Opportunity: EDDN MAINTENANCE

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has a requirement for continuing maintenance support for the radio receiving systems of the Emergency Data Distribution Network (EDDN) for one (1) Base Year and four (4) Option Years with Microcom Design, Inc. Maintenance will include telephone and email support, repair or replacement of failed equipment, and annual on-site preventive maintenance visits. This system receives 800,000 Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite Data Collection System (GOES DCS) messages a day on behalf of thousands of users. The USGS is aware of no other source that can provide the above. Therefore, it intends to make an award to Microcom Design, Inc, unless it is contacted by any vendor who believes they can provide the same service. Vendors are invited to contact the Contract Specialist, Nicole Demby (ndemby@usgs.gov) no later than 12:00PM EST, Monday, June 12, 2017 with an affirmative answer. SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION STATES THE FOLLOWING PART: The following information is provided to demonstrate the proposed contractor¿s unique qualifications: The EDDN receives vital data that is used to protect life and property throughout the Western Hemisphere. The USGS Water Science Centers are all connected to this receiver system to acquire real-time data to perform their mission. This maintenance contract ensures a healthy operational system that needs to be available 24 x 7 x 365. Microcom Design Inc. is the only vendor that can perform this maintenance. The receivers and demodulators used in the EDDN are their design. They are not COTS radios, but were purpose-built by Microcom engineers specifically for GOES DGS message reception. Microcom Design Inc, technology, components and patents are all proprietary. They make COTS, but specialize in custom designing/engineering. They hold patents and copyrights to their equipment and software and therefore are the sole providers of the maintenance. The USGS has spent over $XXXXXXX dollars on this system. To replace the system with a competitor's product would cost the USGS over $XXXXXX and two to three months of down time while the systems were replaced and integrated into the existing infrastructure. The EDDN is a 24 X 7 X 365 system that is relied upon by numerous US Federal Agencies, state organizations, and foreign governments in the Western hemisphere. A two or three month interruption in service is not acceptable. Further, savings hoped to be achieved through competition on maintenance would not exceed the replacement value of the overall system. Even if the system were replaced, sole source maintenance would be required of the new system in short order.