UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS

Transcription

1 UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS REQUEST FOR INFORMATION RFI NO Video Conferencing System Refresh MAIL OR DELIVER INFORMATION TO: THAN: INFORMATION SHALL BE SUBMITTED NO LATER University of Alaska Fairbanks February 23, 2004 Purchasing Department 5:00 P.M., Alaska Standard Time Administrative Services Center, Rm College Rd PO Box Fairbanks, Alaska NOTICE TO OFFERORS - SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT FOR RFI INQUIRIES: John A. Hebard Mailing Address Senior Contracting Officer University of Alaska Fairbanks Phone: (907) Purchasing Department Admin. Services Ctr., Rm 103 FAX: (907) College Rd PO Box john.hebard@uaf.edu Fairbanks, Alaska DRAFT 1

2 The person designated above in this notice shall be the only contact for any or all inquiries regarding any aspect of this RFI or its requirements. An electronic copy of this document may be found at The University of Alaska shall not award a contract on the basis of this solicitation or otherwise pay for the information solicited. This solicitation is issued for the purpose of obtaining information pertaining to design and installation of a ALOS data production system for the Americas ALOS Data Node (AADN), which may be used to prepare a formal solicitation at a later date. ISSUE DATE: January 23, 2004 John A. Hebard, C.P.M. Senior Contracting Officer DRAFT 2

3 TABLE OF CONTENTS GENERAL INFORMATION AND DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT... 4 PROBLEM STATEMENT... 4 PROPOSED FUTURE STATE... 4 PROJECT CONSIDERATIONS AND SCHEDULE... 5 VIDEO CONFERENCING SERVICES... 6 CURRENT VIDEO CONFERENCING INFRASTRUCTURE... 6 PREFERRED APPROACH NATURE OF SERVICE REQUIRED REQUEST FOR INFORMATION RESPONSE FORMAT TOPICS TO BE INCLUDED IN THE NARRATIVE EXPERIENCE PERFORMANCE DESIGN MAINTENANCE GENERAL SCHEDULE & BUDGET SUBMITTAL INFORMATION DRAFT 3

4 General Information and Description of the Project Problem Statement OIT Video Conferencing Services (VCS) is in need of an upgrade to university's video conferencing platform, including infrastructure. The current infrastructure is out of date and no longer being manufactured. End-of-support dates for the equipment start as early as June A new video conferencing solution is needed in order to stay current with industry trends and accommodate the increasing need for video conferencing at the University of Alaska. Below are the specific problems the Video Conferencing Refresh is trying to solve: The current VCS infrastructure provides a limited number of available ports (120) for video conferencing from endpoints and devices, recordings, and livestreams. UA is close to the maximum capacity of ports to provide the number of video conferences requested. Service support for Standard Definition (SD) bridges expires September of Service Support for High definition (HD) bridges expires July OIT-VCS will be unable to secure vendor or manufacturer support. This is a liability for UA because there will be no guarantee that UA will be able to provide video conferencing if the infrastructure breaks. VCS pays about $183k annually for H.323 conferencing (the ability to send voice and video based on an IP address) and Sip conferencing (which is not dependent on having a consistent IP address). VCS would like to find a lower cost solution through vendor consolidation. VCS primarily makes use of H.323, described above, however they would like to move towards industry trends, which is the sole use of Sip conferencing. Sip conferencing is easier to support, both technically and operationally. 1. University of Alaska (UA) users are unable to schedule video conferences independently, unless a Google Hangout, or an unsupported solution, is used. Google Hangouts are unable to be recorded and Google Hangouts are incompatible with the H.323 endpoints limiting who users are able to connect with. 2. Every conference, whether administrative or academic in nature, has to be prescheduled by VCS or an approved distributed tech. During the academic year this averages nearly 40 conferences per day. This means that UA users are unable to schedule their own ad hoc conferences, therefore monopolizing VCS resources which could be spent improving provision of the service, such as perfecting room builds. Proposed Future State DRAFT 4

5 A suitable system would incorporate the following attributes: 1. A flexible port model to accommodate the growing need for video conferencing. Ability to add ports with no-notice as demand dictates. Ability to scale on demand and for short bursts. Alerts, notifications and analysis to know when we are exceeding or bumping up against port limits. This model will be able to increase port limits with little notice. This aligns VCS infrastructure with current market trends. 2. The need to refresh expensive infrastructure, such as conferencing bridges, is significantly reduced or eliminated. This could be achieved through a cloud solution or an on premise solution, as long as the cost model avoids the need for frequent upgrades. 3. Consolidate licensing and cost model which will reduce the cost to the university customers and the cost to maintain videoconference equipment. UA will have one license to pay for annually, ideally at a lower rate, and VCS will be able to pass this savings off onto their customers. 4. A solution which moves primarily towards SIP conferencing technology. SIP conferencing allows Uniform Resource Identifiers (URI), rather than an Internet Protocol (IP) based conferencing system, allowing for easier connections on any mobile device. 5. UA users throughout the system will be able to independently conduct both scheduled and ad hoc meetings, both administrative and academic in nature. While enhancing distance delivery of classes and presentations. 6. With scheduling and administrative functions reduced, VCS resources will be better utilized by being directed towards room builds, operation support and service improvements. 7. A device and endpoint agnostic framework which supports the next generation of VCS users with better integration of mobile devices and a variety of platforms. Increase support for mobile devices and a broader range of desktop clients. 8. Expanded integration with other conference systems through adoption of SIP protocol 9. Integration or hybrid solution to bridge the two worlds together while we transition to a new solution. With so many end points there will be a need to exist in both worlds while end points are phased out and new one brought online 10. System will provide for capacity planning, reporting and usage analysis and statistics. 11. Recordings must be stored, archived, retrieved in accordance with UA s retention policy. Project Considerations and Schedule DRAFT 5

6 As a cloud first organization, OIT looks to reduce its reliance on locally hosted solutions to help moderate and reduce long term costs. To that effect, OIT would like to minimize the physical infrastructure footprint. This reduces the burden of costly cyclical hardware refreshes and maintenance contracts. This further eases the strain on shrinking personnel staffs. The current hardware is approaching the end-of-support date. Some dates, as early as Jun With that in mind, the university would like to have a new solution in place prior to the start of fall semester, August Interested parties may make arrangements to discuss this request with VCS prior to the deadline to gain more detailed understanding of VCS operations, infrastructure and processes. Upon review of the responses submitted to this request, VCS may: Issue a Request For Proposal (RFP); or Determine that such enhancements can be best addressed through other procurement means. Video Conferencing Services Video Conferencing Services is a statewide department that provides service to the university s three main campuses and 13 community campuses. VCS supports over 300 h.323 endpoints across the system, as well as recordings, web streams, and WebRTC applications for users to join via portable device. VCS schedules, monitors, and troubleshoots on average 40 conferences a day across all campuses. VCS is also available for equipment consultation and room installations from small conferencing rooms to large auditoriums. Current Video Conferencing Infrastructure The following diagrams provide an overview of the myriad of video conference configurations supported by the current infrastructure: DRAFT 6

7 FIGURE 1 Figure 1 depicts a typical scenario which may be used for both academic courses and administrative meetings. There are 4 Cisco gatekeepers (one for each main campus and one for redundancy) that manage the H.323 traffic. Many of our academic and administrative conferences connect multiple endpoints through the bridges. These endpoints are installed in conference rooms and classrooms alike. Each conference is booked on TMS by a VCS technician prior to the conference. Participants only need to arrive to the room and unmute the mic to participate. Participants do not initiate any calls; that is done for them by the VCS technician. DRAFT 7

8 FIGURE 2 Figure 2 is similar to the previous example. This diagram adds an audio conferencing line to the standard conference. Using a PRI line connected to a Codian ISDN Gateway, we are able to set up a dial string to the 800 number of our outsourced audio conferencing provider (Two Rivers) to the bridged conference. We then add the gateway to the conference as a non-video participant. VCS enters the moderator code for the connection. DRAFT 8

9 FIGURE 3 Figure 3 adds recording to the standard conference. There are 2 options available to record a conference. In the drawing above, we connect 2 Tandberg/Cisco content servers to our instance of Telepresence Management Suite (TMS) and add the recorder to the conference as a passive participant to the bridged conference. This will record all of the participants in the conference and have a separate content channel. The recordings are kept on our NAS storage. The other way for us to record a conference is to connect a Pexip WebRTC virtual meeting room to the bridged conference and connect an RTMP link as a participant in the Pexip room that sends it to our instance of Kaltura. DRAFT 9

10 FIGURE 4 In figure 4, H.323 codecs in classrooms/conference rooms connect to the conference through the bridge and also connect to our instance of Pexip to a virtual meeting room. Desktop/Tablet/Smartphone users are then able to call into the virtual meeting room to be connected to the rest of the conference. If there is a Pexip participant from outside the UA network, that is not a problem since Pexip has a public facing IP to connect the virtual meeting room. DRAFT 10

11 FIGURE 5 Figure 5 includes the capability to include participants from outside the UA network. In order for a video conferencing unit outside of the UA network to connect, the external IP is dialed to by our bridge as it has a public facing IP. If the outside endpoint is behind a firewall, they are able to dial our bridge IP address and placed in an auto-attendant, then placed in the correct conference. DRAFT 11

12 FIGURE 6 Figure 6 combines all of the previous options into one conference. Preferred Approach In order to determine current trends in the marketplace and identify relevant features and capabilities, the first objective should be a solicitation of information through the issue of a Request for Information (RFI) by the Contracting and Procurement Office. Based on results of the RFI, Video Conferencing Services will work with select end users and other stakeholders to determine the best approach, define the scope, develop a comprehensive list of requirements which will be used during the Request for Purchase (RFP) process. A Solicitation of bids, via the RFP should be initiated early enough in 2018 to allow for deployment and go-live prior to the beginning of the Fall semester. A preferred approach must support the following use-cases: DRAFT 12

13 SCENARIO 1 SCENARIO 1 Connect video conference capable rooms which may be located through the UA system. SCENARIO 2 Connect video conference capable rooms which may be located through the UA system and include 3rd party audio conferencing participants. DRAFT 13

14 SCENARIO 3 Capture/Record live stream events SCENARIO 4 Include web participants DRAFT 14

15 SCENARIO 5 Connect video conferencing capable room located either inside or outside UA network. Nature of Service Required The goals for this project are: 1) Selection and deployment of comprehensive video conferencing platform which supports the needs of the university s faculty, staff and students. 2) Expand the administrative functions available to the customer to include room reservation, participant invites and configure conference options. 3)???. Request for Information Response Format The University asks that respondents not only answer all questions included in this RFI but shall also provide any additional information necessary to allow the organization to make informed decisions about solution(s) for a future procurement. University representatives may contact the respondent to further discuss or to clarify any information provided. Responses are to be provided for informational purposes only and at no obligation to the University. All information provided in this RFI shall remain confidential up until the time that a resulting request for proposal is issued and a Notice of Intent to Award is made. If the University does not issue an RFP, it may return all materials to the respondent if requested, or retain the materials for possible use in future evaluations. A respondent must clearly identify any sections of their RFI response that are being designated as confidential. The DRAFT 15

16 University will comply with such requests to the extent allowable by law. The submittal shall consist of a narrative description addressing the proposed idea(s) or concept(s) presented in the following section. This should include as much detail as necessary to adequately depict the proposed scenario. Each narrative shall clearly mark which question it is addressing. Where applicable, standard brochures or sales material may supplement the narrative, but each response should be thorough and complete. If multiple alternatives are available, please include those in the narrative response. Topics to be Included in the Narrative The following topics shall be addressed in the narrative response: Experience Identify your firm s qualifications and experience in providing video conferencing solutions. Include the names and addresses of any customers with comparable systems, preferably within higher education. Cite any previous business experience with the University of Alaska. Performance How does your solution manage and ensure video and voice quality? How would your solution provide adequate quality of service for participants in remote locations around Alaska, some with limited satellite connections? What reliability factors and data recovery mechanisms have you considered in your recommendation? Provide information about methodologies and mechanisms used in your solution to monitor and control production quality. Design Do you offer an end-to-end solution? Describe the solution you would propose for the university. Include lists and specifications of major hardware and software components. Is the system you propose modular and extensible? Fully describe how your solution supports each aspect of the conference life cycle including initial request, scheduling, active conference monitoring and control, reporting and performance analysis. DRAFT 16

17 Describe your system s fault tolerance with respect to network outage, host failure, and redundancy. Describe the ability of your solution to identify details regarding failures anticipated or definite and to aid support personnel in preventive maintenance and/or fault recovery. Describe how your system could be expanded to handle increased production demand. Can your system be scaled both up and down in response to the cyclical demands of the academic calendar? Maintenance Describe in detail the maintenance and support philosophies for your solution. Is solution available 24/365? Describe your upgrade road map and methods. Describe the proposed/available technical support to include hours, methods, response times? Describe available reference materials, online FAQs or knowledge bases available. General How will your staff interface with VCS, UA project management during the implementation phase? Will on-site support staff be required during implementation or delivery? Provide examples of how your system has been used to meet needs similar to the university. Describe system capabilities to allow participants and VCS staff to make changes and have access privileges with respect to their areas only. Describe data storage and access for any recorded or captured data. Include security and retention policies. DRAFT 17

18 What training does your solution require? Which basic skills will VCS personnel require prior to training? Will your firm carry out this training, or do you recommend a specific provider? Explain your strategy. Schedule & Budget The VCS current time line calls for vendor selection in late 2017 with the implementation to be completed by the end of June Explain fully whether you consider this schedule feasible? Provide a price estimate for your proposed solution(s). Include separate prices for hardware, software, support licenses, and proposed labor charges for installation, on-going maintenance and training. This estimate may be a range if necessary. NOTE: All information, including cost estimates, shall remain confidential until such time as a Request for Proposals and Notice of Intent to Award has been issued. Submittal Information Number of Copies Required: Two copies of your response shall be submitted. Submittal due by February 23, 2004, at 5:00 p.m. AST by mail or hand delivery to: University of Alaska Fairbanks Procurement and Contract Services PO Box College Road Rm. 103 Fairbanks, AK Attn: John Hebard Any questions regarding this RFI should be directed via to john.hebard@uaf.edu or via fax to , Attn. John Hebard. Telephone questions or verbal requests will not be accepted. The University shall not award a contract on the basis of this solicitation or otherwise pay for the information solicited. This Request for Information is issued for the purpose of obtaining information pertaining to ASF Process and Information Management Enhancements at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, which may be used to prepare a formal DRAFT 18

19 solicitation at a later date. DRAFT 19