, Suite 106Louisville, CO 80027mailto:[email protected]
1.2.3. Alternate Project Contact
In the absence of the above Department Contact, the alternate contact is:
Trevor TimmonsDeputy Chief Information OfficerColorado Department of State1700 Broadway, Suite 350Denver, CO 80202mailto: [email protected]
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Listed below are the important actions and dates. If the State deems it necessary to makes changes to this schedule, it will do so by posting changes on the Colorado Department of State website at http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/info_center/disaster_recovery.htm
Project Activity Date1. Release of RFI August 22, 20052. Intent to Respond to RFI/RFP September 2, 20053. Last day to submit questions September 16, 20054. Response to questions published September 23, 20055. Submission of RFI Responses Due October 7, 2005 (4:00 PM MST)6. Notification to Candidates for Oral presentations October 14, 20057. Oral presentations completed November 4, 2005
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This RFI includes instructions regarding the format and content of the information to be submitted. Should interested parties need clarification or discover material errors in this RFI, they should email the Department Contact provided in Section I of the RFI.
2.2. Development and Submission of the Response
2.2.1 Understanding the State’s Needs
In order to prepare a meaningful response, the interested party should carefully examine the entire RFI and related materials.
2.2.2 Electronic Copy of the RFI
The State will provide access to this RFI on the Colorado Department of State (CDOS) website at: http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/info_center/disaster_recovery.htm
2.2.3 Questions Regarding the RFI
Interested parties that require clarification of the intent, content, or procedural matters in regard to the process of this RFI may submit questions by e-mail with a subject line marked “Questions Relating to SoC Enterprise DR Project”, to the Department Contact provided in Section I.
To ensure a timely response, questions are to be sent no later than the date provided in Section I. Questions and answers will be made available to interested parties online at CDOS. The parties submitting questions will not be publicized in the question and answer document.
RFI Questions are to be submitted to the following email address: [email protected]
2.2.4 Intent to Submit a Response
The State may need to adjust the review schedule to accommodate the number of responses; therefore, interested parties are asked to email, by the date specified in Section I, their intent to submit a response. The State is also interested in reasons for not submitting a response.
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Important Note:The submission of a response does not constitute any formal commitment on the part of the interested party except that the submitted information is correct to the best of the respondent’s knowledge. Also, the right to compete in future procurements may be affected in the event that the party chooses not to submit a response to this RFI.
2.3. Preparation and Submission of Responses
2.3.1 Completion of Responses
Interested parties may respond to all or a portion of the RFI, as applicable. Responses should be detailed, straightforward and concise. Hard copies, colored displays, promotional materials, etc., are not necessary or required. Refer to Section VI for response format.
2.3.2 Response Contact
Responses must contain the contact information of the authorized representative including title, telephone number and e-mail address.
2.3.3 Respondent Costs
Costs for developing responses are the responsibility of the respondent and shall not be charged to the State.
2.3.4 Delivery of Responses
Responses should be emailed to [email protected] on or before the due date as specified in Section I. The subject line should read “Response to State of Colorado Enterprise Facility Operations Recovery and Transition support Project” (eFOR3T). Responses received after specified date may be eliminated from further consideration.
2.4. Other Information
2.4.1 Delivery and Cost Information
Successful responders to the RFI will be notified and requested to submit a detailed cost model for their proposed solution. The cost model and facility delivery timeframe and methodology are to be presented to the evaluation team within two weeks of notification.
2.4.2 Expectation of Confidentiality
There should be no expectation of confidentiality for any materials provided to the State in response to this RFI.
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Since this RFI is not a request for proposal on goods and services, and no commitments are required of either party, protests are not appropriate and will not be considered by the State.
2.4.4 Disposition of Responses
All material submitted in response to this RFI will become the property of the State of Colorado.
2.4.5 States Right for Clarification
The State of Colorado reserves the right to ask further questions in any format it desires for the purpose of clarification. This may include email, phone, letter, conference call or formal presentation.
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REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
SECTION III
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
This section is intended to provide interested parties with information specific to the State of Colorado’s Information Technology environment and strategic directions. Although there is no specific information listed pertaining to the various agency topologies or disaster recovery requirements structure at this point, this section is intended to give interested parties information which may help in understanding the States strategic directions and associated guidelines and standards which govern its information technology framework. The State recommends interested parties review the following documents when developing their responses to this RFI:
2004 Statewide Information Technology Plan (2004 – 2007) – A framework to govern acquisition, management, and use communication and information resources in Colorado government.
2005 Strategic Communications and Data Processing Plan (FY2005 – 2006) – How to manage – direct and measure – both individual state agency IT investment performance as well as enterprise IT investment performance.
Information Technology Standards version 1.3, dated July 16, 2004
For referenced designated information sources and other pertinent material concerning the State Agencies and associated Information Technology strategy, standards, and policies please refer to the following websites:
http://www.colorado.gov/colorado/agencies
http://www.oit.state.co.us
IMPORTANT NOTE: The State is currently developing a set of enterprise rules which apply to IT operations and services. The rules are not yet published but may apply to the governing requirements for the enterprise Disaster Recovery Facility when released later this calendar year.
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This section is intended to provide interested parties an overview of the desired enterprise disaster recovery facility envisioned by the State of Colorado. Please review the proposed environment and identify alternatives or exceptions the State should consider.
By providing detailed information and asking a variety of questions in this RFI, the State hopes to communicate the complexity and diversity of its enterprise disaster recovery facility needs, and in turn, receive useful ideas, approaches and potential solutions.
4.1 Enterprise Disaster Recovery Facility Vision
The State of Colorado is embarking on an enterprise-wide initiative to implement and oversee a disaster recovery facility, integrating State rules, practices, and standards with industry best practices to acquire the best overall enterprise disaster recovery facility and/or service to meet the business needs of State.
Additional information on the State RFP vision/expectations is contained in Section V.
The State’s Enterprise vision for its Disaster Recovery Facility is:
Owning and operating an enterprise level Disaster Recovery Facility are neither core competencies nor core responsibilities of the State; thus, the State may opt to utilize the services for the facilities operation by private contractor(s) under the oversight of the appointed State Agency.
The State envisions a 7 to 10 year contract period for a facility to provide a consolidated, flexible, responsive, secure, survivable, efficient and cost-effective facility infrastructure that provides uniform level of Information Technology services for recovery operations to include the management and housing of personnel.
Provide components of the Disaster Recovery Facility infrastructure that are common across all agencies.
Where feasible, multiple approaches for consideration are encouraged in order to provide increased diversity and competition that would lead to lower overall cost, more flexibility in the level and complexity of services offered, and the capability to obtain and rapidly deploy new methodologies and technologies. The State envisions proposed options would include:
o Co-location facility services with optional and structured 24 x 7 managed service support.
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o Third party purchase and/or lease of an existing facility to be converted/upgraded into a disaster recovery-hosting center, with outsourced 24 x 7 management.
o Outsourced 24 x 7 management of a State supplied (leased, purchased or constructed) facility.
State acquisition processes and requirements should allow for flexibility in the approach, and for refreshing or adding new or enhanced services and best practices and technology through the life of the contract.
The State acknowledges there are multiple options to achieve its objectives and expects the vendor community to be innovative in their proposed approaches, solutions and recommendations for providing a enterprise level information technology disaster recovery facility and supporting services.
4.2 Overview of Proposed State Environment
The solutions offered should continue to address the wide variety of State government business requirements in the context of the State vision as outlined in this RFI. Proposed solutions should also provide for the continuous modernization of the infrastructure and rapid deployment of new technologies and recovery methodologies to meet the State’s variable information technology disaster recovery facility needs.
It is important for prospective proposers to take into account the continuing evolution of the States business needs and as such prospective proposers should provide a strategy for facility services that encompass the following objectives:
1) Develop and implement strategies and policies that will satisfy the States vision and information technology recovery needs including advances in technology.
2) Promote a diverse, scalable and cost effective product and service choices through policy, governance and acquisition strategies that encourage vendor competition and reduced prices for new and existing services and technologies; and pursue other factors or actions that will enhance State enterprise disaster recovery facility capabilities.
3) Obtain economies of scale through the State’s integration of services for multiple agencies that benefit the State as a whole, provide for Service Level Agreements (SLAs) that are industry standard or better, and pursue other related efficiencies and protections in unison with the successful vendor(s).
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4.3 Major Objectives
Listed below are the major objectives the State wishes to achieve through a competitively obtained statewide contract(s).
A Cost effective, scalable, and secure disaster recovery facility and related services to support up to 23 State agencies as defined in the States vision, strategies, and policies and associated governance requirements as specified or referenced within this RFI.
Consolidation of the State’s disaster recovery service needs through standardized approaches for services.
Minimize cost to agencies for the migration and/or implementation of disaster recovery services.
Partnering with the contractor(s) to manage, deploy and implement facility operations and managed services, including monitoring capabilities.
Ongoing and periodic in-depth reviews of service maintenance and provisioning strategies in the best interest of the customer, including the ability to manage, track and report on facility operations.
Assessment of penalties for failure to meet contract terms and conditions, and other designated rights and remedies for the State, with the ability to discontinue or substitute services as determined by the governing agency.
4.3.1 State Oversight
The State of Colorado will establish a Governing Board whose purpose will be to provide the governing principles and operational policies for the State. The Governing Board shall:
Exercise statewide governance and oversight of the States facility operations, utilization and agency deployments, potentially including provisioning and maintenance of products and services.
Perform a strong customer advocate role to ensure the vendor(s) continuously provide responsive service to the various State agencies.
Provide centralized contract management and oversight to monitor adherence to standards, terms and conditions in support of the various State Agencies, and to validate uniformity of service.
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4.4 Proposed Facility Services
The State of Colorado prefers to locate its enterprise IT Disaster Recovery Facility within a 30-mile radius from the Denver City Center. The proposed facility must be capable of hosting disaster recovery data center operations by providing an infrastructure that conforms to current industry best practices and guidelines and other specific requirements necessary to support State Information Technology Disaster Recovery Operations.
Please indicate type of solution being proposed, such as; co-location, standalone facility (Leased, purchased, etc) or combination of services (managed/co-location) with adequate detail to frame the information and solution being identified.
The following list of requirements is a general guideline that provides the appropriate level of service classification for its disaster recovery needs. Please respond to each requirement and how your proposed solution or current business practices meets or exceeds the proposed need. However, as responders to the RFI you have the options to identify and proposing alternative solutions and approaches for meeting or exceeding the facility requirements. Please be specific to the details of the proposed alternative and why you believe your approach meets, exceeds and/or mitigates the requirement as specified.
Important Note:Some of the requirements may not be applicable to the level specified based on the proposed solution. If this is the case please be specific as to why your proposed option is an exception or alternative to the specified requirement.
4.4.1 General Facility Requirements
The State estimates it will require a minimum of 6,500 sq ft of raised floor space to support its current Information Technology Recovery Operations. This estimate pertains to the States IT hardware operations for disaster recovery services only and does not include auxiliary space requirement for other support services and operational logistics. However, for the purposes of this RFI respondents should assume a minimum requirement of 6,500 sq ft of raised floor plus and additional 3,500 sq ft for general support (NOC, Office Space, Staging, etc.) is required.
Important Note: Extra consideration will be given to the proposers who offer a scalable facility which can expand in capacity (facility floor space and supporting infrastructure) easily to accommodate latent or unplanned requirements and demand for DR services.
Facility shall have documentation (drawings and schematics) related to the structural integrity of the facility design including facility insurance rating, all structural ratings for ceiling and floor load capacities, exterior walls, windows and door specification and certifications, including labeling and documentation of the facility’s wiring and piping (Electrical, Network, Water, Drainage, Sewer, etc) deployment.
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Facility is required to comply with all applicable Federal, State, and City legislation, Statues, Codes, and guidelines as specified for its occupation and operation.
Facility shall have adequate space and design to accommodate State Operations and Management personnel on a 24X7 schedule.
Facility shall be usable as both a hot or cold site depending on individual agency needs.
Facility shall have adequate parking facilities with easy accesses to the DR facility. Parking should accommodate 75 support staff at a minimum.
Facility shall have documentation related to the structural integrity of the facility design including all structural, seismic, and storm ratings for ceiling and floor load capacities, exterior walls, windows and door specification.
Facility shall provide current facility insurance rating and demonstrate compliance with current National and State electrical safety codes and IEEE or equivalent performance wiring standards.
Facility shall allow state personnel 24 x 7 physical secure accesses.
Facility shall be contaminate free including substances such as; asbestos and zinc whisker
If proposing leased or refurbished facilities please include details pertaining to operational condition of all infrastructure components and maintenance plan(s) for recertification of existing equipment and ongoing operations.
4.4.2 Power/Utility/Electrical Systems
Facility shall have dual, tri-phase power paths fed from separate power grids/substations into the facility. Requirement is for at least one to be active.
4.4.2.1 Electrical Systems
4.4.2.1.1 Utility Voltage
Facility utility services should be capable of delivering at a Minimum 12kV. Please provide information as to the proposed facility’s capabilities for power. Facility must demonstrate compliance with National and State electrical safety codes and IEEE performance wiring standards or provide equivalent certification.
4.4.2.1.2 Facility wiring and Infrastructure to support Primary and Redundant Power services
State desires a facility infrastructure and associated power delivery systems capable of delivering and supporting a load of up to 200
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watts/ft2.
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4.4.2.1.3 Facility shall demonstrate compliance with National and State electrical wiring codes, IEEE performance wiring standards and employ the following and/or equivalent practices:
Lightning rods installed in accordance with industry best practices and standards for grounding systems.
Employ multiple down conductors, structural steel/rebar/metal stud walls, wire mesh, and HALO rings into the shielding design.
All buried and overhead building entry penetrations such as utility pipes, service ducts, AC power, data & signal lines, and metallic conduits shall be bonded to the Faraday Cage or to an equivalent ground electrode system at the buildings point of entry.
Interior electrical-equipment grounding wires are to be bonded via the shortest route to the ground electrode reference grid.
All Bonds are to have recent inspections and certifications as to their effectiveness and resistance level.
Facility shall employ a buried ground ring and/or Ufer ground where practical.
Provide verification that all below ground connections have thermal welds as or where necessary.
Provide verification that all buried grounds are directed away from exterior assets.
Provide dielectric isolation or high-resistance isolation between critical interior assets and nearby metallic and other conductive pathways.
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4.4.3 Emergency Generator (EGen)
Facility shall have at least one dedicated Motor Generator capable of supplying backup services to the entire facility. The generator should be capable of carrying 100% of the facility’s load, to include HVAC, lights, and security systems, without exceeding 80% of the generators capacity. Generator shall be contained within an enclosure and conform to all Federal, State, and City regulations and guidelines for its operation, service and fuel storage. Please provide the following information:
Output capacity of the proposed generator, Onsite Fuel storage capacity Operating time under full load until refueling is required. Refueling agreements and priority rating Testing and maintenance schedule Current Status and Inspection Plans, Service Record, Certification Age of the generator and date of last failover test including all relevant
performance and maintenance logs
Facility shall have updated drawings and schematics to include labeling and documentation of the Generators wiring deployment. Demonstrate compliance with current National and State electrical safety codes and IEEE performance wiring standards or equivalent.
4.4.4 Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)
Facility shall provide or have an area that supports a UPS system, which must comply with all applicable industry standards and local laws, codes and regulations. If a UPS is provided all performance ratings shall be provided including age, operational readiness and certification of operation. Facility shall have updated drawings and schematics to include labeling and documentation of the UPS system wiring deployment. Demonstrate compliance with current National and State electrical safety codes and IEEE performance wiring standards or equivalent.
4.4.5 Network Services
Facility shall have at least two separate communication (telecommunication and Internet Services) service providers providing service to and from the facility. State prefers to utilize the Multi-Use Network or MNT in addition to the other services. Please provide information as to the availability and requirements for accessing the MNT from the proposed facility. Please also describe the full range of network services available on-site, or within 1 mile of the proposed facility. The provider services need to have separate ingress and egress points that are separated by at least 50 feet. In addition either one shall be capable of carrying 100% of the facility capacity w/o exceeding 65% total utilization. Provide information on any available Wireless Access Point services that are in place, including security.
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4.4.6 Fire Detection
VESDA or equivalent type, smoke detection and Alarm systems. Including detection heads above false ceilings and under raised floor areas.
Please provide information on applicable certifications a rating pertaining to the proposed facility.
4.4.6.1 Suppression Type and method of Delivery
Industry Standard Gas Dispersion or Two Stage dry pipe water suppression is preferred. Please provide detail and specifics pertaining to the suppression system proposed including certifications, standards, ratings, testing schedule and age of system.
4.4.6.2 Water Detection
Provide Sub Floor Water detection.
4.4.7 HVAC
Facility shall provide air conditioning services capable of providing heat dissipation associated operations of equipment operating at up to 200 watts/ft2. Please assume that air-conditioning will be required to support a fully populated raised floor area consisting of 6500 square feet. Provide information as to the type and method of the proposed air-conditioning system. Provide capacity ratings for the AC systems and information pertaining to any redundant capabilities.
4.4.8 Operations and Support Space
Provide details on proposed support space including NOC, Tape Storage, Office Space, Staging, Doc services, etc.
4.4.8 Raised Floor Height
Facility shall provide adequate raised floor spacing to support the design method for cabling and HVAC. If facility architecture supports cabling under floor a distance of 24” to 36” is desired. If facility architecture supports cabling cabinets above the floor (later Rack) and a updraft HVAC system can be used, a space from floor to Tile of 12 -18 inches is desired. If raised floor tile is in place, a certification and inspection report must be provided certifying the floor tiles are free of contaminants and not susceptible to producing conditions such as Zinc Whiskers.
4.4.9 Floor Loading Pounds/ft2
Facility Floors shall be capable of supporting a minimum of 150 lbs/ft2
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4.4.10 Distance from Raised Floor to Ceiling
Minimum of 10’, 12’ preferred
4.4.11 Facility Distance and Direction from Downtown Denver
Facilities shall be a minimum of 3 miles and not more than 30 miles from the downtown Denver area (City Center).
4.4.12 Elevated Facilities:
Elevator Service is required for all Elevated Facilities. Provide information on Elevator, type, capacity, performance and weight rating. Include all physical and operating dimensions and characteristics.
4.4.13 Dock and Staging Area
Ground level Facilities shall have a loading and unloading dock area with securable exterior door(s) with secured accesses points into the raised floor and general support areas.
4.4.14 Facility Flood Plain Rating and Protection
Facilities shall be a minimum of 100 feet above the maximum projected flood elevation level. All building and other business-critical areas shall be above the 100-year flood plain.
Facilities shall provide Reinforced walls to endure water pressure and/or watertight doors and permanent pumps.
4.4.15 Physical Security
Facility shall have the ability to secure and alarm all exterior and interior doors and windows. All exterior doors and windows shall be reinforced to protect against unlawful entry, high winds and or penetration by use of force within a rational and reasonable protection schema.
Describe your company’s current approach to physical security and what measures are in place or being provided for the identified facility. Provide a description and information pertaining to the proposed facility physical security envelope, please identify if the facility has undergone a security review (e.g. self assessment, internal or external audit, certification/accreditation process) within the last three years.
Please identify and describe monitoring and accesses control capabilities and processes.
Describe the ability; if any, to provide individual agency security areas within the identified facility.
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Provide information regarding facility accesses restriction and operational times for use by clients, if any.
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4.4.15.1 Risk Management
Please provide information pertaining to the risk envelope of the proposed facility and include standards or methodologies followed and any mitigation strategies ether implemented or planned to minimize risk and/or impact to the facilities operation. In addition please include the following risks if not addressed in the above assessment.
Air Traffic (vicinity to regional, local or national airports)
Location to major transportation routes (Railroad, Interstates, etc.)
Other business near facility which use or store toxic or hazardous chemicals and materials.
4.5. Optional Managed Support Services
The State of Colorado desires the option to obtain a cafeteria approach to integrating and utilizing Managed support services dependent upon facility and /or individual agency needs. The following list of supporting services are desired, however proposers are encouraged to provide information on any and all managed support services you envision the State of Colorado would benefit from.
4.5.1 Security Personnel
Provide 24 x 7 physical security services during a recovery event.
4.5.2 Systems Administration
Provide backup, recovery, configuration, installation, monitoring, and performance tuning services, on a n as needed basses.
4.5.3 Network Administration
Provide network device configuration, installation, monitoring, response and performance tuning services, on an as needed basses.
4.5.4 Hardware Procurement and Provisioning
Provide rapid response hardware procurement and provisioning services. Manage supplier agreements to ensure suitable agreements and services levels are in place to satisfy disaster recovery requirements.
4.5.5 Software Procurement and Provisioning
Provide rapid response software procurement and provisioning services. Manage supplier agreements to ensure suitable agreements and services levels are in place to satisfy disaster recovery requirements.
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4.5.6 Change and Configuration Control
Provide primary point of management contact for the facility and all related services. Manage change control processes for the facility. Assist and support the Planning, coordination, and exercising of Disaster recovery tests.
4.5.7 Transition Support Services
Provide support and assistance in the transition of independent State Agency DR services to the selected facility.
4.5.8 Call Center Services
Provide support for Call Center services that support up to 150 phones.
4.5.9 Vaulted Storage Services
Provide offsite vaulted storage for backup tapes and documents.
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SECTION V
SPECIFIC ISSUES
The intent of Section V is to solicit responses from interested parties or strategic teams regarding a future competitive bid for a statewide enterprise disaster recovery facility service. While the State makes no guarantees to respondents who submit responses to this RFI that their recommendations will be included in the final requirements, this is an opportunity for the private sector community to provide input.
The State expects to award a contract to obtain an enterprise disaster recovery facility or comparable solution potentially utilizing the technical and administrative competencies of both public/private partnership(s). However, it is important to note that the State may forgo the Request for Procurement Process (RFP) and make an award based on the results of this RFI processes.
Please respond in detail to the questions in Section V and include additional information considered relevant. This is especially important if the State has not addressed issues or stances your company considers vital to comment on. If not able to respond to all of the questions, the State is still interested in any response that you are willing to provide.
5.1 RFP Vision
The State is willing to explore a variety of options including but not necessarily limited to: utilizing single or multiple contractors; separate contractors for providing managed services, data services, and for equipment; consideration of regional and/or statewide service provisioning (may be driven by type of service), and other viable contract structures that will help provide the best value to meet the facilities business needs. The State is open to all possible concepts in providing an enterprise level disaster recovery facility that includes the provisioning of a stand alone independent facility and/or other strategies to help keep prices competitive and quality of service high.
The new enterprise level service model(s) is expected to address the business needs and challenges of State and potentially local government agencies and provide for a modern infrastructure with the capability for expansion and deployment of new improved technologies. Currently the technology that has immediate need of support is the open systems server’ platforms.
5.1.1 Input to RFI Scope
Section IV of the RFI describes the State of Colorado vision and the services the State expects to obtain through a contractual agreement. As a responder to this RFI you are hereby afforded the opportunity to provide information and recommendations that may contribute to the assessment and selection process. Please review the list of questions in the following 2 sections and respond accordingly.
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1) Please identify services the State should add or delete from the proposed model. Provide rationale for each addition and deletion.
2) What problems should the State anticipate in regard centralization of disaster recovery services for its distributed agencies?
3) Can the proposed enterprise disaster recovery facility services be delivered statewide? If so, which services?
4) If services cannot be provided statewide, please identify obstacles to delivering statewide services.
5) If it is not feasible to provide statewide services, what alternatives should the State consider?
6) What acquisition models do you recommend to adequately provide for fast, efficient, cost effective facility operations and service delivery?
7) Describe how these models would take advantage of new and/or evolving technology, while meeting state acquisition requirements.
8) Would it be best to provide multiple smaller facilities? If so, how would costs compare with the single facility model?
9) Is or will cell phone usage within the identified solution be impacted or impeded?
10) Is there such a thing as turnkey approach?
5.1.2 Evaluation and Assessment
The State of Colorado should it prove advantageous and in its best interest make an award based on the results of this RFI. All prospective proposers submitting responses to the RFI are encouraged to develop as detailed and comprehensive response possible given the information presented within this RFI and any subsequent communications issued or conducted during the RFI processes.
The State is interested in using a best value method of selecting the final solution. The State will consider quality, risk, benefits, price (including payment terms), and service delivery options, among other things.
The Value Added Benefits approach to this RFI and subsequent RFP process allows for the potential selection of a solution that may not be the lowest cost option. Please respond to the following list of questions in order to assist in this assessment.
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REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
1) What factors do you believe are most important for the State to consider in determining best value?
2) What specific evaluation criteria would you recommend be applied to each type of identified disaster recovery facility service? Please describe.
3) What other factors should the State consider as added value besides Facility prices?
4) Explain the value of these additional factors.
5) What other acquisition strategies would you recommend besides a best value method?
5.1.3 Market Planning/Timing
The State of Colorado is attempting to determine the scope and timing for an eventual competitive RFP that could be impacted by market, industry, or technological developments. The responses to the following section will help in evaluating potential impacts to the RFP.
5.1.3.1.1 Contract Term and Regulatory Issues
What term should the State consider for an eventual contract, including any option years, and why?
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REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
SECTION VI
INTERESTED PARTY RESPONSE
6.1. Introduction
Interested parties may respond to all or portions of this RFI. Responses should be a detailed, concise, delineation of functionality and services to satisfy the State’s need for information as stated in the RFI.
There is no intent to limit the inclusion of relevant information; however, responses should not be buried in extraneous material.
6.2. Response Content
The response shall consist of three parts as follows:Part One – Email Cover LetterPart Two – Response to Proposed Environment (Section IV) Part Three -- Response to Specific Issues (Section V)
6.2.1 Cover Letter
The State requires all responses to contain an email cover letter from an authorized representative. The title and contact information of the individual should be as indicated in RFI Section 2.
6.2.2 Response Format (Sections IV and V)
Copies of Sections IV and V shall be included and used as the format for responding. Hard copies will not be provided. Electronic copies of these sections, in Word format, may be obtained from the Colorado Department of State web site at: http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/info_center/disaster_recovery.htm
Please identify any alternatives or exceptions that the State should consider to the proposed environment in Section IV. The responses to Section IV should follow the order of that section.
Respondents shall provide their responses following each question in Section V by expanding the space between questions, as needed, in order to provide an adequate response space.
All responses shall be submitted in an email as attachments in MS Word. A confirmation email will be sent upon receipt of each RFI response.
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If interested parties have additional information that may help the State understands or clarifies their response, please provide such information as an appendix. Please keep marketing material to a minimum and only that material which adds relevance and or supports the communication pertinent to the State requirements for Disaster Recovery Facility services.
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REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
SECTION VII
REFERENCE MATERIAL
7.1 Supporting Documentation
2004 Statewide Information Technology Plan (2004 – 2007) – A framework to govern acquisition, management, and use communication and information resources in Colorado government.
2005 Strategic Communications and Data Processing Plan (FY2005 – 2006) – How to manage – direct and measure – both individual state agency IT investment performance as well as enterprise IT investment performance.
Information Technology Standards version 1.3, dated July 16, 2004
Note: Reference documents can be found at the following web address:
http://www.oit.state.co.us
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