Sheboygan Water Utility
New Telecommunications System
Request for Proposal
July 14, 2017
Sheboygan Water Utility
Telecommunications System Request for Proposal
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Development and Purpose of Document
This Request for Proposal (RFP) has been developed on behalf of Sheboygan Water Utility (the “Utility”) in a
joint effort between the Sheboygan Water Utility and Telecom Fitness, Inc. The purpose of this RFP is to
assist the Utility with the purchase and installation of a new unified telecommunications system to better
serve its customers and employees.
We are soliciting vendor proposals with detailed configurations and pricing for the purchase of a Premises
Based Telecommunications System. We are NOT accepting any proposals for any Hosted or Cloud-Based
IP Telecommunications Systems, or systems that cannot be directly purchased and owned by the district.
This RFP will be posted publicly on the Utility website and in the local newspaper as required by law to allow
the opportunity for any interested vendors to submit proposals if so desired.
1.2 Utility Background
The Sheboygan Water Utility is located at 72 Park Ave, Sheboygan, WI 53081 and is regulated by the WI
Public Service Commission and WI Department of Natural Resources. The Sheboygan Water Utility is
dedicated to providing the safest possible water to our customers at the most economical price. The Water
Utility operates entirely upon its water revenues.
1.3 Definitions
For the purpose of this RFP document, please read and understand the following definitions:
A Premises Based Telecommunications System is defined as a telephone system that is purchased by
the Utility and where the physical equipment of the systems and controllers are installed at the facilities of
the Utility where the telephones will be used, and that also require the Utility to purchase their own external
lines or circuits to make and receive calls via the PSTN. A physical Premises Based Telecommunications
System onsite at the Utility must be managed as a standalone system by either the Utility or by the selected
vendor.
A Hosted Telecommunications System is defined as a system where the physical equipment, except for
the individual telephones, is not installed on the premises of the Utility, but rather installed in the “cloud” at a
secure data facility. A secondary definition of a Hosted system is that they are typically “rented” or paid for
via a monthly recurring fee and the system is also not owned by the Utility, but by the provider.
1.4 General Information
This Request for Proposal was developed to assist the Utility with the selection of a telecommunications
system to service its single location, which includes its offices, the water treatment plant and the other
adjoining facilities on the property. The following general information is provided to assist vendors create a
proposal for a new integrated telecommunications system that meets the needs detailed in this RFP.
Installation Timeframe: We anticipate that this new system will be installed in November of 2016 with
adequate time to facilitate proper training and allow users to become acclimated to the new system.
Carrier Lines & Circuits: The Utility will provide all necessary voice and data communications lines and
circuits to connect the new system to the PSTN. An ISDN PRI circuit with DID numbers will be ordered as
the primary voice transport for voice calls to and from the PSTN. SIP trunks may be considered as well.
VoIP Systems Only: Given that the telecommunications industry as a whole has shifted to IP phone
systems, this RFP is restricted to IP based telephone systems only. Non-IP phones will not be considered
except in a few locations where analog connections may be required. Traditional phone systems that
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Telecommunications System Request for Proposal
support IP phones, pure IP-based telephony systems, and hybrid IP PBX systems will all be considered,
provided that they meet the functional requirements of the Sheboygan Water Utility as outlined in this RFP.
Data Switches: New Layer 3 Ethernet PoE Data switches will need to be installed to fully support the VLAN
and networking requirements of a new VoIP telecommunications system.
Data Cabling: All bidders can assume that Category 5 or better cabling is installed throughout the Utility
offices and that no new cabling infrastructure additions or enhancements will be necessary in that area. We
do, however, request that bidders bring to our attention any concerns about cabling, especially in other
locations within the facilities prior to any installation of a new system to allow the Utility to react to any
cabling concerns or issues well before a new system is installed.
2 RFP RESPONSE INFORMATION
2.1 Mandatory Vendor Onsite Walkthrough
Each prospective vendor is required to send at least one representative to the Vendor Onsite Walkthrough
on September 20, 2016 at 1:30 p.m. at 72 Park Avenue in Sheboygan to ensure a complete understanding
of the environment for the new system installation. Vendors will be allowed to ask questions during and
immediately after the Walkthrough. Known answers will be shared onsite, but all questions and answers will
be sent via email to all vendors who attended the Walkthrough. Proposals from vendors that do not
attend the Walkthrough are subject to rejection by the Sheboygan Water Utility.
2.2 Response Due Date and Official Opening
All responses must be received by 2:00 p.m. CST on Monday September 26, 2016 to be considered.
One hard copy should be provided and delivered to the office of the Utility, and an electronic copy sent via
email to [email protected] as well.
2.3 Opening and Review of Responses
There will be no official or public opening of the responses. Each response that is received on time will be
reviewed by the Utility with the help of Telecom Fitness. Any responses received after 2:00 p.m. CST on
Monday September 26, 2016 will automatically be discarded and will not be considered.
The Utility is not responsible in any way for any delays or problems with the delivery methods, road
conditions, weather, or any other conditions or circumstances that might affect the timely receipt of any RFP
response by any prospective vendor.
NOTE: All responses received become the property of the Utility and will be made public.
2.4 Delivery of Proposal Documents
Please provide one (1) original hard copies of your response. All hard copy proposals should be delivered in
a SEALED package and addressed as follows:
TELECOMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM RFP RESPONSE
Sheboygan Water Utility
72 Park Ave
Sheboygan, WI 53081
Please send the electronic copy of your proposal to [email protected] as well.
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2.5 Documentation and Response Format
Each vendor must respond with their Proposal organized in the following six (6) sections:
1. A cover letter with the price of the proposed system, plus any special terms or conditions.
2. A full copy (all pages) of this RFP with clearly annotated responses to each requirement. Vendors
should at a minimum annotate each item or requirement with a simple statement such as “Read and
Comply” for the affirmative, or “Read and Do Not Comply” for the negative.
3. A Bill of Material showing the detailed line item pricing of each individual component and the “per unit”
pricing for any options and/or extras.
4. A technical summary and drawing of the proposed system. (Note: Details about any “improvements” to
the base request may be described here, but should also be clearly identified in the body of the
response at the point where the improvements occurs, or as a separate addendum.)
5. A separate document should be included that outlines the coverage and the costs for any extended
warranty or support programs available directly from the manufacturer or from the vendor.
6. Brochures and data sheets for the proposed equipment, materials, and/or services.
2.6 Contact/Questions about this Request for Proposal
Our goal is not to limit vendor access to information through artificial restrictions, but all communications
regarding this RFP must be limited to the defined contact methods listed below. Failure to comply with this
requirement will result in disqualification from consideration altogether. Responses to all inquiries will be
provided via email if possible, or via telephone if the need arises to discuss the situation in more detail.
Questions, concerns or comments regarding this RFP should be directed as follows:
In Writing to: [email protected]
Via Telephone to: Brian Erlichman, Telecom Fitness @ (262) 240-0040 x222
PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT the Utility OR ANY OF ITS EMPLOYEES
2.7 Pre-Bid, Bid, and Non-Winning Vendor Costs
Bidders assume all risks and are responsible for all costs related to their efforts to respond to this RFP. The
Utility is not liable for and will not pay any costs incurred by any vendor, person, or party related to any
efforts or materials used to respond to this RFP.
2.8 Response Requirements
The vendor response should address all of the requirements in each section of this RFP. The contents of
each response received will be used and relied upon in the selection of the system and the vendor.
All responses must reflect the most competitive prices and the best value for the Utility. Prices quoted in
your response are required to be valid for at least 90 days from the date of submission.
2.9 Requests, Information & Assumptions
The Utility and Telecom Fitness derived the information in the following section from telecommunications
system requirements that were developed internally. These requirements are the result of user interviews,
the input of the Utility staff, and lists of industry standard phone system features & functionalities.
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General Requests
1. We request that everything quoted be itemized and priced per unit of measure. All pricing should be
quoted on a “per user” or “per unit” basis where possible with any additional discounts for quantity
purchases clearly identified.
2. Vendors must include the complete cost of installation for the proposed system.
3. Any questions or issues concerning the assumptions made in this Request for Proposal should be
clarified prior to the submission of any response. Since the Utility is relying on the expertise of the
vendor, it is the responsibility of the vendor to quote all of the required equipment, components, or
software to support the proposed solution based on clearly understanding the needs of the Utility.
4. All systems and equipment must be rack mountable and/or installed off of the floor in equipment racks
in the MDF. PCs, computer systems, or servers must also be placed in equipment racks.
5. There will be no compromise in either voice quality or call reliability. The Utility will not tolerate anything
but the absolute best quality and the highest reliability in our new telephone system.
Specific IP Network Information& Assumptions
1. The network configuration must include separate VLANs for voice and data traffic to provide priority to
the IP voice traffic.
2. A single Ethernet workstation jack will be used to connect both the IP phone and the local computer.
This is often referred to as a “daisy-chaining” a PC or printer to the IP telephone.
3. Power for IP phones must be provided via standard Power over Ethernet (PoE) switch ports. A/C power
adapters should be quoted as an option to be only when PoE is unavailable.
2.10 Response Requirements
The response should address all of the requirements in each section of this RFP. The contents of each
response received will be used and relied upon in the selection of the system and the vendor.
All responses must reflect the most competitive prices and the best value for the Utility. Prices quoted in
your response are required to be valid for at least 90 days from the date of submission.
2.11 Exceptions
Exceptions to anything stated in this RFP should be disclosed and identified using bold print at the point in
the response where the exception occurs, however, any exception to the terms, conditions, specifications, or
requirements of this RFP may cause the response to be rejected. The Utility, at its sole discretion, may
reject any response or any part of a response because of any exception.
2.12 Alternative Solutions & Multiple Responses
Alternative solutions are welcome and will be considered as options, but must be clearly identified on a
separate attachment and labeled “ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION”. Multiple alternatives may be submitted, but
should be included as addendums to the original response. Vendors may also submit more than one
response, but each response must be complete and comply with the instructions set forth in this RFP.
2.13 Prerequisite Experience and Existing Customer References
All prospective vendors should be able to meet or exceed the following criteria:
1. The vendor should be able to demonstrate extensive knowledge of all equipment proposed with at least
five (5) year’s experience with the proposed phone system. This should be demonstrated through
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manufacturer training and certification completed by multiple technical resources, a demonstrated
commitment to ongoing training and recertification and a solid installed customer base on this platform.
2. Provide at least five (5) customer references with the exact same brand and model of the system being
proposed that were installed and are currently being maintained by the vendor responding to this RFP.
3. At least three (3) references must have nearly identical systems to the one being proposed.
4. The Utility also requires that vendors making it to the final stage arrange two (2) calls to the above
customers so that the Utility can talk to and ask questions of the system administrator.
2.14 Understanding, Clarification, and Error Correction
It is the vendor’s responsibility to understand all aspects of this RFP, but we realize that it may be necessary
to clarify details and/or provide a more comprehensive understanding of this RFP. We also acknowledge
that the possibility exists for errors or conflicts within this RFP.
If any of these issues are discovered, it is the vendor’s responsibility to immediately contact Telecom Fitness
to obtain whatever details, clarifications, understanding, or corrections are necessary via the permitted
contact methods prior to submitting a response.
Any information provided by a vendor to clarify any part of this RFP, and any corrections of errors will be
public information that can be shared with all other potential vendors. Conflict resolution information may
also be posted on the Utility website.
2.15 Caution to Vendors
The Utility is not responsible for locating or securing any information, which is not identified or provided in
the proposal, whether or not it is reasonably available to the Utility. To ensure that sufficient information is
available to the Utility, vendors must furnish all descriptive material necessary for the Utility to make
adequately the determination of whether or not the proposed solutions meet the requirements of this RFP,
and/or the exact quantities & costs of equipment, materials, & services to be furnished to the Utility.
2.16 No Confidentiality of Information
Any information submitted by a vendor in their RFP response is considered public information. The Utility
does not agree to keep any information from the general public and may share this information freely. All
material supplied becomes the property of the Utility, including any supporting material or information
provided at any point during the RFP process.
The Utility also reserves the right to use any ideas or proposed configurations regardless of whether the
vendor proposing those ideas or configurations is selected or not.
2.17 Response Clarification Questions
After reviewing the submitted proposals, Telecom Fitness and the Utility may contact some or all of the
vendors with questions and/or requests for clarification. Vendors will be expected to respond within three (3)
business days following the date the question and/or request for clarification was made to the vendor.
Clarification meetings may also be held with any vendors if deemed necessary, but not all vendors will have
a clarification meeting.
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2.18 Right to Accept/Reject Proposals
The Utility reserves the right to waive formalities and to accept any response deemed to be in the best
interests of the Utility. Furthermore, the Utility reserves the right to select the vendor and manufacturer’s
solution that in the opinion of the Utility provides the best long-term overall value to the Utility, regardless of
lowest price proposal, and regardless of any other perceived suitability of any other response.
The Utility also reserves the right to reject any response in its entirety, or any part of a response, or any
vendor, manufacturer, product, or service with or without good reason or substantiated cause.
The final decision will be based on what is best for the Utility as determined by the Utility and its consultant.
2.19 All of the Important Dates
Note: All of the following dates/times are subject to change at the discretion of the Utility.
RFP document publicly available to Vendors
Friday, September 9, 2016
Vendor Onsite Walkthrough and Q&A Session
Tuesday, September 20, 2016 @ 1:30 p.m. CST*
Deadline for Vendor RFP Responses
Monday, September 26, 2016 @ 2:00 p.m. CST
Review of Submitted Proposals
The week of September 26, 2016
Clarification Meetings (by invitation only):
After September 26, 2016
System Demonstrations (by invitation only):
On or After October 3, 2016
Initial System & Vendor Selection
October 10, 2016 (or possibly sooner)
Projected Completion of System Installation
November 30th, 2016 (estimated)
*Each prospective vendor is required to send at least one representative to the Vendor Onsite Walkthrough
to ensure a complete understanding of the environment for the new system installation. Vendors will be
allowed to ask questions during and immediately after the Walkthrough. Known answers will be shared
onsite, but all questions and answers will be sent via email to all vendors who attended the Walkthrough.
3 INSTALLATION AND SUPPORT INFORMATION
3.1 System Diagrams
Vendors must provide a system diagram of the proposed telephone system solution.
3.2 Premises Cabling
Vendors can assume that all data jacks and related cabling, including riser cables, patch panels, and other
cabling components in the offices are Cat 5 or better. Vendors are asked to express any concerns about the
cabling, including the other connected buildings, and the Utility will accept separate quotes for any new
cabling that needs to be installed as part of this effort.
3.3 Removal of Old Systems
Vendors are asked to provide a trade-in dollar value (if any) for the old Nortel MICS telephone system in the
form of an additional discount if the vendor removes it from the premises.
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3.4 Manufacturer Authorization and Certifications
Please provide the following as part of your proposal:
1. Proof of authorization by the manufacturer(s) to perform the installation, configuration, and support of
the proposed systems, and to train the Utility staff on the use of the system.
2. Proof that all technicians, system engineers, or other system installation personnel who would be part of
the installation (including any contractors or sub-contractors) are fully authorized and certified to install,
configure, troubleshoot, support and provide warranty service for the system.
3. Please provide copies of actual certificates and/or letter(s) from the manufacturer. If more than
one manufacturer’s products are proposed, please provide separate information for each manufacturer.
3.5 Warranty
Any proposed system must have a minimum of a one-year full warranty on all parts & labor without the
purchase of any additional support or maintenance agreements, contracts, or subscriptions. The warranty
quoted should include service for one year following final acceptance of the installed system and should also
guarantee the replacement of all materials, equipment, and/or software that may be rejected by the Utility due
to defects or poor workmanship.
Please also describe any and all costs that are not covered under this one-year warranty.
The Utility is also interested in the cost of an annual extended warranty that provides substantially the same
coverage as the first year in the second, third, fourth & fifth years individually priced. The individual IP
telephones do not need to be covered after the first year of manufacturer warranty.
3.6 On-Site & Phone Support
The Utility requires that their telecommunications systems are available from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday
through Friday, except for holidays including a guaranteed four (4) business hour on-site response time to
calls for service once it has been determined that a major outage or severe impairment of the system exists.
This support arrangement must also include unlimited telephone support during regular business hours and
the ability to have the telephone support personnel dispatch service personnel and parts as needed.
3.7 Maintenance
Please indicate if the quoted prices include complete maintenance, including all parts, labor, and travel costs,
for a period of one (1) year from date of cutover.
Note: All scheduled service outages and system maintenance must be performed outside of regular business
hours. Provide a description of this support and any additional costs for this service.
1. If all maintenance costs are not covered during the first year, please provide details about what
additional non-covered costs would apply during the first year.
2. Please indicate how quickly the system will be restored in the event of a catastrophic failure
3.8 Coordination with Local Telephone Utility
A carrier selected by the Utility will provide all necessary lines, trunks, and circuits. All costs of coordination
with this carrier to connect the lines, trunks, and circuits must be included in the proposed system costs.
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3.9 Technical Manual
As a part of the system to be delivered, we require that the vendor provide one (1) electronic version of the
manufacturer’s technical service manual per individual major component on the system.
3.10 Training Manual and User Manuals
A complete training manual should be provided detailing all information necessary for full system use. User
manuals for basic station (telephone) operation must also be provided. The Utility requests that these
manuals be provided electronically.
3.11 End User Training and Cutover Requirements
The selected vendor will be asked to provide on-site end-user training sessions for groups of users not to
exceed 10-12 per session. Specify the length of these sessions and provide a syllabus of what is covered.
1. The vendor will install any necessary cabling from the system to the training area so as to provide live
telephones for the training sessions.
2. In addition to traditional instructor-led group training, the vendor’s end-user telephone training should
also include CD, DVD, or web-based training for individual self-study.
3. The selected vendor will also provide up to eight (8) total hours of hands-on training for those individuals
that the Utility designates as administrators of the new telecommunications system.
4. Web Based User Interface: A web-based graphical user interface is required for users to change basic
settings on their telephone, voicemail account, or personal speed dial numbers.
5. Cutover: The vendor will have a representative on-site the day after cutover for at least half of the day to
provide follow-up training, to help users, and to resolve any problems. Technical personnel will remain
on-site as long as necessary to resolve any critical issues.
6. Post Cutover Attendant/Receptionist Assistance: A qualified trainer should be on-site for up to a full day
following cutover to work with and assist employees in answering positions.
7. End User Feature Card: All users are to be provided with some sort of ‘feature card’ (hard copy or
virtual) with brief instructions on how to use common features on their telephone.
8. Additional Training: There may be a need for a “refresher” training session to be conducted after the
cutover. Please indicate if any future refresher training will be provided for free, or if there is a cost for
additional training. This may or may not be used by the Utility.
3.12 Music On-Hold
The proposed system should provide a “Music on Hold” (MOH) and/or CD player system connection,
although providing the actual music or audio device itself is not required. Vendors may also quote their own
“Music on Hold” (MOH) system or solution as a separate item if so desired.
4 REQUIREMENTS
The following general functional requirements have been determined for the new telecommunications
system as a result of the Needs Analysis:
4.1 Manufacturer Requirements
1. The Manufacturer has proven financial stability and performance.
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2. The proposed system is a primary product of the Manufacturer’s business.
3. The Manufacturer has 5+ years of technical depth and experience in manufacturing & supporting
telecommunications systems, IP telephony, data integration and other voice related products and
services.
4. The Manufacturer has sufficient technical support personnel to support their vendors and the
proposed systems once installed.
5. The Manufacturer maintains local support personnel that can be called upon if necessary.
6. The Manufacturer has a local parts depot within 100 miles and preferably within a 50-mile radius of
the offices of the Sheboygan Water Utility.
4.2 Vendor Requirements
1. The Vendor is fully authorized by the Manufacturer to sell, service & support the proposed system
and all related software & components.
2. The Vendor is trained and certified by the Manufacturer to install, service & support the proposed
system and all related software & components.
3. Telecommunications systems are one of the core business of the Vendor.
4. The telecommunications system and any related systems, components or products being proposed
are primary product offerings of the Vendor.
5. The Vendor has sufficient Technical Depth & Experience on staff to support the telecommunications
products & services it has proposed (5+ Years).
6. The Vendor has excellent service operations that are efficient and complete.
7. The Vendor must offer full system support that includes on-site maintenance & repair for premises
based systems, on-site & remote MAC (Moves, Adds, Changes) service, and system software
assurance and upgrade installation.
8. The Vendor maintains their own local parts inventory and has their own local support personnel
within a 75-mile area.
9. The Vendor has a good reputation with proven customer references.
10. The Vendor can demonstrate financial stability and performance.
11. The Vendor must have disciplined project management.
12. The Vendor must quote everything itemized and priced per unit of measure.
13. The Vendor will provide initial onsite training for phone users, training for at least two system
administrators, and has tools for future new user training.
4.3 General System Requirements
1. The system itself has an excellent reputation, which can be verified by numerous references that will
confirm system reliability and ease of use.
2. The system is built using proven leading edge (not bleeding edge) technology and must be designed
for 7x24 availability with a uptime rating of 99.95%
3. The phone system must be scalable and must be able to accommodate any reasonable growth and
expansion of the Sheboygan Water Utility.
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4. The system must have a minimum of a one-year on-site warranty for all system parts and software,
and the warranty must also include any required labor.
5. Secure 24/7 remote system monitoring should be included with the system.
6. The system must allow “do-it-yourself” moves, adds & changes of users, phones & voicemail
configurations through an easy to use management tool.
7. The system must provide secure remote access for system administration
8. The system will be configured to require that a “9” be dialed from all phones to access outside dial
tone for calls going out over the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).
9.
Users must be able to dial “9 + 911” or simply “911” to reach 911 services.
10. The system must be configurable by phone or extension as to what telephone number is sent out on
outbound telephone calls. One extension may send out a DID number, while another may send out
the main number, and others may block the outbound caller ID altogether.
11. The system must be able to function for a minimum of two (2) hours in the event of a power outage.
Please quote an optional third-party battery backup device to meet this requirement.
12. The system must be able to handle an adequate number of lines and circuits for future growth and
expansion. All lines and circuits, regardless of the technology type, must be able to use DNIS digit
routing for incoming calls.
13. The system will have the ability to assign each user with a personal DID number and a voicemail
account, but this will be decided on a individual user or individual station basis. Not every user will
have a DID number, nor will every user have a voicemail account.
14. The system should have conferencing capabilities that include both ad hoc and pre-arranged “meetme” conferences using a call bridge.
15. The system will have “Speed Dial” capabilities with both system based “shared” speed dial numbers
and individual user defined “personal” speed dial numbers.
16. The system must accommodate various call coverage requirements including receptionist backup,
overflow to other telephones and call coverage.
17. The system should provide the ability to “park” calls at the user’s extension or in such a manner so
that the call can be easily retrieved from any phone.
18. Users must be able to program the number of rings before calls are forwarded to voice mail or to other
extensions because some positions will require more time to get to a call than others.
19. The system should provide the means to easily retrieve (take back) a transferred call if phone to
which that call was transferred does not answer.
4.4 Phone Device Requirements
1. Phone types and functions must be consistent across users with the majority of standard telephone
system (PBX) features and functionality. The Sheboygan Water Utility may choose to standardize on
a limited number of telephone models.
2. All telephones should be self-labeling (no paper labels)
3. All telephones should have a two-line LCD display capable of showing both caller ID name and
number without toggling or pushing any buttons.
4. Phones must have multiple programmable buttons to be used for internal extensions, external speed
dial or other features. Buttons programmed with internal extensions should provide line appearances
for the assigned internal extensions (DSS/BLF functionality).
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5. The system must be able to accommodate a need for cordless phones.
6. An expanded Call Log should be provided to store at least 100 entries.
7. All telephones, except basic units must be capable of handling multiple simultaneous calls to the
same phone extension, and have multiple line appearances for departmental answering.
8. All telephones, except for basic models should have a full duplex speakerphone or “hands-free”
capability. This feature must be programmable on a per phone basis.
9. Phones must have distinctive ringing to identify internal vs. external calls.
10. Caller ID name and number must be displayed in the LCD on all phones.
11. Caller ID name and number of the originating call must be displayed on calls forwarded from one
internal extension to another extension.
12. Caller ID name and number must also appear on a second incoming call.
13. Phones must support wireless headsets and other ergonomic devices to accommodate the
productivity needs of Sheboygan Water Utility staff.
4.5 Voicemail & Automated Attendant Requirements
1. Voicemail must be provided by the telephone system manufacturer and be integrated to work
flawlessly with the proposed telephone system.
2. Voicemail must be easy to navigate for both users and callers trying to use the system. Intuitive
prompts, quick access and fewer buttons to push.
3. The length of time for saving messages should be a configurable option.
4. The voicemail system must allow users to setup, save and change greetings to one of a minimum of
three greeting choices (i.e., current, away & alternate).
5. Users should have the option or short or extended voicemail prompts.
6. The system must provide easy remote access to voice mail for users to listen to voicemail messages,
and change their own voicemail greetings simply by dialing a local number and logging into their
mailbox.
7. A web portal or other web-based interface may also be desirable.
8. The voice mail/automated attendant should provide user notifications of new messages via a standard
indicator on their desk phone, text messages to their mobile device, and email notifications.
9. The system must have auto attendant capabilities that can answer incoming calls and provide the
appropriate prompts to direct callers to the correct destination.
10. Callers routed to voicemail are to always have the option to press “0” to reach an available person,
either a person in the same department or at an attendant console.
11. NO calls should ever terminate with a “busy” signal.
12. The system should provide multiple attendant greetings that can be used for afterhours, holidays, or
any other purpose. Afterhours and Holiday greetings should be easy to use and programmable in
advance.
13. Changing and recording new greetings should be an easy task should that be required.
14. If an incoming call is transferred or forwarded to a covering extension, and no one answers the call at
the covering extension, then the call must be forwarded to the voicemail account of the person who
was originally called.
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4.6 Contact Center & Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) Requirements
1. Agent and supervisor desktop software to show call queues.
2. The ability to record a call while the call is in progress.
3. An alert for all ACD agents to indicate that a caller has left a message in the ACD mailbox.
4. The ability to transfer calls (internal or external) when necessary.
5. The ability for a supervisor to talk to an agent while on a call is desired.
4.7 Special System Requirements – Water Treatment Plant
1. Wireless handsets or cordless telephones that will function properly in the humid and corrosive environment in
the Water Treatment Plant are required.
2. The wireless or cordless coverage must extend throughout the Water Treatment Plant to provide continuous
communications ability for plant workers regardless of their location and regardless of the distance from the base
station of the phone.
5 ADDITIONAL DESIRED CAPABILITIES
5.1 Vendor/Partner
1. The vendor has good service operations that are efficient and complete.
2. The vendor has a disciplined project management approach to installations.
3. The vendor should quote everything itemized and priced per unit of measure. Options should also be
itemized separately.
5.2 Telephone System
1. The proposed system has both reasonable initial investment and future addition costs.
2. All systems and equipment should be rack mountable, or mounted on plywood off the floor.
3. An indicator (light?) is desired to let users know their phone is in Do Not Disturb mode.
4. AC adapters are considered as backup or alternate method of powering IP phones.
5. The capability of blocking outgoing Caller ID information on some phones, while allowing DID station
specific information or just the main corporate telephone number to be sent out from other phones.
Some phones will just send out the main corporate telephone number.
6. Setting up conference calls should be very user friendly and the system should provide simple
prompts on display phones to assist the user.
7. The main answering positions should be able to forward calls to any other phone on the system and
should also have the ability to transfer calls externally (i.e., transfer calls to an external phone number
not in the system).
8.
The main answering positions should also be able to temporarily forward all incoming calls to another
phone on the system that will act as a temporary answering position during receptionist breaks, or at
other times when the main answering position is unattended.
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5.3 Voicemail and Auto Attendant
1. The capability to have additional greetings (more than three standard ones) is desirable.
2. An indicator or other notification to remind the users that they have an alternate greeting activated in
voicemail is desirable.
3. When replaying voicemail messages, show the Caller ID information for the message on the display
on the user’s phone.
4. Increased Voice Mail capacity for users to store more messages.
5. The ability to retrieve deleted messages before ending a session is desired.
6. Allow supervisors to override greetings to system greetings if needed for absences.
7. The directory should have the options of using last name or first name for lookup.
8. Options to restart, slow down, and rewind voicemail message playbacks.
9. Callers should have the option to review a recorded message before sending it.
6 TELECOMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS
6.1 General
This specification is to ensure a complete and satisfactory telecommunications system is installed. All
equipment and installation material required to fulfill the technical requirements shall be furnished and
installed whether or not specifically enumerated herein.
1. Installation shall be handled as a turnkey project, including delivery, installation (including
backboards), programming, and satisfactory check of all system equipment as a whole.
2. Only new equipment is acceptable without question. Use of Certified Refurbished or other ‘not new’
components is not allowed and will be rejected.
3. Workmanship will be professional and in accordance with accepted commercial standards.
4. Equipment & installation will comply with National Electrical Code (NEC) & any local codes.
5. The costs of obtaining any and all required permits are responsibility of the selected vendor.
6. The system shall employ state-of-the-art technology and be in current production.
7. Any system proposed shall be operating and available for inspection upon request.
8. The commercial power available for the system will be 115/120 volt, 60 Hz, AC.
6.2 Hardware Configurations and Capacities
1. Telephone Capacity
1.1. The system should be designed to initially support up to 30 total phones with standard
telecommunications systems features and functionality.
1.2. The system should be easily expandable to 100 or more telephones by adding phones and
licenses, but without incurring the cost of a major system expansion.
2. System Connectivity to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN)
2.1. The main system will need to have one standard (1) ISDN PRI port and at least two (2) standard
analog trunk (POTS) ports.
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2.2. Both the PRI port and all analog ports must support inbound ANI/Caller ID.
2.3. For future growth, the system should be able to be expanded to support a second ISDN PRI port
and/or 24 SIP trunks, as well as two (2) additional analog trunk (POTS) ports.
6.3 System Software Requirements
1. Operating System Requirements
1.1. The proposed systems must be based on a secure, hardened operating system (OS) that is not
subject to any risk of virus, spyware, or other destructive software attacks.
1.2. The operating system must be reliable and have an uptime rating of 99.995%
2. Software features and Administration
2.1. The systems must provide the majority of industry-standard features and functionality available in
most PBX, Key, and Hybrid telecommunications systems
2.2. System Administration must be able to be performed by the Utility staff through a web-based tool
provided by the manufacturer as part of the system.
6.4 Important System Requirements
1. Electrical Power Requirements
1.1. The system should be powered by standard 115/120 volt, 60 Hz, AC circuits.
1.2. Specify any different or additional electrical circuit requirements for the systems
1.3. Include the number of circuits required, the type, voltage, & amperage
2. Power Protection/Uninterruptible Power Supply Requirements
2.1. A minimum of two (2) hours of backup power for the system and all connected stations.
2.2. Provide the cost of an incremental increase in battery capacity to four (4) hours or longer.
3. System Backup and Recovery
3.1. There must be an integral backup and restore capability in the system.
3.2. Please explain the backup process and the restoration process as well.
4. Equipment Rack Units and Mounting Hardware
4.1. Please provide the Equipment Rack Units required for all components of the system.
4.2. It is the responsibility of the selected vendor to provide any required mounting hardware, shelves,
or brackets necessary to put the equipment into standard 19”equipment racks.
5. Expansion Units, Additional Cabinets, or Other Components for Adding capacity
5.1. The goal is to “right size” these systems by building in a reasonable amount of expansion capacity
as part of this installation, but not over purchasing years of excess capacity.
5.2. The systems should accommodate at least minor growth such as adding a dozen or so new
stations without the purchase of expansion units or cabinets.
5.3. Provide the available capacities for each system after the installation is completed.
5.4. Explain the process of expanding and increasing the capacities of the current configuration for each
type of common functionality (i.e., adding phones or lines).
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6.5 Telephones and Headsets
1. Telephones (Note: Quantities may be adjusted after final vendor & system selection)
1.1. A total of 30 telephones are required as follows:
a. 30 Administrative Desk phones (6 to 8 button)
b. Special phones for plant operations (if so required)
1.2. All telephones require a full duplex speakerphone
1.3. All telephones must be electronic self-labeling (no paper phone labels allowed)
1.4. Provide the price per phones if purchased after the initial installation
1.5. Please also provide individual prices for any executive model or specialty phones that might be
beneficial for certain roles and responsibilities. Examples of these are:
a. 12 to 16 button or more advanced phones
b. PC Based Softphones
c. Full Color Display Phones
d. Wireless phones
2. Headsets
2.1. All desk telephones must be headset capable
2.2. New headsets should be priced separately as an optional item.
2.3. Existing headsets in good working order may be reused if they are compatible.
6.6 Local Area Network Connectivity Requirements
1. System Network Connectivity
1.1. Specify the total number of 10/100/1000 Ethernet ports on the proposed system
1.2. The purpose (use) of each system connection to the Ethernet network.
2. Quote (1) New Gigabit Ethernet Power over Ethernet 48-port Data Switch
3. Additional IP Network Connectivity Requirements
3.1. All equipment must meet or exceed required Quality of Service – 802.11 p & q standards
3.2. Layer 3 Switching (routing) should be used
3.3. 802.3af Power over Ethernet (PoE) to provide power to the IP phones
6.7 Voicemail and Auto Attendant For Premises Based Systems
1.
Software and Functionality
1.1. Provide a standard integrated voicemail system on a stable and proven operating system
platform that meets the following specifications:
a. Approximately 30 initial voicemail accounts will be created
b. Voicemail should be expandable to at least 100 Voicemail Accounts (Mailboxes)
c. If applicable, 4 initial Voicemail Ports, expandable to 16 ports in the future
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d. Specify VM storage capacity and approximate ‘per user’ storage allotment
e. Standard Auto Attendant Features and Functionality
2. External Voicemail Access for personnel not located in the office is required
3. At least basic Unified Messaging (VM messages or links to messages appearing in email)
4. Specify any other requirements for the voicemail system
6.8 Maintenance and Support
1. Provide complete details of Standard Warranty coverage
1.1. Manufacturer Warranty Length of Coverage
1.2. Specify what is covered (i.e., parts and labor)
1.3. Emergency Service and Support (Disaster Recovery)
a. Response time guarantees
b. Replacement parts availability
c. Other details of the emergency service and support program
1.4. Emergency service and support program costs
2. Provide complete details of Extended Warranty Coverage
2.1. If it is a manufacturer or vendor warranty program
2.2. What is covered (i.e., parts and labor) & Length of extended warranty coverage
2.3. Extended warranty costs
2.4. Emergency Service and Support (Disaster Recovery)
a.
Response time guarantees
b.
Replacement parts availability
c.
Other details of the emergency service and support program
d.
Emergency service and support program costs
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7 VENDOR COMPANY INFORMATION
Vendor Company Name: ________________________________________________________________
Business Entity Type - Select one: Corporation
LLC
Federal Tax ID #: __________________________________
Sole Proprietor
Other (explain below)
Years in Business: ________________
Principal/Owner/President/CEO: ____________________________________________________________
Company Address: ______________________________________________________________________
City, State, ZIP: _________________________________________________________________________
Company Phone Number: _________________________________________________________________
Website Address:________________________________________________________________________
Primary Contact Person: __________________________________________________________________
Contact Phone Number(s): ________________________________________________________________
Contact Email Address:___________________________________________________________________
Comments and/or Explanations:____________________________________________________________________
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