Inactive Total Small Business Set-Aside (FAR 19.5)

Synopsis: VA seeks to procure tools, training, and Microsoft (MS) solution-specific current expertise and experience to advise and assist in: the Government s creation of a Project Plan; Acquisition t... Synopsis: VA seeks to procure tools, training, and Microsoft (MS) solution-specific current expertise and experience to advise and assist in: the Government s creation of a Project Plan; Acquisition team structure recommendations, including roles, and responsibilities; training and coaching of VA team members in MS s marketing, licensing, and pricing approaches and support strategies, based on proven historical experience; analysis of VA s existing enterprise-level usage and utility of MS products, services, agreements, current license deployments, and recommended future Microsoft licensing requirements and provide recommended best practice courses of action; assist in crafting solicitations that incorporate Department-specific/historical needs and utilization; leverage in depth knowledge of Microsoft licensing practices to analyze Enterprise Agreement proposals to determine potential risks, gaps, or opportunities for efficiencies; model scenarios of different options to assess best value reflective of the Department s unique requirements; that accurately address the complex implementation of enterprise-wide MS products and services. It cannot be over-emphasized that this effort seeks MS-specific historical and current expertise, and not generic Acquisition advice and assistance. Background: Microsoft s licensing rules present a complicated, constantly changing suite of products, services, and support that make it extremely difficult to evaluate at any discrete point in time. Furthermore, Microsoft has experience negotiating tens of thousands of enterprise agreements annually, using processes perfected over decades and leveraging a full-time team of MS-internal specialists to ensure they are positioned to maximize their advantage in negotiating new Enterprise Agreements (EAs). They also have the ability to provide different permutations of product offerings and pricing through a plethora of License Solution Providers, which at any given time of solicitation, further reduces VA s ability to effectively perform direct assessment of offerings against VA s requirements. These complications make it imperative for VA to acquire expert consultation to better prepare for any solicitation for VA s Microsoft EA. Securing experienced experts to advise and assist VA in preparing for EA negotiations would ideally include Microsoft experts at all levels including business, licensing, and executives that are highly knowledgeable on all aspects of licensing across all Microsoft product lines, who know where the contractual opportunities for concessions and potential pitfalls exist, and who understand the internal workings and key personnel involved in the Microsoft negotiation process. This approach will enable greater visibility into licensing changes, impending product replacements, and new product offerings which occur in the life of any EA. Being able to identify needs based on user types (including Enterprise, Professional, and Team member license options) will result in a best value outcome optimizing an EA that supports a variety of users needing full, medium or light feature sets; provide the Department with alternative licensing strategies; identify availability and limitations of full and attach licenses; and how changes in application design (e.g., local vs remote call center staff) or target audience (internal vs external) affect licensing considerations and requirements. Microsoft continues to make changes to these products and strategies beyond the ability of VA personnel to maintain currency of expertise, whereas Microsoft is able to maintains and document up-to-date information and knowledge on their changes and the impacts of each on the end user and the Department s ability to procure and maintain compliance. This level of expertise is not maintained within VA and would be invaluable in supporting assessments and negotiations.