Army seeks bids for mega ITES-3 hardware contract
- By Defense Systems Staff
- Sep 25, 2012
The Army has announced that it is accepting proposals from companies that want to win a spot on its next-generation $5 billion IT Enterprise Solutions 3 Hardware (ITES-3H) acquisition program. Proposals from bidders interested in the solicitation are due Oct. 22.
The five-year ITES-3H contract will enable Army components to buy a variety of IT equipment to support the service's IT infrastructure, according to the solicitation. A key requirement of contract is that the hardware must be compatible with the Army’s network operations and net-centric operations, according to service documents.
Specifically, the companies furnishing equipment through the ITES-3H acquisition program must be able to update and enhance the products they provide so that they are compatible with the evolving requirements of the Global Information Grid, information assurance policies, and IP version 6 policies.
The ITES-3H contract awards will consist of multiple, indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contracts with a base period of three years and two option years. The contract winners will be required to provide all of the equipment as listed in nine categories, as well as related incidental services and software.
The nine product catalogs, as the equipment categories are called, are:
- Unix-based servers.
- Non-Unix based servers.
- Workstations, desktops, thin clients and notebooks.
- Storage systems.
- Networking equipment.
- Network printers, scanners and support devices.
- Cables, connectors and accesssories.
- Video equipment.
- Uninterruptable power supplies.
ITES-3H replaces the ITES-2H contract. Customers placed approximately 87,000 orders through the ITES-2H program, according to contract documents.