IT Managed Service Provider (MSP)

The RFP indicates you have 24 to 30 employees and contractors. Do you have an exact number of staff at this time?

MEC has 23 staff and contractors at this time

You mention you have a total of 31 devices (22-28 laptops and 3 tablets), are any of these acting as a server or do you have a server? If so, can you elaborate on the server you have?

No, we do not operate a server.

You reference you’re utilizing Carbonite for a backup. How much data are you currently backing up?

We currently have a 1 TB limit in our license agreement.

You’re requesting quotes for future workstation acquisition. Do you have an audit of your computers to give us an idea of the current computer/devices you’re using? If you don’t have an audit, can you provide an example of the computer that you’ve most standardized on? Related to this, can you or your current IT partner provide an inventory report?

Pricing for future workstation acquisition will be a passthrough cost and is not a consideration for purposes of evaluating Phase 1 responses to this RFP. However, an inventory report will be provided to those who are invited to interview.

Do you have a list of current M365 licensing you subscribe to?

Broadly, we use M365 Business Premium, and Business Basic. Our staff makes liberal use of OneDrive, Teams, and Exchange (Outlook), with Entra for admin, and we make limited use of SharePoint’s vast options.

Are you currently utilizing a firewall. If so what firewall are you using for the office?

Since we have no server, each endpoint has its own firewall. We are using Windows Security for endpoints.

I see no mention of printers in this. Is this managed separately through a printing company. How many printers do you have?

We have no networked printers, and our major print jobs are outsourced. We have two desktop printers that we plan to install for small office jobs.

What current internet service provider (ISP) are you working with? Do you have backup ISP?

AT&T Fiber. We do not have a backup ISP.

What is your current switch stack?

MEC does not have a switch stack.

Access Points

We use a Microsoft Authenticator when accessing MEC applications from another site.

Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)

MEC does not currently have an Uninterruptible Power Supply.

Can the work be performed remotely?

Yes

If onsite work is required, what is the estimated percentage of onsite work needed?

We anticipate less than 5% of the work will be onsite.

What is the estimated budget for this RFP?

We are a nonprofit organization, and economy of service pricing is a key consideration.

Is there any local preference for vendors?

MEC requires a local presence.

Can you please share the ticketing system you use and the average number of monthly tickets?

MEC does not currently have a ticketing system.

Do you have an incumbent vendor? If so, are there any pain points with their services?

MEC currently self-manages our IT support services.

Are there any current lifecycle plans in place?

No.

Do they want any services for network outages?

In the event of an issue with our router, we would engage for assistance. However, we are not looking for backup network services.

Does MEC need EDR or XDR Anti-Virus?

Per Attachment A, Scope of Services, MEC seeks to replace our current consumer Webroot Anti-Virus software. The successful offeror will make a recommendation regarding suitable replacement software.

For the help desk response time of less than 3hr response time, is that across the board response time for critical, normal, and low level tickets/requests?

Per Attachment A: Scope of Services, 2.c., offerors should provide Tier 1 support within 3 hours. Per 5.a., offerors should provide a response within 1 hour for emergencies.