DOI Hardware Contract's News

MPCs liquidation contractor has informed the Contracting Officer of the apparent winners of the auction for the Telecommuter Laptop and Monitor contracts. We are waiting to receive their proposals. Once they have been reviewed to insure they meet our technical requirements and agree to our terms and conditions they will be approved. The Contracting Officer will then do a novation from MPC to the new contractor(s).

Updates will be posted on the DOI Hardware page as they become available.

The MPC contracts are still progressing under bankruptcy proceedings. The DOI Enterprise Hardware Contracts are considered assets of the bankruptcy, and have been deemed to have value. As such, they are part of the bankruptcy proceedings and are subject to auction along with all the other assets of MPC. This means that you still may not cancel any outstanding orders with MPC. The auctioning of these contracts should take place this week.

What this means for DOI

MPC and DOI will work together to select a follow on vendor that offers a product similar to that which MPC was offering. This vendor would fulfill any outstanding and future orders for these contract vehicles. Particular attention will be paid to functionality and value of any proposed replacement products. DOI has final approval for any proposed replacement product to ensure that the replacement products best meet our existing requirements as specified by our contracts.

Furthermore, any follow on vendor would also assume liability for any and all outstanding warranty repairs. If you haven't registered your outstanding warranty requirement at the HAT Portal, please do so by visiting the following page:

https://portal.doi.net/CIO/ERM/HAT/Lists/MPC%20Warranty%20Issues

If prompted for a username/password, enter your internet email address for the username and your Active Directory password for the password.

We appreciate everyone's patience as we have progressed through this process. The good news is, it appears we will not only have resolution for the outstanding and future orders but more importantly, we will have warranty support for all outstanding warranty issues.

Further updates will be provided as soon as we have new information.

If you have any questions, please direct them to either Kym Burns (703-648-5609, kburns@ios.doi.gov), COTR or Cindy Myers (703-648-6377, cmyers1@usgs.gov), Laptop Team Lead

Due to conversion of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) contract and finance systems, contract numbers for all the hardware contracts have changed:

Contract modifications will be posted to the Contract Info section and updated numbers will be changed throughout the site to reflect the new numbers.

As you are aware, MPC has filed for relief and reorganization under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. Most work has stopped (new orders, warranty work, etc.) with few exceptions. All activities with MPC are now frozen, including the cancelation of existing orders.

Please see the attached for a further explanation on what you may expect.

MPC Contract Status Memo

MPC is continuing to experience product delviery delays. At this time the HAT recommends not purchasing product from MPC until further notice. To be automatically updated as the status of this contract changes, please subscribe to the HAT Info mailing list.

The Individual Multifunction Printer category is restored. Lexmark X6570 will be the replacement printer. Some quick specs:

Price $130.00
 
Print Technology  Thermal Inkjet
 
Color Technology  4 Color Inkjet - Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Optional 6-Color Photo Printing

UNSPSC Code  43.21.21.10
 
Scan Technology  CIS with 48 bit depth
 
Function  Color Copying
Color Printing
Color Scanning
Faxing

Maximum Print Speed (Draft, Black): Up to  28 ppm
Maximum Print Speed (Draft, Color): Up to  24 ppm
Maximum Print Speed (Normal, Black): Up to  10 ppm
Maximum Print Speed (Normal, Color): Up to  4 ppm

Maximum Copy Speed (Draft, Black): Up to  24 cpm
Maximum Copy Speed (Draft, Color): Up to  23 cpm

Print Resolution, Black  Up to 1200 x 1200 dpi
Print Resolution, Color  Up to 4800 x 2400 dpi 

Scan Resolution, Enhanced  Up to 19,200 dpi dpi
Scan Resolution, Optical  600 x 1200 dpi

Operating Systems Supported  Microsoft Windows XP
Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64
Microsoft Windows Vista
Apple Mac OS X (10.4.4-10.4.x Intel) 
Apple Mac OS X (10.3.x-10.4.x Power PC) 
Microsoft Windows 2000 5.00.2195 or later
Microsoft Windows Vista x64

ADF Input Paper Sizes  A4
Legal
Letter

IBM Suspension Lifted

From: Michael Howell/PIR/OS/DOI@DOI
Sent: 04/04/2008 09:39 AM

Subject: INFORMATION: [CIO-COUNCIL] IBM Suspension Lifted

The latest news on the IBM suspension.

Michael J. Howell Jr.
Chief Information Officer, Department of the Interior
(202)-208-6194
Michael_Howell@ios.doi.gov
----- Forwarded by Michael Howell/PIR/OS/DOI on 04/04/2008 09:37 AM -----
From: CIO-COUNCIL <CIO-COUNCIL@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV>

Sent: 04/04/2008 08:57 AM

To: CIO-COUNCIL@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV

Subject: [CIO-COUNCIL] IBM Suspension Lifted

The following is sent on behalf of Karen Evans, Administrator, Office of E-Gov & IT, OMB.

============================

The following is from the EPA's debarment office. If you have specific questions, please contact your agency's Senior Procurement Executive. They can provide any clarification necessary.

See the email from EPA's debarment office, excerpt below --

ISDC Lead Agency POCs:

This is to inform you that the suspension against IBM has been lifted pursuant to an agreement that has been reached between IBM and our Debarring Official. A copy of the agreement will be made available later this morning. Please inform all appropriate agency officials of this recent EPA action.

Suzanne Suzanne Hersh
EPA Program Analyst/ ISDC Vice Chair

IBM Contract Update

Reminder - until further guidance is provided, a waiver is still required for any non-IBM servers that are ordered.

From: Michael Howell
Sent: 04/02/2008 11:11 AM

To: DOI_Bureau_CIOs; DOI_Procurement_Chiefs
Cc: DOI_Deputy_CIOs

Subject: Fw: [CIO-COUNCIL] IBM Suspension - GSA Guidance

This message is being sent as a joint communique from Debra Sonderman and me. You may have read about the recent suspension of IBM from doing business with Federal agencies as a consequence of a legal issue with EPA. Attached below is a message on this subject that was distributed to Federal CIO Council members earlier today. While this has the potential to affect a variety of programs and activities within Interior, we do not have a complete understanding of this issue yet. We plan to assess the impacts and options and develop recommendations and guidance for dealing with this issue within Interior in the near future. Following are links to online articles containing more information:

http://www.fcw.com/online/news/152092-1.html

http://techinsider.nextgov.com/ibm_suspension/

Michael J. Howell Jr.
Chief Information Officer, Department of the Interior
(202)-208-6194
Michael_Howell@ios.doi.gov

----- Forwarded by Michael Howell/PIR/OS/DOI on 04/02/2008 10:57 AM -----
Sent by: CIO-COUNCIL <CIO-COUNCIL@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV> 04/02/2008 07:20 AM

To: CIO-COUNCIL@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV

Subject: [CIO-COUNCIL] IBM Suspension - GSA Guidance

The following guidance is sent on behalf of Karen Evans, Administrator, Office of E-Gov & IT, OMB, for David Drabkin, Acting CAO, GSA.

=====================

On Thursday, March 27, 2008, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suspended IBM. IBM is listed in the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS - http://www.epls.gov/)

The suspension of IBM has the immediate effect of precluding the following actions until further notice.

Contracting activities shall not:

• Solicit offers from IBM - Award new contracts to IBM
• Place new task, delivery, or purchase orders with IBM
• Consent to subcontracts with IBM
• Evaluate pending proposals, quotations, or offers from IBM. (Bids received in response to an Invitation for Bids must be rejected.)
• Add new work, exercise options, or extend the duration of current contracts or orders.
• Use the Purchase Card to acquire goods or services from IBM.
• Modify existing contracts with IBM.

If there are compelling reasons for doing business with IBM, requests for determinations from the Administrator pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) §§ 9.405 and 9.405-1(b) shall be sent to the SPE for review and submission to the Administrator for approval.

This means that no new orders may be placed against schedule contracts, against GWACs or other IDIQ contracts held by IBM by GSA or other Federal agency users without first complying with FAR § 9.405-1(b). GSA's Administrator can only approve requests under FAR § 9.405-1(b) for GSA contracting activities. Other agencies will have to get written determinations from their own agency heads.

Existing contracts and task orders may remain in effect unless the Administrator directs otherwise. Therefore, do not terminate these contracts and task orders without first consulting with the SPE and General Counsel.

Full details concerning suspension are set forth in Subpart 9.4 of the FAR:

• Section 9.405 describes the effects of a suspension;
• Section 9.405-1 addresses the continuation of current contracts; and
• Section 9.405-2 covers restrictions on subcontracting.

Questions concerning this matter should be referred to Edward Loeb at (202) 501-0650.

Please give this guidance widest dissemination and ensure that all purchase card holders in your organization are made aware of it.

David A. Drabkin
Acting Chief Acquisition Officer &
Senior Procurement Executive
US General Services Administration