Internet Access Provider

Internet Access Provider

I. Introduction

The ratio of workstations to people is rapidly approaching 1:1 in the college environment. Students, faculty and staff use computing technology for a wide-range of purposes, including educational use. The University has an extensive intracampus network th at provides on-campus computing users access to the Internet. Demand is increasing for off-campus access due to the increased use of computer resources by faculty for teaching and research, the increased use of computer resources by students, more telecom muting, and the growth of available information resources on the Internet. UVM intends to continue to provide dial-in modems for asynchronous terminal emulation, PPP service, and other appropriate services.

We would like to have service in place for at least limited use by July 1, 1997, with general availability by August 15, 1997.

II. Contact Information

All technical questions should be directed to Dean Williams, Computing & Information Technology, at (802)656-1174 or dean.williams@uvm.edu. All general questions should be directed to Barbara Walker, Department of Purchasing, at (802)656-8599 or bjwa lker@zoo.uvm.edu.

III. Acronyms

IV. Requirements of Dial-Up Internet Access

A. User Requirements

1. Users of the access system shall not be required to pay long distance charges within the state of Vermont. An 800- or 888-number, or local calling area number must be provided for all users. The goal is to have statewide access for all users of the sy stem free of telephone company toll and IAP communications charges. There shall be provision for out-of state toll-free access. Describe any fees for use of in-state and out-of-state dial-up use.
   
2. User charges shall be a flat initial monthly rate. Provide detail on incremental costs after a specific level of use, if any. The vendor must consider that in most University environments, summer months offer considerably less demand. It will be attra ctive if users can avoid paying charges in those months. In addition, service should be easily suspended for students and faculty taking semesters off.
   
3. Vendors should indicate the billing options available, such as
   
   • Direct billing to an end user's credit card
   • Electronic Funds Transfer from an end user's checking account
   • Billing monthly or once per semester
   • Direct billing to an end user at their home address
   • Direct billing to an end user at their college address
   • Subscription "bundles" invoiced to UVM for a set number of users
   • Other formats proposed by the vendor
     
4. Individuals affiliated with the University will register for service directly with the vendor and receive a login name and password to be used to access the vendor's service. The University will maintain control of subscriber eligibility. Describe you r proposed method for validating subscribers as UVM affiliates.
   
5. Any user may log in from any location.
   
6. The service provider's system must be compatible with a wide range of commercial and public domain access software.
   
7. The vendor's response shall include a detailed listing of all possible charges that the end user might incur in using their service.

B. Organization Requirements

1. The vendor will provide the connection to the Internet.
   
2. All equipment, software, telephone lines, and telephone switching equipment required to provide this service will be acquired, maintained and installed by the service provider.
   
3. End users will be responsible for providing their own computer equipment, modems and telephone lines, but the service provider will supply software, documentation and user assistance to facilitate use of their services. No special or proprietary softw are may be used to provide this service. Describe the content, media, and availability of user documentation. What portion of subscribers will be able to install the software successfully without vendor help?
   
4. Support must be available at no cost via in-state toll-free telephone and via Email.
   
   
   1. Specify hours of operation for telephone support.
      
   2. Describe the types and levels of support provided, including the availability of carry-in or "house call" support.
      
   3. How will you seamlessly integrate your support with the University's support services? (UVM currently staffs a telephone and email Help Line Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Some of the Colleges and Schools provide support as well.)
      
   4. Describe response time for help requests, including escalation procedures.
      
   5. Please state if support will include support for non-proprietary access client software.
      
   6. Describe any training you will offer new users for installation and configuration.
      
5. The vendor shall provide 10 test accounts at no charge. These test accounts shall be enabled for a minimum of one month. At the end of the test period, or when requested, vendor shall provide a report of all charges that would have been incurred for e ach account.
   
6. Please indicate whether vendor will permit a network monitoring station at UVM to have read-only SNMP access to all of the vendor's SNMP-capable devices that are part of the proposed system.
   
7. The University has many types of affiliates, with differing privileges for access to University-provided resources. The vendor will provide one or more blocks of IP addresses for the University, to allow for filtering of IP addresses for security and access purposes. The University will regularly provide a file or list indicating which affiliates are eligible for one or more blocks of IP addresses. Please indicate whether these blocks of IP addresses would be within the 132.198.xxx.xxx range, either w ith or without a network link between UVM and the IAP.

C. Technical Requirements

1. A full range of transmission speeds must be supported. Modems must adapt to speeds as low as 9.6 Kbps and as high as 28.8 Kbps. Please list error correction and data compression protocols supported. It is expected that as higher-speed modems come avai lable that the vendor will commit to upgrading to those higher speeds. The vendor must identify the speed of the slowest link in each routing scheme.
   
2. The provider will be expected to maintain sufficient capacity to avoid client frustration at the modem/port and network levels.
   
   1. 
      Please list the number of modems and number of subscribers at each Point of Presence.
      
   2. Please specify your typical and minimum guaranteed level of service at each P.O.P., including 800/888 service (for example, no more than 3% of the callers during the busiest hour will be denied access), and the levels of performance to which vendor wi ll contractually be held, as measured by busy signals, downtime, transmission speeds, and any other appropriate metrics. Tell us what procedures are in place for maintaining those levels and for restoring service in the event of outages.
      
   3. How will you demonstrate to us that you are maintaining your level of service (for example, by providing periodic reports)?
      
   4. Using the proposed reports or other measures, please submit actual performance and outage information for the past year.
      
   5. When are any planned downtimes scheduled to take place?
      
   6. Please describe the growth in number of clients and number of modems at each P.O.P. in the last year.
      
3. The vendor must provide a network map, detailing the "hops" a user's transmission will take for a connection to a resource at UVM. The vendor must identify the speed of the slowest link in each routing scheme. Describe the provision of in-st ate access (i.e., from anywhere in the state). The description is to include whether a local exchange or toll-free 800 # is used, and all point of presence locations. Describe alternative (backup) routing and equipment. Please discuss the feasibility and necessity for a direct connection between the IAP and the University.
   
4. PPP must be supported.
   
5. The service must be user-installable, with software, instructions and support available from the vendor. If the service provider offers a specific software for communications, such software must be fully described in the response. List alternative com munication software that will work with the system, and whether use of that software will be supported.
   1. 
      Users should be able to perform the following functions:
      • 
        Electronic mail. Please indicate whether use of UVM POP3 or IMAP4 mailbox is supported and whether use of UVM return address is supported.
        
      • Word-Wide Web. There is no requirement for Web publishing using the IAP's facilities.
        
      • telnet (VTxxx) emulation.
        
   2. Please indicate the availability and support status of any additional software, such as FTP, tn3270, or USENET news client.
      
   3. Please indicate specific software, the version number currently supported for each, and your plans for making transitions to newer versions.
      
   4. Indicate which client operating systems are supported. The following must be supported:
      • 
        Windows 95 and higher
        
      • Windows 3.1 and 3.11
        
      • MacOS 7.1 and higher
        
6. Vendors must describe security features, specifically regarding caller identification. Support for PAP authentication with PPP would be preferable to a script.
   
7. The service provider should be prepared to discuss planned or current support for IP multicast technology over either dial-up or ISDN connections.
   
8. The service provider should be prepared to discuss planned or current support of ISDN.
   
9. Submit any terms of service agreement subscribers are required to accept. Describe how vendor will handle violations of the agreement, and how vendor will handle abuse, such as unauthorized use of an account or multiple use of a single-user account.

D. Contract Requirements

1. 
   The vendor shall provide information in the bid for all costs to be incurred by the University or users.
   
2. The vendor shall provide complete information for any University-provided services, information, equipment, space, or any other obligation of the University.
   
3. The vendor shall provide the complete pricing structure of their service.
   
4. The vendor shall guarantee their pricing structure for a specific period of time.
   
5. The vendor will agree to provide the University with "most favored nation" pricing and terms.
   
6. Please describe any proposed promotional campaigns. The vendor is responsible for all costs of promoting their service. Restrictions on the use of the University's name and logo will be negotiated, and any use of the University's name and logo must be approved by the University. The vendor may advertise that they are a recommended provider, but not the recommended provider.
   
7. If the University provides a list or database of qualified affiliates, vendor may use that information only for purposes of establishing, maintaining, and terminating subscriber accounts. We may require a non-disclosure clause covering institutional s ecurity and privacy.
   
8. Vendor will designate a project manager who will serve as primary contact with the University for implementation and during the term of the agreement.
   
9. Contract or Memorandum of Understanding term may extend up to three years. This request for bid does not obligate the University of Vermont to enter into an agreement.
   
10. If vendor is purchased or otherwise acquired by another company, all terms of vendor's agreement with the University will transfer to the new owner.

E. Bonus Items

These optional items will be used to select the winning vendor if all other criteria are equal.

1. 
   Cost reduction proposals. Vendors are invited to propose alternative costing structures based on additional or alternative services provided. Alternative proposals must include, at minimum, the requirements detailed in Section V.
   
2. Service to alumni. Note that alumni are not eligible for the University's computing support services, so all support would come from the vendor. Also, alumni would not be assigned the special block or blocks of UVM IP numbers mentioned above.

V. Bidder Qualifications

1. Demonstrate the ability to furnish current modem and Internet access based on the requirements listed in Section V.
   
2. Demonstrate that the vendor has sufficient resources to provide and support the scope of services described in this RFP.
   
3. Demonstrate that the vendor currently provides Internet access to institutions or corporations. Provide a list of such customers with a contact name and telephone number. This list will be used only within the University, for purposes of evaluation in connection with this RFP.
   
4. The vendor must be able to demonstrate in-depth knowledge of a wide range of Internet access technologies, products and services.
   
5. Evidence of financial capacity to enter into this relationship and sustain the provision of Internet service for the University.
   

VI. Responses

1. Responses are due in the Office of Purchasing no later than 10:00 a.m. on April 9, 1997.
   
2. The vendor shall provide a minimum of one original, master copy of the bid, six copies (printed both sides), and one computer-readable copy in HTML or RTF format for online secured access by authorized University evaluators. If online secured access i s not acceptable to the vendor, vendor will provide twelve computer-readable copies in HTML or RTF format on diskette or CD-ROM.
   
3. The vendor shall provide a timetable and implementation schedule.
   
4. Responses will be evaluated by criteria including but not necessarily limited to: support; proposed approach; history and experience of bidder; cost per connection; reliability; scalability; other costs; repair and installation turnaround; and referen ces.
   

VII. Bidder's Conference (Not Mandatory)

A bidders' conference will be held on the afternoon of March 28, 1997 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Both the vendors and the University will attend. Location will be 225 Kalkin Building at the University of Vermont campus. Call with your RSVP to Deb Pecor at (802)656-1383 by Tuesday, March 26, 1997.

Bidder conference will cover all aspects of this request for proposal only. The bidder's conference is scheduled to allow vendors to have any questions answered pertaining to the request for proposal. Any changes in the specifications resulting from the bidder's conference will be followed up in writing to all vendors.

Posted April 11, 1997 by Dean Williams, dean.williams@uvm.edu