RFP for Communication Services
North East Independent School District, San Antonio, Texas, is requesting sealed proposals for COMMUNICATION SERVICES. North East ISD will consider and evaluate all proposals meeting specifications.
Proposal Requirements:
Digital Cellular
Vendor should not charge for roaming or long distance regardless of caller location or call destination in the US.
Vendor should have coverage in each of the Top 100 and the vast majority of the Top 300 US markets.
Vendor should provide "pooled" or "shared" minute rate plans for use by groups of subscribers.
Vendor should provide at no cost the following digital cellular features: call-waiting, 3-way calling, call hold, call forwarding, emergency calls, and non-emergency calls (e.g. #77, 311, etc.).
Vendor should provide international roaming coverage, particularly along US border regions.
Direct Connect
Vendor should provide nationwide phrase-direct connect capabilities with sub-second latency across entire subscriber base.
Vendor should provide "one-to-many" phrase-direct connect between caller and a pre-defined group.
Vendor should provide ability for callers to join user talk groups of up to 100 callers from their handsets.
Messaging
Vendor should provide paging, text messaging, and two-way messaging capabilities on the handset.
Vendor should provide native word recognition software in the handset to reduce unnecessary keystrokes.
Vendor should provide user the ability to create and modify custom message replies.
Vendor should provide pre-defined reply messages for more effective responses.
Wireless Data
Vendor should provide packet and circuit-switched data transfer capabilities.
Vendor should provide multiple Internet connectivity options such as via a handset or tethered laptop solution.
Vendor should provide Java application compatibility on the handset.
Vendor should have an operational Java developers network to facilitate customer application creation.
Vendor should provide 128-bit encryption for data transmissions to and from selected handsets.
Vendor should describe current 3rd party relationships with wireless data content providers.
Vendor should provide 802.11 in-building capabilities and connect those networks to their cellular network.
Equipment
Vendor should provide the capability to integrate wireline Private Branch Exchange (PBX) systems with its wireless handsets to provide abbreviated dialing, cascade ringing, and wireline voice mail functions.
Vendor should provide GPS-capable handsets capable of location-based services.
Vendor should provide handsets with advanced email, data application, and Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) features.
Vendor should provide BlackBerry device and server options with digital cellular and two-way radio capabilities.
Public Safety and Interoperability Capabilities
Vendor should have experience responding to natural disaster and other emergency situations on a local and national scale.
Vendor should provide priority access capabilities on select handsets for public safety purposes.
Vendor should provide the capability to interoperate with private Land Mobile Radio (LMR) users.
Vendor should make available ruggedized equipment that meets military specifications such as MIL-STD 810 C/D/E and is capable of withstanding extreme environmental conditions.
Vendor should provide specialized customer support for government and public safety subscribers.
Vendor should provide the capability to manage and implement customized coverage solutions.
Billing, Procurement, and Account Support
Vendor should provide free account management software to facilitate ordering and billing reviews.
Vendor should provide multiple paper and electronic billing options.
Vendor should provide dedicated account representatives and a single point of contact for care and sales.
