Frequently Asked Questions

ITIO Organization

Q – How is ITIO organized to support the customer?

A – The Director, Suzi Connor, oversees three divisions; the Program Management Division, led by Jeanette Duncan, manages the contract and customer billing; the Technical Services Division, led by Scott Funk, manages the infrastructure and email services; and the Customer Services Division, led by Steve Bourque, works with the customer base to ensure all business needs and issues are addressed.

Q – Will the Customer Requirements Manager (CRM) change under the new contract?

A – No, but your CRM will be renamed as Site Manager and will continue to be your first point of contact for all contract and ITIO-related issues.

Q – Who will manage the ITIO contract?

A – Chris Atkins is the PSC Contracting Officer for the new ITIO contract.  He may be reached via email at: Chris.Atkins@hhs.gov or phone on (202) 260-0330.

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Contract Type

Q – How is the new contract structured differently from the current contract?

A – The new contract is an Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract with Task Orders.  Unlike the current contract with one vendor (Unisys) providing all support and services, the new contract will have at least three contractors – one (or two) large system integrators providing support for Seat Management and Infrastructure; one small business contractor for Applications Hosting; and one small business contractor for continuity of operations/disaster recovery (COOP/DR) support.

Q – How long is the new contract?

A – The new contract runs for seven years; a three-year base period with four one-year options.

Q – How were the new contractors selected?

A – PSC conducted a Full & Open Competition to reach as many vendors as possible.

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Transition

Q – Who are our new contractors?

A – The contractors for the different areas are as follows: 

• Desktop and End-User Computing Services, (also referred to as Seat Management) provides IT hardware assets such as desktop computers, laptops, and printers and Blackberries. Awarded to Lockheed Martin and CSC, who will compete for task orders.
• Infrastructure and Email Management, which includes network hardware such as switches and routers, to connect people and data. Awarded to Lockheed Martin and CSC, who will compete for task orders.
• Applications Hosting at a Government Approved facility, operational 24x7. Small business award to Information Innovators Inc.
• Continuity of Operations/Disaster Recovery to ensure preparedness for any natural or manmade disaster, including a pandemic. Small business award to HMS Technologies.

Q – Will my daily operation be disrupted during the transition to the new contractor?

A – No.  Our intent is to make the transition as transparent and seamless to the customer as possible.

Q – What does AOR mean and why does it start on December 15, 2009 when the new contract starts on October 1, 2009?

A – AOR, or Assumption of Responsibility, denotes when the new contractor is responsible for all IT support; it also indicates that the previous contractor is relieved of all contractual responsibilities.  Since it’s unrealistic to expect the new contractor to walk in the door on October 1, 2009 and know our IT environment, we have a 75-day Transition period.  During this Transition period the new contractor phases-in their own tools and processes while the outgoing contractor turns over control to the new contractor.  AOR denotes the end of the Transition period. Exceptions to the December 15, 2009 date are allowed for Email and Applications Hosting, both of which have AOR dates of March 31, 2010, due to additional complexities of those two services.

Q – What does FOC mean and why does it start on March 1, 2010 when the new contract starts on October 1, 2009?

A – FOC, Full Operational Capability, denotes when PSC holds the new contractor financially accountable for meeting all service delivery standards and timeframes.  Once the 90-day Transition period is completed (see definition of AOR), the new contractor has 60 days from the AOR date to fine-tune their processes in order to meet the Service Level Agreements (SLA) or face financial penalties.  FOC continues until the end of the contract period, in this case, for up to seven years.  Exceptions to the March 1, 2010 FOC date are: COOP/DR, which is January 1, 2010, due to a relative ease of transition for this service; and June 1, 2010, for Email and Applications Hosting due to additional complexities in those two areas.

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Customer Support

Q – How will I request help desk support from the new contractor?

A – All requests will go through the Help Desk using the same 800 number; 866-699-4872.

Q – Are you replacing the current Request for Service (RFS) process with something more effective?

A – Yes.  The new process for requesting office moves and other project-type requests is called the Customer Service Request (CSR) is more streamlined than the current RFS process making it easies and more efficient to use.

Q – Are there levels of service available under the new contract?

A – Yes.  There are four tiers: Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze.

Q – Can we expect the same service delivery and response times under the new contract?

A – No.  A new set of delivery standards and timeframes will be posted on the PSC Web site shortly after contract award.

Q – Who can I contact if I have a problem with the new contractor or need special help with an IT issue?

A – You contact your Site Manager (formerly known as your CRM).  The Site Manager is a member of ITIO and has “reach-back” authority to bring in the Program Management Division or the Technical Services Division to resolve all contract-related or technical issues you may encounter.  Below is the contact list of Site Managers:

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Desktop and End-User Computing Services

Q – How many desktop computers will the new contractor manage?

A – Approximately 7,200.

Q – How many laptop computers will the new contractor manage?

A – Approximately 2,300.

Q – How many Blackberries will the new contractor manage?

A – Approximately 2,100.

Q – How many network printers will the new contractor manage?

A – Approximately 900.

Q – How often will the desktops and laptops be refreshed?

A – You will receive a new desktop or laptop every four years.

Q – Who will own the desktops, laptops, and network printers?

A – The contractor will own, service, and refresh all desktops, laptops, and network printers under the contractor owner, contractor operated (COCO) model for Seat Management.

Q – Will the new contractor upgrade our software from Microsoft Office 2003 to Microsoft Office 2007?

A – Yes.  In conjunction with the upgrade of our email system we will also upgrade to Microsoft Office 2007 in 2010. 

Q – Do I have to purchase a Blackberry through the new contractor or can I purchase my own government Blackberry?

A – You will have the option of purchasing your own government Blackberry, providing it meets HHS Security requirements.

Q – How often will the new contractor refresh my Blackberry with a new one?

A – Every two years.

Q – Will every Regional Office have a technician on-site?

A – That is up to the new contractor.  The government sets the service level response times and the contractor must meet them.  The decision to staff a full-time on-site technician is based on the service tier demographics (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze) and the associated Service Level Agreement (SLA).

Q – What is an “IMAC”?

A – An IMAC is an “Install, Move, Add, Change” request for anything related to your desktop or laptop.  If you require up to nine customers in the same office to have the same change, a software package for example, just call a ticket in to the Help Desk.  If the change applies to 10 or more than it is considered a “Project-IMAC” and you will need to coordinate with your Site Manager.

Q – What is the “Customer Service Portal”?

A – The Customer Service Portal (CSP) is an electronic ordering capability for the customer.  This capability will allow the customer to electronically order products and services; submit and approve requests for account creation, deletion, and modification; and all other associated services available under this contract.  Those accounts will include but not be limited to Network, E-Mail, VPN, and any other accounts as required by the government.  The CSP will also provide customers access to the contractor’s knowledge management system for customer search of the knowledgebase.  The CSP will also provide customers with access to the product and service catalog for customer ordering and status checking.

Q – What is the “Product and Service Catalog”?

A – The Product and Service Catalog is a secure online product and service catalog available 24x7x365 and is accessible through the Customer Service Portal.  Information on how access the catalog will be provided when it becomes available.

Q – What is “Self-Help Support”?

A – Self-Help Support, or Tier 0, is an online searchable knowledge management system providing customers access to a database of how-to documents encompassing all in-scope hardware and commercial software supported by the new contractor.

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Network Infrastructure and Email Management

Q – Who will own the infrastructure servers, network devices, and circuits?

A – ITIO (government) will own all of the infrastructure and oversee the contractor in managing all infrastructure servers, network devices, and circuits under government owner, contractor operated (GOCO) model.

Q – Will the new contract include improved data storage capacity management capabilities?

A – Yes.  ITIO is in the process of procuring and installing updated storage systems with performance and data protection specifically targeted for improved end user file and folder storage requirements.

Q - Who will be responsible for backup and protection of ITIO and customer data?

A - ITIO will be responsible for an enterprise backup solution and protection of end user file and folder data.  Application owners who subscribe to the ITIO backup service can have their application/data also protected.

Q – How will firewall changes be managed in the new contract?

A – The contractor will be managing the firewalls but the existing process for firewall change requests will be transitioned to the new contractor.  Submissions will be routed through the help desk for Government approval before the contractor makes any changes.

Q – Will the HHS Identity software and use of the HSPD-12 cards be deployed in the new contract?

A – Yes. The HSPD-12 cards, readers and software will continue to be deployed under the guidance of the HHS Identity program.  The contractor will be responsible for deploying the software, provide Help Desk support and coordinate resolution of issues with the Government.

Q – Currently, the standard size mailbox is 200 Megabytes.  Will this standard size be increased with the new Exchange 2007 solution?

A – Yes.  Exchange 2007 is a more robust application and we are architecting the environment to implement a standard size mailbox of 1 GB.

Q –  What if I need a mailbox larger than 1 GB megabytes?

A – The 2007 Exchange solution is designed to be scalable and will support a limited amount of mailboxes that are larger than 1 GB in size.  

Q – Will there be a cost increase to have a mailbox larger than the standard size of 1 GB?

A –  Yes.  The costs will be shared and known when the full pricing options are returned with our task orders

Q – How many email accounts will the new contractor manage?

A – Approximately 25,000.

Q – Who will own the email system?

A – ITIO (government) will own the email system and oversee the contractor in managing the system under a GOCO model.

Q – When are we going to upgrade to Exchange 2007?

A – The new contractor will begin upgrading our current email system from Exchange 2003 to Exchange 2007 beginning in October 2009 with a projected completion date of June 1, 2010.

Q – Will the new contract include improved data storage capacity management capabilities for email?

A – Yes.  ITIO is in the process of procuring and installing updated storage devices with capacity management and off-line storage capabilities.

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Applications Hosting

Q – What is Applications Hosting?

A – Application Hosting is a service designed to, a) support Government-owned application servers within Government-provided facilities, b) host Government-owned application servers within a Contractor facility, c) host applications on Contractor-owned application servers within the Contractor’s facilities, and d) support Contractor-owned equipment within the Government-provided facilities.

Q – What type of facility would my application be hosted in?

A – The contractor will provided a Tier 3 facility, within a two-hour drive of Metro D.C.,  with redundant power sources, cabling, communications, UPS, fire suppression, HVAC, physical security, and backup generator.

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Continuity of Operations Planning (COOP) and Disaster Recovery

Q – What type of service will the COOP and Disaster Recovery contractor offer?

A – The COOP and Disaster Recovery contractor will offer activities associated with ensuring HHS OPDIVs and STAFFDIVs are able to restore critical business functions to specific performance targets within specified timeframes following a disruption. This includes: (1) the requirements development; (2) planning and analysis support required to understand a COOP/DR need and developing a plan to address that need; (3) implementation of that or any other COOP/DR plan approved by HHS; (4) performance monitoring of third parties in COOP/DR-related activities; and (5) general IT support and provision of hardware, software, training, and maintenance services associated with any COOP/DR need identified by an OPDIV or STAFFDIV.

Q – Will the contractor have a specific timeframe to restore services to an operational state?

A – Yes.  There will be a 12 hour turn around for critical applications that have a DR agreement with the contractor

Q – Will the contractor be responsible for providing COOP equipment?

A – No.  It will be the responsibility of the customer to provide the hardware.

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