1. Introduction

The Department of the Air Force (DAF) is phasing out time division multiplexing (TDM) technology and replacing it with Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and cloud-based telephony solutions. The Unified Capabilities (UC) program management office is responsible for identifying, developing, and fielding solutions to enable this transition. The United States Air Force (USAF) Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) Command, Control, Communications, and Intelligence (C3I) and Networks Directorate (HN), C3I Infrastructure Division (HNI) Program Management Office (PMO) is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) on how to implement a solution for this transition.

2. Disclaimers

This is a Request for Information (RFI), as defined in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 15.201(e). Any information submitted by respondents to this request is strictly voluntary. This is not a Request for Proposal (RFP), Request for Quotation (RFQ), or Invitation for Bid (IFB); nor does its issuance obligate or restrict the U.S. Government to issue an RFP, RFQ, or IFB in the future. The U.S. Government does not intend to award a contract or order based on responses from this RFI.

Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP, RFQ, or IFB, if any are issued.

Respondents are advised the U.S. Government shall not pay for any information provided, the use of such information, the preparation of such information, travel expenses, nor any administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI. All costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested parties’ expense.

Information received from this RFI will be used for planning and market research purposes. As such, any response submitted to this RFI constitutes consent for that submission to be reviewed by military personnel, Government civilians, imbedded AFLCMC/HNI DoD contractors, and Federally Funded Research and Development Corporations (FFRDCs) or University Affiliated Research Corporations (UARC). Supporting this requirement are Oasis Systems and Deloitte. The responses may be forwarded to other Government entities in consideration for applicability to other programs.

Any proprietary information submitted should be identified as such and will be properly protected from disclosure. All DoD contractor and FFRDC personnel reviewing RFI responses will have signed non-disclosure agreements and understand their responsibility for proper use and protection from unauthorized disclosure of proprietary information. The U.S. Government shall not be liable for damages related to proprietary information that is not properly identified. Proprietary information will be safeguarded in accordance with the applicable U.S. Government regulations.

Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to provide feedback with respect to any information submitted.

Issuance of this RFI does not obligate or restrict the U.S. Government to an eventual acquisition approach.

3. Unified Capabilities Overview

The Department of the Air Force (DAF) is phasing out time division multiplexing (TDM) technology and replacing it with Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and cloud-based telephony solutions. The Unified Capabilities program management office is responsible for identifying, developing, and fielding solutions to enable this transition.

4. RFI Purpose

The DAF is eliminating the use of Time-Division Multiplexing (TDM) technology by March 2025. Some the DAF’s approximately 180 worldwide facilities have already upgraded local Private Branch Exchanges (PBXs) to VoIP solutions, but most locations are still utilizing legacy TDM or hybrid TDM/IP telephony infrastructures that rely on Primary Rate Interface (PRI) trunks for communication between devices and systems. As part of this transition from TDM technology to Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and Voice Over IP (VoIP), the DAF would like to implement a solution that utilizes soft phones that are integrated with Microsoft Teams for approximately 80% of its 700,000 users while still implementing hard phones for the remaining 20% of users and in locations where hard phones would be required to support mission needs. The DAF is seeking approaches from industry on how they would upgrade and modernize legacy TDM infrastructure in order to support an enterprise scale SIP/VOIP system that is 80% soft phone and 20% hard phone.

1. Legacy TDM components are scheduled to sunset by March 2025. How would you approach the upgrade of current infrastructure to a modern standard in that time constraint?
2. How could cloud-hosted telephony services deployed in a Department of Defense Impact Level 5 (IL5) authorized commercial environment be utilized to reduce costs and schedule associated with deploying and maintaining local infrastructure at each location? Do you have a service that can accommodate IL5 requirements as stated? What equipment or services would need to be deployed locally at each facility to support disconnected operations if external WAN connectivity is disrupted?
3. The DAF’s objective is to minimize maintenance costs and resources required to support telephony infrastructure. What components of the solution could be centralized or regionalized to reduce deployment and ongoing support costs? How can the DAF minimize costs by utilizing its existing global network to route calls that are destined for other DAF facilities?
4. What is the major hardware, software, and licensing components that would be required to deploy the solution that scales to 80,000 concurrent calls? What ongoing operations and maintenance, or additional costs would be required? Please provide a generic model for how ongoing operations and maintenance is factored into the overall cost of operations. Are there any additional long-term costs the DAF should be aware of?
5. How would your solution provide support for legacy analog devices and systems that do not have native VoIP support?
6. How would your solution integrate with e911 and Next Generation 911 systems? How can caller location data be provided for users who are dialing 911 from a soft client?
7. How does your solution comply with Section 508 accessibility requirements?
8. How would your solution address perimeter security? How and where would Session Border Controllers (SBCs) and encryption capabilities be implemented to ensure the security of the network and endpoint devices? Is your company an authorized reseller of any SBCs on the Department of Defense Information Network (DoDIN) Approved Products List (APL)? If not, how would your company be able to deliver and provide support for SBCs (or other necessary equipment) to ensure adequate security?
9. What is your familiarity with DoDI 8510.01 (Risk Management Framework for DoD systems), and delivery of mandatory artifacts to support the accreditation of the solution?
10. Has your company executed other projects with similar security or scalability requirements for other DoD or other Federal agencies? If so, please provide a representative example and identify which agency your company supported?
11. Is your companys interest in this requirement as a Prime or Subcontractor?

12. Can you please provide any available GSA Federal Supply Schedules, Multiple Award IDIQs, or other potential ordering vehicles that your company feels would best fit the scope of this requirement? Why is it to the advantage of the Government to use this vehicle?

5. Response Format

The PMO is requesting written responses to this RFI.

Provide your submission in a Microsoft Word document of 10 pages or less. Page sizes will be 8.5” x 11.0” with 1” margins all around. Text will be Times New Roman with font no smaller than 12 pt.

Respondents should identify the following information:

• • Company Name
  • Address
  • Points of Contact
  • CAGE Code
  • NAICS Code, size of pursuant business
  • Large Business or Small Business designation
  • Company Ownership: Domestic or Foreign (indicate country of ownership)

The company name should appear clearly on every page of the submittal and proprietary information must be clearly marked. To the maximum extent possible, please provide non-proprietary information.

Please identify any information that might be identified as Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) or proprietary and ensure it is transferred through an appropriate medium.

Please submit responses via email to anthony.suarez.1@us.af.mil and kristina.flynn@us.af.mil. E-mail responses should include the following title: Response to UC RFI #2.

Any questions regarding this RFI must be submitted within 3 days of this posting, via email to anthony.suarez.1@us.af.mil and kristina.flynn@us.af.mil. All questions and their answers will be posted for all interested parties to see via SAM.gov.

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