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Question: Can you give a detailed explanation of the level of services you are looking for?

Response: Clarification to section 4.6 of RFP112, we only require pricing for acquisition and physical installation of the equipment at member sites.

Question: Will staging of the devices prior to deployment to the final destination be required?

Response: No

Question: Are you looking for design recommendations or do you have a standard configuration template you plan to use?

Response: No design recommendation, the configuration portion of the process will be handled internally.

Question: Is there a diagram of the proposed solution end state you can share?

Response: N/A

Question: What are the maintenance windows for the network?

Response: As each of our members will have different requirements for maintenance times the maintenance window will vary.

Question: Will you require post-cutover support?

Response: NETC requires remote access to a laptop with console connection to the new router.

Question: Will rack/stack services for the equipment be part of the solution or will onsite staff handle that?

Response: If rack/stack services includes visiting a member site and doing the physical installation of the new hardware then yes.

Question: Is there any QoS in the current design? Is there a plan to add/augment any QoS strategies in the new design?

Response: QoS is in the current design. However, we do not require assistance with network design.

Question: Can you please provide additional details and operational deployment plans regarding service expectations around these key areas of support?

Question: Network Design and Planning Services

Response: NETC does not require assistance in this area.

Question: Hardware configuration services–preshipment to NETC

Response: NETC requires hardware fulfillment and shipment to NETC where NETC will configure the router.

Question: Rack & Stack services per site – with no travel estimates (no site list has been provided)

Response: NETC requires a postalized price for installation at any location in New England.

Question: Integration/Cutover services per site (no end user network information has been shared to allow for this)

Response: Clarification to section 4.6 of RFP112, NETC only requires pricing for acquisition and physical installation of the equipment at member sites.

Question: 2900 routers have a newly released EOL with End-of-Sale on 12/9/2017. Does NETC still want to receive a quote for 2900 series routers considering this newly released EOS/EOL?

Response: Yes

Question: Support for the 2911 is 8x5xNBD but the alternate design (4331) calls for 24x7x4. Can NETC please confirm which level of coverage they would like quoted for either platform?

Response: Please provide pricing for 8x5xNBD

Question: Section 10.13 - ASR1001-X for new 2G NETC Circuit(s) SFP-10G-SRL? Is that a typo?

Response: Yes, please use part SFP-10G-LR (or equivalent)

Question: 20% of the decision weight will be based on Ease of Implementation. Can you explain in more detail what NETC views as a framework for a successful implementation? Little or no information has been shared about end point facilities and the level of service involvement for the winning partner is unclear. NETC notes “the impact on healthcare operations“ but no information has been shared regarding the operations of these sites. If the plan is to evaluate responding vendors against this standard will NETC provide more information about the healthcare operations environments supported on this network?

Response: Since NETC will be configuring the equipment at our Bangor location ease of implementation would include the vendor’s ability to pick up configured equipment as well as providing the NETC NOC remote access to the newly installed equipment.

Question: 20% of the decision weight will be based on Technical Merit. NETC notes “scores will be assigned on how well the proposed solution meets the current Healthcare needs of the HCP.“ Will NETC clarify this and provide detailed information regarding current Healthcare needs of the HCP?

Response: Since USAC requires RFPs be vendor and technology neutral it is possible that we may receive bids that include hardware that is equivalent to the equipment that NETC has requested. In this scenario we would use this metric to grade the Technical Merit of the proposal.

Question: Criteria for scoring indicates Compliance with HCF Payment Process and Rules. What are HC’s Payment Process and Rules?

Response: This section refers to the FCC Healthcare Connect Order which can be found at the following link.

https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-releases-healthcare-connect-order

Question: Will all of the equipment require a rack kit for deployment?

Response: Yes

Question: Bandwidth requirements for Firewall upgrade?

Response: Please see data sheet for Cisco ASA 5545-X for our requirements

http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/security/asa-5500-series-next-generation-firewalls/datasheet-c78-733916.html

Question: What Internet services (# of services and bandwidth) will be supported in the new firewall?

Response: Please see data sheet for Cisco ASA 5545-X for our requirements

http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/security/asa-5500-series-next-generation-firewalls/datasheet-c78-733916.html

Question: What role does the current firewall being replaced have in the network? Will any services be added/removed to the new firewalls?

Response: NETC does not require design recommendations for this RFP


Question: Are any of the Firepower Services being utilized in the current firewall deployment?

Response: NETC does not require design recommendations for this RFP

Question: Is there a predetermined design for the URL/IPS/AMP policies for the new firewalls, or will that be part of the configuration work for the deployment?

Response: NETC does not require design recommendations for this RFP

Question: Are VPN services running in this network and does the responding vendor need to care for SEC licensing on the router platforms to support these?

Response: NETC does not require design recommendations for this RFP



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