How To Develop A Comprehensive RFP For Unified Communication

G00219767
How to Develop a Comprehensive RFP for

Unified Communications
Published: 7 November 2011
Analyst(s): Jay Lassman, Steve Blood, Daniel O'Connell
Unified communications (UC) is often not a single solution that can be
supplied by a single bidder and deployed all at once. Rather, enterprises
likely will require multiple partners to support a complete UC solution, which
they will implement over time as continuous improvements in capabilities
and integrations, using a range of components that need to work together.
After developing a strategic plan, as well as the short- and long-term goals
for the IT environment, you can use this format to create RFPs that enable
potential suppliers to propose solutions for satisfying appropriate UC
requirements whenever these needs arise.
Key Findings
Properly structured RFPs help organizations satisfy business and technical requirements,
optimize cost, and ease comparisons of alternative solutions and bidders.
Defining clear enterprise communications objectives and creating a checklist of requirements

will simplify and accelerate the procurement process.
Including a well-written RFP in a final contract can mitigate risk and expense for buyers and
sellers, while facilitating dispute resolution.
Recommendations
Define business and technical requirements for UC by forming a project team that includes
stakeholders, as well as personnel from procurement, HR, the IT organization and key
functional areas of the business.
Evaluate availability of support, regional distribution differences, price, management and user
interfaces, service-level expectations and overall bidder viability in the UC RFP decision criteria.
Add IM and presence capabilities to your requirements, even if you plan to replace or upgrade
your voice system. An old voice mail system is also a candidate to be replaced with one that
supports unified messaging.
Require bidders to provide three- to five-year cost projections not only for hardware and
software maintenance, but also for upgrades.
Yes/no responses are best for mandatory requirements, but the RFP should allow bidders to
address specific needs, as well as to propose alternative (and hopefully) better solutions.
However, to best discern differences between proposed capabilities, descriptive responses are
often best.
Table of Contents
Analysis..................................................................................................................................................4
Introduction......................................................................................................................................4
Developing the Document................................................................................................................5
Understanding the Goals............................................................................................................6
Baseline Requirements...............................................................................................................6
Surveying the Marketplace...............................................................................................................7
Preparing the RFP Document...........................................................................................................7
RFP Instructions...............................................................................................................................7
Executive Summary....................................................................................................................8
Business Objectives....................................................................................................................8
Overview of Present Communications Environment....................................................................8
Objectives/Scope of Work..........................................................................................................8
Liability and Reserved Rights......................................................................................................8
Instructions to Bidders (i.e., Prospective Suppliers).....................................................................8
General Procedures....................................................................................................................9
RFP Response Terminology........................................................................................................9
Preparation of Proposals..........................................................................................................10
Voice Requirements.......................................................................................................................13
UC Integration..........................................................................................................................13
System and User Features for Voice.........................................................................................14
System Features for Converged Networking.............................................................................14
Network Assessment and QoS Requirements..........................................................................15
UC Endpoints.................................................................................................................................15
SIP Endpoint Requirements......................................................................................................16
SIP Softphones........................................................................................................................17
Attendant Services...................................................................................................................18
Analog Devices.........................................................................................................................19
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Voice Mail and Unified Messaging...................................................................................................19
Email Messaging............................................................................................................................19
Presence and IM............................................................................................................................20
Presence Management.............................................................................................................20
Future Presence Event Notification Functionality.......................................................................21
Presence Automation...............................................................................................................21
Peer-to-Peer IP Communications.............................................................................................22
Audio, Video and Web-Based Conferencing...................................................................................22
Video for UC Integration............................................................................................................23
UC Clients......................................................................................................................................23
Mobile Communications.................................................................................................................23
Mobile Solutions Support..........................................................................................................23
Fixed Mobile Convergence.......................................................................................................24
Communications-Enabled Business Processes..............................................................................25
System Redundancy, Reliability and Survivability............................................................................25
Standards.......................................................................................................................................25
System Networking........................................................................................................................26
System Security.............................................................................................................................26
System Management......................................................................................................................27
Overall System Management....................................................................................................27
Configuration Management.......................................................................................................28
Licensing Management.............................................................................................................29
Basic Fault Management..........................................................................................................29
Basic Performance Management..............................................................................................29
Security....................................................................................................................................29
Passwords and Access Authorization Levels............................................................................30
Secure Access.........................................................................................................................30
Backup, Recovery and Updates...............................................................................................30
Accounting Management..........................................................................................................30
Optional Management Add-On Capabilities..............................................................................30
Session Border Control (Optional)...................................................................................................30
Bidder Design Summary.................................................................................................................31
Solution Architecture................................................................................................................31
Network Diagrams....................................................................................................................31
Physical Requirements...................................................................................................................32
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Environmental Requirements..........................................................................................................32
Power Requirements......................................................................................................................32
Warranty, Maintenance and Training...............................................................................................33
Warranty...................................................................................................................................33
Maintenance.............................................................................................................................33
Training....................................................................................................................................34
Emergency Response....................................................................................................................34
Implementation...............................................................................................................................34
System Pricing and Licensing.........................................................................................................35
Incremental Costs.....................................................................................................................36
Unified Communications as a Service Pricing (Optional)............................................................36
Subscription Pricing (Optional)..................................................................................................37
Finance.....................................................................................................................................38
Bidder Qualifications.......................................................................................................................38
Company History......................................................................................................................38
Responsibility for Proposed System Implementation.................................................................38
Bidder Support and Structure...................................................................................................39
Appendix A: Voice Features............................................................................................................39
Appendix B: Voice Mail Features....................................................................................................40
Appendix C: UCaaS Pricing............................................................................................................41
Recommended Reading.......................................................................................................................44
List of Tables
Table 1. Proposal Delivery Information..................................................................................................11
Table 2. Project Schedule.....................................................................................................................12
Table 3. Sample Pricing Format for Included UCaaS Components.......................................................42
Analysis
Introduction
Gartner defines UC products (equipment, software and services) as "products that facilitate the use
of multiple enterprise communication methods for instance, voice, email and video" (see
"Developing an Enterprise Unified Communications Road Map" [Note: This document has been
archived; some of its content may not reflect current conditions.]). This can include the control,
management and integration of voice, email and video. UC products integrate communication
applications and channels (media) with multiple networks and systems, as well as IT business
applications, and, in some cases, with consumer applications and devices. UC enables enterprises
to significantly improve how individuals, groups and companies interact and perform. These
products may be made up of a stand-alone suite, or a portfolio of integrated applications and
platforms spanning multiple bidders. In many cases, UC is deployed to extend and add functionality
to communication investments (see "Discovering the Value of Unified Communications" [Note: This
document has been archived; some of its content may not reflect current conditions.]).
Producing a good RFP for UC is a substantial project requiring input from many interested parties.
It's essential that the organization identify opportunities where UC can provide improvements in
areas such as business processes, productivity and cost. This becomes the foundation for defining
appropriate areas of the RFP that will match the specific goals of the business. Managers
considering UC need to produce a formal RFP that specifies the business and technical
requirements that prospective bidders will have to provide. In addition, a thorough and objectively
evaluated RFP will ensure that an organization's UC requirements are satisfied at a competitive
price (see "Developing a Vision for Unified Communications").
Developing a good RFP is a substantial project in its own right, requiring input from many
stakeholders. However, having clear objectives and a checklist of requirements will help ease and
accelerate the procurement process. Prospective buyers of UC will find that a formal RFP will help
them define their commercial and technical requirements, allowing prospective suppliers to set out,
in structured responses, their offerings in terms of specifications, performance, price, support, and
terms and conditions. A properly prepared RFP helps ensure an objective and defensible outcome,
because it establishes not only the requirements, but also the evaluation criteria. Keep in mind the
quantity and quality of business applications that UC products can support. Interviews with general
users, managers, executives, and IT and telecom personnel will reveal applications that can benefit
from increased collaboration, customer service enhancements, billing and chargeback
improvements, directory updates and consolidation, and specific business processes (see "Toolkit:
Unified Communications Vision, Strategy and Road Map: A Sample Executive-Level Presentation"
[Note: This document has been archived; some of its content may not reflect current conditions.]).
Here, Gartner focuses on the essential components of a UC RFP. We provide guidelines for
gathering the required data, as well as producing and issuing the RFP.
Developing the Document
To develop a UC RFP, a good place to start is for stakeholders to define their current and future
requirements for voice functionality, considering business and technical requirements, which is
usually a large task and needs to be treated as a project.
Many organizations form a task force to guide the project. Team members should represent the key
functional areas of the business to be served by the UC system, and include stakeholders, such as
personnel from HR, sales and business development, as well as from procurement, finance and IT
functions. Itemize requirements and specify the format and essential content of bidders' responses.
RFPs should specify the main evaluation criteria, but not their relative importance. This will lead to
efficient and effective evaluation of responses.
Understanding the Goals
The first step is to ascertain the business goals of senior management, including the organization's
business drivers and critical needs, current and planned. Typically, individuals use UC products to
facilitate personal communications, and enterprises use the products to support workgroup and
collaborative communications. In some cases, the communications are integrated with collaboration
applications and business applications. Some UC products may extend communication boundaries
outside the company to expand and enhance interactions among large public communities or
person-to-person contacts. As a result, look for opportunities that, in addition to voice, can leverage
the use of IM, presence and conferencing.
Typical benefits include:
Using collaboration to accelerate product development and reduce time to market
Improving customer service and satisfaction
Reducing travel expense
Extending enterprise communications to mobile personnel and key suppliers

Anticipating future possibilities is important, since many benefits will result from how UC transforms
the way in which people communicate within and outside their communities of interest.
Baseline Requirements
Having determined management goals, focus on identifying the business and communications
requirements.
Business Use
Confirm how many people the new system(s) will support, and consider the organizational structure
and what communication changes are expected (see "Organizing for Unified Communications"
[Note: This document has been archived; some of its content may not reflect current conditions.]
and "User Experiences Reveal Best Practices for Deploying Unified Communications").The best
way to collect this information is to have stakeholder representation and to interview key
departmental players (see "Using Roles to Facilitate Unified Communications Planning" [Note: This
document has been archived; some of its content may not reflect current conditions.]). This will
enable you to gather subjective inputs or aspects of the business culture that will affect a
companywide telephony system, and plan for growth (see "Developing an Enterprise Unified
Communications Road Map" [Note: This document has been archived; some of its content may not
reflect current conditions.] and "Developing a Vision for Unified Communications").
Through this interview process, understand how people use the present communications systems.
Seek succinct definitions for:
What are the good points (of the present system)?
What is lacking?
What are the functional pluses and minuses for people?

Communication Platforms and Infrastructure Inventory
Identify and conduct an inventory of current communication products and services that are used for
each of the key UC technologies already specified. Often, different departments and groups
acquired these technologies from a mix of bidders, based on independent sets of requirements.
Include the specific bidders, products, revision levels, the licensing and support contracts, and
plans for advancing each technology area. This inventory will help you develop an enterprise vision
for how a new approach to communications can make the enterprise more effective and
competitive, as well as determine what existing components and applications the organization will
want to retain. This vision will then help you define the broader UC strategy and the specific
capabilities in which the enterprise may be willing to invest.
The vision provides direction and a goal that the business units and management can communicate
and understand, while the strategy defines how the communication changes advance the
company's overall objectives. In addition, the LAN and WAN must be engineered to support highly
reliable and high-quality service levels for carrying additional modes of communications traffic.
Surveying the Marketplace
After gathering the appropriate internal information and defining system requirements, review what
systems are available from a blend of bidders or as a UC suite from a single bidder. This can be
done by issuing RFIs from a broad range of suppliers, which will reveal whether individual bidders
can provide the required broad range of capabilities you want and/or need. This process will result
in a shortlist of prospective bidders that the organization believes are best qualified to respond to a
more rigorous RFP.
Conduct research into each product in the appropriate size range and document the capabilities
offered (see "Critical Capabilities for Unified Communications" and "Magic Quadrant for Corporate
Telephony"). Note those features common to all systems, those offered by most bidders and those
rarely offered. Decide which features meet the minimum requirements and which are desirable.
After determining which systems seem to be most capable of satisfying most sizing and feature
requirements, develop a specific RFP.
Preparing the RFP Document
Structure the RFP to allow bidders to respond in an effective and creative way with compliant and
noncompliant (creative) offerings. The document should be well-organized, with a table of contents
that's easy to interpret. Allow respondents some latitude in proposing solutions best-suited to meet
the business and technology needs of the prospective customer.
RFP Instructions
Most RFPs have a similar structure that includes a table of contents and instructions to bidders, as
suggested in this section.
Executive Summary
Require bidders to include an executive summary highlighting their offerings and outlining the
benefits to your company.
Business Objectives
As the buyer, provide background information about your organization by including:
A description of the business, objectives, time frames and targeted users
The markets your organization addresses, business plans, initiatives and distinctive
requirements
Overview of Present Communications Environment
Include a summary of the current environment to assist bidders in understanding the technology
that is supporting your business. Provide a narrative description of your company's in-use
telecommunications services. Be sure to include location(s); voice, data, video and network
services; and site-specific bandwidth, environmental, building and cabling information.
Objectives/Scope of Work
Provide a clear summary statement of your organization's interest in/intent to acquire UC managed
or hosted services and/or equipment. Emphasize the objectives of this RFP, and highlight and
concisely define areas of specific importance.
Liability and Reserved Rights
Specify that this RFP does not commit your organization to pay any cost incurred in the preparation
or submission of any proposal, or to procure or contract for any services. Your organization will, at
its discretion, award the contract to the bidder submitting the best proposal that complies with the
RFP. Your organization may, at its sole discretion, reject any or all proposals received, or waive
minor defects, irregularities or informalities therein. Include any boilerplate text that specifically
refers to these issues.
Your organization reserves the right to amend this RFP by an addendum issued up to five business
days prior to the date set for receipt of proposals. Addenda or amendments will be mailed, emailed
or faxed to all bidders that have procured copies of the RFP. If revisions are of such a magnitude to
warrant the postponement of the date for receipt of proposals, then an addendum will be issued
announcing the new date.
Instructions to Bidders (i.e., Prospective Suppliers)
This section outlines specific instructions for proposal submission. Bidders not adhering to these
instructions may be subject to disqualification without further consideration.
General Procedures
Issuing Authority
This RFP is issued by [insert contact information, referred to here as ABC Company]:
Contact Name and Title:
Department:
Street Address:
City, State and ZIP:
Telephone Number:
Fax Number:
Email Address:
Price Guarantee
Request that UC bidders and service providers guarantee their prices for a period of six months
(beginning at the date of submission of the response to this RFP).
Preproposal Questions
Bidders must submit questions in writing to:
Name (and Title) of Responsible Person or Office:
Street Address:
City, State and ZIP:
Fax Number:
Email Address:
All questions must be received by [insert date] to allow for ABC Company's answer preparation.
RFP Response Terminology
It is important for bidders to respond in a brief, but concise, manner to each section of the RFP
document.
Yes/no responses can be acceptable, but you might also want bidders to indicate the level of
compliance with:
"Acknowledge" The bidder has read and understands the information provided; however, no
action is required by the bidder.
"Comply" Bidder meets the specifications.
"Partially comply" Bidder meets part of the specification; bidder should always explain how
or the deviation from the specification.
"Comply with clarification" Bidder meets the specification; however, the manner in which the
bidder accomplishes this may be different from that specified in the RFP. ABC Company should
always provide clarifying information.
"Exception" Bidder does not meet the specification. Please provide an alternative solution
when possible.
Preparation of Proposals
Proposal Format
Specify whether proposals may be submitted as soft copies or in binders. If the latter, a soft copy
format is also required.
The complete proposal must include the proposal document with a point-by-point response to the
RFP and all other materials requested. Bidders may include any additional materials they feel could
assist in the evaluation of their proposed systems. However, bidders must provide complete
responses to each question. References to other documents will not be accepted.
Specifically caution bidders that proposals that do not follow the RFP's format and content
requirements will be subject to rejection without appeal.
Proposal Due Date
All proposals must be received by [specify time] on [specify date], and will be labeled: "Response to
Communications Request for Proposal for [XYZ] Proposal No. [specify number, if appropriate]."
ABC Company may issue several RFPs for multiple projects simultaneously or during close
intervals. To ensure prompt and expeditious routing of bidder responses to the right individuals in
ABC Company at the right time, you may want to consider including a statement in your RFP as
shown in the Proposal Format section. Please insert date, time and number, if appropriate, and
remove this note before issuing the RFP.
Proposal Delivery
Bidder is requested to submit [specify the number] complete copies of the proposal to the contact
shown in Table 1.
Table 1. Proposal Delivery Information
Mail Address: Delivery Address:
Name: Name:
Title: Title:
ABC Company: ABC Company:
Address: Address:
City, State, ZIP: City, State, ZIP:
Telephone Number: Telephone Number:
Source: ABC Company (Month Year)
Proposal Inclusions
All equipment, accessories, database information, training, software, hardware, labor and materials
must be furnished for the installation in a bill-of-material format. Any additional material or
equipment necessary for installation, operation and maintenance of the system(s) not specified or
described herein will be deemed to be part of the bidder's proposal.
Standard Agreements
The bidder must provide a copy of its standard product agreements that ABC Company will sign if it
awards the contract to that bidder.
Proposal Modification and Withdrawal
Once submitted by a bidder, a proposal may be modified or withdrawn only by appropriate notice
to ABC Company. Such notice will be in writing over the signature of the bidder. A withdrawn
proposal may be resubmitted up to the time designated for the receipt of proposals, provided it
then fully conforms to the general terms and conditions of the RFP.
Confidentiality
Proposals submitted to ABC Company for consideration will be held in confidence and not made
available to other bidders for review or comparison. Proposals submitted, and terms and conditions
specified in each bidder's bid response will remain the property of ABC Company.
All information in this RFP is confidential and will not be disclosed, except to those responding to
this RFP. The bidder may designate the portions of the proposal that are proprietary in nature, and
ABC Company agrees not to disclose those portions except for the purpose of evaluating the
proposal.
Calendar of Events
Table 2 reflects the project schedule.
Table 2. Project Schedule
Activity Primary Responsibility Date
(Date
Month
Year)
RFI phase optional Organization
RFP released to bidders Organization
Bidder's acknowledgment of intention to bid Bidder
Provide preproposal conference questions by deadline Bidder
Schedule preproposal conference Organization
Perform site survey Bidder
Provide final questions by deadline Bidder
Proposal delivery and opening Bidder/organization
Evaluation Organization
ABC Company notifies bidder/provider of its selection as
winning bidder
Organization
Contract negotiations completed Bidder/organization
Final contract signed Bidder/organization
System installation and testing Bidder with organization
oversight
System cutover (no later than) Bidder with organization
oversight
Voice Requirements
Define requirements in terms of system capacities and the architecture needed. Quantify sizing
requirements for desk phones, desktop and mobile device soft clients, softphones, public switched
telephone network (PSTN) trunks and two- to three-year growth projections. Estimate requirements
for wired and wireless fixed and mobile devices. This gives the bidder a comprehensive
understanding of the full range of capacity and functional requirements.
With systems that use Internet Protocol (IP) technology, voice traffic is typically carried over a LAN
or WAN infrastructure, and call capacity is measured in terms of the bandwidth of the IP channel.
Bidders should specify how much bandwidth is required and associated codecs to adequately
transmit packetized voice conversations.
Bidders must also provide details about call setup time, the architectures of their systems and
system families (such as switches, telephony servers and gateways), and the redundancy features
of their proposed solutions.
UC Integration
Multiple scenarios exist for using voice in new ways within a UC environment. Bidders must specify
whether voice call control resides in their own or third-party platforms, as well as which
communications industry standards the proposed solution supports. Bidders should also provide
block diagrams describing UC integration options.
Integration capabilities must include:
Centralized user interfaces for managing and accessing all UC services, including primary
access through a graphical user interface (GUI) or Web client and additional telephony user
interface (TUI) and mobile client options for mobile user convenience.
Presence management for user availability, voice and IM communications across multiple end-
user client devices.
User preference-based contact management across end users' client devices (e.g., the ability
for the user to select his or her "preferred device" for routing incoming and outgoing calls).
Support for a single integrated or unified mailbox that supports email, voice mail and fax mail
message types.
Integrated audio and Web conferencing services for handling multiparty conferencing
requirements in a multisite environment.
Centralized user interface for moderating, managing and accessing an end user's conferences
via a desktop and Web client.
Integrated UC client launch of preferred third-party Web conferencing service/application
Secure, achievable and auditable enterprise IM services, or the ability to interoperate smoothly
with any pre-existing enterprise IM platform currently in use.
Integrated video calling, using PC-based desktop video and voice over IP (VoIP).
In addition, voice solutions should be able to integrate with existing voice communication
resources, such as:
PBX and IP PBX systems
Voice mail systems
Email systems
Applications that use analog interfaces and devices
Private or public voice networks
Telephony dial plans

Using its specific RFP format, bidder should confirm that the proposed UC solution can support the
standard capabilities set forth above and include a brief overview of how the solution meets these
requirements. Proof of availability of high-quality installation and integration services, including
project management, training and professional services is also essential.
System and User Features for Voice
The buyer lists the functionality and features that the proposed system must provide. Bidders
should provide a response to each item, and should indicate which features are standard and which
are extra-cost options. Providing a system manual is not an acceptable response to this section.
Bidders must also cite any system feature limitations relating to software or interaction with other
features.
More than 400 features are available for voice systems, but most organizations use only a small
subset of them. Define the set that will meet your company's requirements. Ask bidders for a list of
features that are included in the proposed voice solution that are equivalent to those offered in your
current one, as well as features provided with the base system.
You will have to consider the specific needs of a broad range of personnel in your business. Some
traditional features to consider are included in Appendix A. However, as UC transforms the way in
which people communicate and systems are managed, this list will change to include new features,
while older ones become outmoded.
(See "Toolkit: RFP Template for IP PBX Sourcing and Deployment" [Note: This document has been
archived; some of its content may not reflect current conditions.] for additional information.)
System Features for Converged Networking
With voice traffic being transported as data packets over local- and wide-area data communications
networks, and over links to the PSTN, networking features and capabilities are critical.
Bidders should answer these questions:
How will the proposed system interface with established local and long-distance public
networks?
What is the system's capability to support trunk aggregation?
How does the system support compatibility with specific Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) trunks
at the carrier trunk, system level and the SIP handset level, and for what respective codecs?
What standards and techniques for quality of service (QoS) are supported to ensure acceptable
and consistent voice quality over the data network?
How does the system support time-of-day (TOD) routing, which allows the call routing patterns
accessed to be changed based on the TOD? How many TOD tables does it support? How
many times per day can this occur?
What classes of service and classes of restriction does the system support?
What is the proposed solution's ability to interoperate with existing voice communication
resources, such as PBX systems, voice mail systems, conferencing systems, private or public
voice networks directly or through software or hardware gateways?
Network Assessment and QoS Requirements
VoIP traffic is sensitive to a number of data transmission parameters. In this section, the buyer
should specify the unique transmission parameters that the proposed system must fulfill, including:
Latency requirements
Jitter requirements
Packet-loss requirements
R-Factor or mean opinion score (MOS) for real-time applications

Ask bidders if specific QoS or class-of-service parameters will be required in the enterprise
communications network to achieve the specified transmission characteristics. This process is
critical to assessing whether the organization's networks are suitable to carry VoIP and video traffic
with acceptable quality. It also serves to identify the specific data networking equipment (including
Power Over Ethernet [PoE]) and upgrade expenses associated with the proposed UC solution, and
clarifies who will be accountable for the activity, the proposal's required scope, and the costs.
UC Endpoints
Bidder must confirm that the proposed range of wired and wireless audio endpoints:
Has been tested and certified to interoperate with the proposed UC solution, and that the
endpoint vendor participates in UC bidder's partner program
Offers integrated call controls, with optional support for video calls and collaboration where
required
Supports personal call management across multiple devices (i.e., desk IP, soft and mobile
phones)
Enables centralized management, control and distribution of new features and upgrades
directly to the audio endpoint
Supports wideband high-quality audio; noise-canceling microphones to reduce background

noise; digital signal processing to filter static from incoming calls; and complies with regional
and local regulations to reduce noise at work
Provides choice of wearing styles to ensure comfort and enhanced ergonomics

Bidders should describe the various telephones, headsets, softphones and associated station
features that are being proposed, and, at a minimum, include:
The variety of telephone set sizes and configurations, especially the number of actual
programmable functions available, the mix of line and feature buttons for each instrument style.
Types of current handsets that can be reused, and, if applicable, what restrictions this may
place on functionality.
The type of alphanumeric displays that are available with the proposed telephone sets, and their
display resolution.
The proposed configuration of IP handsets or multibutton telephone sets to replace established

multibutton positions, and whether soft or hard labeling of user templates is required.
Softphone voice quality, ease of deployment and simplicity of user interface.
Power requirements of IP phones and support for PoE.

SIP Endpoint Requirements
Bidder's proposed SIP endpoints must meet the following minimum requirements:
Standards: The SIP endpoints included as part of the proposal must conform to the Internet
Engineering Task Force (IETF) SIP standards, as well as other industry standards, as previously
specified in the RFP.
Flexibility: A variety of SIP phones must be available, with the flexibility for the buyer to choose
from basic to high-end capability based on end-user and/or location requirements. Any phone
proposed must be supported across the entire enterprise.
Investment protection: All SIP endpoints must be capable of firmware upgrades/software

downloads to support future compatibility with changes in the UC solution, such as improved
security and personal management.
Bidder should confirm that the solution meets the minimum requirements set forth above. Bidder
should state any areas of noncompliance.
SIP Phones Description
Bidder should provide a brief description, with pictures, of available SIP phones offered. Indicate
which of the devices have been proposed.
Power Requirements
Bidder should confirm SIP phones conform to IEEE 802.3af PoE standards.
Acoustic Requirements
All SIP speakerphone models proposed must be full duplex. Additionally, all SIP phones should
support the G.722 wideband codec silence suppression (value-added distributor [VAD]) and echo
cancellation to ensure the highest voice quality. Bidder should confirm compliance to these
minimum requirements.
Applications Support Requirements
Bidder should offer SIP phone models that provide integrated application support for Lightweight
Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) directories, a customized phonebook, call log and open
standards customizable application download via XML, Java, HTML and Wireless Markup
Language (WML). Bidder should confirm which models support these capabilities and describe
integrated functionality.
Add-on Functionality
Bidder should offer SIP phone models that support add-on adapters or modules to expand the
phone's functionality (e.g., additional buttons). Describe adapters and modules available.
Additional SIP Phone Attributes
Bidder should describe the attributes, other than those detailed above, that distinguish its SIP
phones, including planned enhancements to the SIP phones and expected time frames for release.
SIP Softphones
SIP softphone capabilities must meet the following minimum requirements:
Customizable GUI
Call control features (e.g., hold, transfer, message waiting)
Dialing via the keypad, address books, call lists, using drag/drop or copy/paste
LDAP integration
Call lists (missed calls, received calls, attempted calls)

Postconnect dual-tone multifrequency (DTMF) dialing
Access to online help
Video support
Bidder should confirm compliance with the requirements and describe soft client capabilities,
including, but not limited to, mobility, call handling features and video support. Provide graphics,
where applicable, depicting the GUI. Also, provide the minimum customer-provided PC
requirements for supporting the SIP softphone.
Attendant Services
The proposed solution must support a PC-based soft client application for the provision of
attendant services for the number of attendants specified in (Attachment 1 from ABC Company).
The bidder's proposed attendant must meet the following minimum requirements:
Provide an easy-to-use GUI with customizable views
Provide attendant-specific function keys, speed dial lists and directory functionality
Provide call queuing, call selection and recall handling with call indicators and real-time
statistics (i.e., calls in queue, time in queue, etc.)
Provide interposition transfer with real-time availability views of other attendants in attendant
groups
Provide overflow (to another attendant)
Support paging system access
Provide softphone call-handling controls with one-click access (e.g., logon/logoff, answer,
disconnect, hold, retrieve from hold, dial, transfer, consult)
Provide a screen pop for incoming calls (e.g., calling party number, called number, queue name,
wait time)
Provide visual status of user's line (i.e., busy, ringing, idle)
Provide night service capabilities.
Support Intrusion (break-in/override)
Support trunk-to-trunk transfer

Bidder should confirm compliance with the requirements and describe the attendant capabilities
addressing each of the requirements set forth above and how the attendant meets the
requirements. Provide graphics, where applicable, depicting the GUI. Also, provide the minimum
customer-provided PC requirements and any additional server requirements to support the
attendant(s).
Analog Devices
The proposed configuration should support existing analog devices, DTMF, fax and modems.
Bidder should describe how these devices, which include analog phones, connect to the system.
Voice Mail and Unified Messaging
If you need to consider more-detailed needs than those listed below, then see Appendix B for some
traditional features. However, as UC transforms the way in which people communicate and how
systems are managed, this list will change to include new features, while older features become
outmoded. Basic requirements are:
Out-of-office reply options
Auto attendant
Multilingual capabilities
Message waiting indication
Web-based messaging features
Integration capabilities with enterprise-based or hosted email applications, such as Microsoft

Office Outlook and IBM Lotus Notes
Mobility options for devices and message send/listen
Message broadcast capabilities
Message classification options that protect confidentiality and limit distribution
Scalability of proposed solution
Business continuity options
Personal user interface tools and capabilities
Message storage and archiving capabilities
Infrastructure design and upgrade requirements
Features that support compliance
System maintenance and support features

Email Messaging
Bidders are required to describe how their proposed solutions support the following attributes:
Scheduling features and tools
Calendaring capabilities
Speech access options for users and callers
Recommendations for backing up and restoring
Message search features
Out-of-office reply options
Web-based messaging features
Single in-box capabilities for email, fax and voice mail messages
Integration capabilities with desktop UC clients, such as Microsoft Lync and IBM Lotus
Sametime
Mobility options for devices, message send/read, search, document retrieval
Message classification options that can protect confidentiality and limit distribution
Scalability of proposed solution
System and personal management tools and capabilities
Message storage and archiving capabilities
Infrastructure design and upgrade requirements
Features that support compliance requirements
System maintenance and support
Anti-spam/antivirus features
Presence and IM
Multiple scenarios exist for using rich presence in new and useful ways within a UC environment
(see "UC Vision Scenarios: Rich Presence").
Presence Management
The UC solution must provide a single point of control from which users are able to:
Manage their own personal presence, including setting aggregate presence state and selection
of any preferred telephony device to receive/make all inbound/outbound calls
Track the presence status and availability by media of colleagues in their contact list
Track presence by media, including IM presence and telephony presence, across all dialable
devices (PC clients, PBX phones, mobile phones, PDAs and other PSTN phones)
Route requests for contacts seamlessly across all the various networks and devices commonly
used for business communications, including private voice/data/wireless networks and public
wired/wireless networks
Bidder should confirm compliance with the above presence management requirements and
describe how this is accomplished.
Future Presence Event Notification Functionality
The UC solution must provide a user with a means for requesting notification of changes in
availability or presence state of a contact who is currently not available for live contact. This
notification should persist until acknowledged or acted on by the user. In addition, the proposed
solution must support notifications beyond visual indications via the client.
Bidder should confirm compliance with this requirement and describe this functionality.
Presence Automation
Bidder should confirm that the solution can support this functionality, and describe how this
functionality is supported.
Ask bidders if their solutions support:
Ability to map user presence to the user's calendar, such as in Microsoft Outlook or IBM Lotus
Notes.
Automatic adjustment of presence status based on calendar information, communication mode,

device type, network connectivity status, location, type of activity, identity of other parties in
communication, etc.
Number of modes of status sufficient to support optimal work habits, such as online, offline, do
not disturb, on a call/conference, busy, limited availability, out of office.
Authorized users to visually observe the status of another person on the network mandatory
requirement.
Ability to adjust the user name or nickname displayed with the presence indication.
Presence to be viewed in lists or groups based on user, administrator or software assignments

of groups.
Presence to be determined across groups of people, based on the highest level of availability
for one or more members of that group.
Initiation of any mode of communication from the presence indication, including IM, email,
calling, conferencing, collaboration, etc.
Ability to change from one mode to another, as appropriate, during a session.
Ability to limit the communication modes based on the presence status of the selected user
(e.g., call user is not presented, or active, if the user is in "do not disturb" mode).
Group chat functionality whereby users must have the ability to initiate a group chat at anytime
and to populate the invited members from a predefined or automated group list (from email) or
buddy list (from IM). In addition, specify the cost standards required to securely federate IM
with other specific enterprises or systems.
Ability for presence information to be imbedded into business applications, such as CRM and
ERP systems.
Peer-to-Peer IP Communications
Ask bidders if their solutions support the following capabilities:
Initiate a communication by selecting a user from a variety of sources, including:
User's presence indication in buddy list, email address, email group list, etc.
An enterprise directory or a personal contact list
Communicate to the selected party via a range of methods and media, including:
IM (or chat)
VoIP call between appropriately equipped endpoints
Desktop sharing (or Web sharing) between endpoints
Video conversation (video and voice) between appropriately equipped endpoints
Combinations of the above communication methods and media, as appropriate
Amount of bandwidth required to various modes of video communication

Audio, Video and Web-Based Conferencing
Ask bidder to specify what components the proposed conferencing solution requires to support the
following capabilities:
Provide conferencing (i.e., simultaneous shared communication) between two to 100 parties
with any combination of the following four functional types:
Voice communications
Video communications
Web collaboration via presentation of documents
Web collaboration via editing of documents
Initiate a conference via a meeting invitation or via ad hoc formation of a conference by calling a
person or by adding people to an existing call.
Invite users to a conference through an invitation that is consistent with an email-based

calendar, including accepting, rejecting or proposing alternative times for a meeting.
Integrate existing conferencing products with the new conferencing function.

Log conferencing activity for billing and usage analysis.
Enable the use of capabilities such as IM, desktop sharing, voice and video calls to expand a
session in real time (e.g., from call to conference) and/or to add or remove communication
modes (e.g., desktop sharing, video).
Enable linking to collaboration tools, such as Microsoft Office SharePoint. Integration with
calendar, tasks and documents to allow prompt, appropriate action on pending project steps.
Video for UC Integration
Bidder must confirm that proposed video solutions have been tested and certified to interoperate
with the proposed UC solution; that video bidder participates in UC bidder's partner program; and
address the following attributes of the proposed video solutions:
Describe the specific use cases, access methods and scalability for the proposed video
solutions (i.e., desktop, room-based, mobile, tablet, etc.).
Specify the industry standards supported by the proposed video solutions, and whether
solutions are fully or partially proprietary.
Specify video formats supported with corresponding bandwidth and technical specifications.
Describe enterprise network requirements and specifications to support high-quality video and
audio transmission, low packet loss and node failure, as well as how reliability and performance
of the proposed video solutions would be affected by the use of the public Internet.
Describe the video-specific hardware infrastructure (cameras, multipoint control units [MCUs],
servers, gateways, microphones, speakers, etc.) and software proposed to support integration
within a UC environment. Include virtualized or cloud components.
UC Clients
Bidder should describe the desktop, Web and mobile clients, as well as softphones and
dashboards proposed that provide a single interface to many or all communication functions.
Include communication modes and devices, collaboration and business applications, integrated
presence, use of SIP compliant trunks and devices, and LDAP, as well as compliance, security,
mobility and extensibility.
Mobile Communications
Mobile Solutions Support
Bidder should provide a brief overview of any mobility solutions included with the proposed
configuration, as well as optional mobility solutions available. Bidder should answer the following
questions:
What mobile operating platforms do your mobile solutions support (i.e., Android, iOS, Symbian,
BlackBerry, carrier-based multi-OS solutions)?
What devices does your solution support (e.g., desktop PC, laptops, smartphones and tablets)?
What third-party products are your mobile communications solutions compatible with?
How does your solution support a common user experience across a broad set of clients?
How many distributed application servers are required, and how is the system managed overall
to support users in dispersed locations?
How does your mobility solution integrate with IP PBX and PBX environments?
Do your UC applications support SIP or H.323 technology?
Does your solution support VoIP over the cellular data channel (3G/4G)? If so, specify required
bandwidth, latency, loss, etc. needed from the wireless service.
How do you license mobile communications solutions?
What other UC-based applications or related services are available either through licensing or
as an add-on to the mobile commutations services?
How does the proposed solution provide mobile users with tools that enable them to access
UC functions and relevant information from enterprise business applications for specific
processes and jobs?
Does your mobile client interoperate with UC and business applications from disparate bidders?
How does your mobile client integrate with enterprise voice mail and email?
How does the proposed solution provide mobile users with access to UC functions such as IM
and presence?
Do presence and IM capabilities come as standard features of your mobile client, licensing and
compatibility supported with other vendors? If so, which vendors?
Fixed Mobile Convergence
Fixed mobile convergence seamlessly combines fixed enterprise VoIP, wireless LAN (WLAN) and
cellular mobility on a single mobile device. Bidder should describe capabilities that enable users to
roam across wireless (Wi-Fi) and cellular networks without dropping calls and with all the call
features of the telephone system.
Bidder should also include:
Any capabilities that support dual-mode phones
User feature access to the telephone system and roaming capabilities
Hardware and software architecture and requirements

Communications-Enabled Business Processes
Business applications are separate from communication applications. It is possible, however, to
invoke communication functions directly from a business application, which can facilitate how
business processes are handled and completed. One example is basic notification, which consists
of a business application sending a simple communication notification when an event occurs. The
notification is single-channel, commonly email (see "UC Vision Scenarios: Communications-Enabled
Business Processes" and "Leveraging Four New Ways to Integrate Business Processes and
Communications").
Ask bidders to describe:
What APIs, service interfaces, development tools and prepackaged functionality they offer to
facilitate the integration of business applications with communications tools and applications.
How CEBP can be initiated by a person or an application that raises alerts and notifications,
sets up conference calls or leverages presence.
System Redundancy, Reliability and Survivability
Bidders should define the reliability, redundancy or duplication and survivability options they offer
that support the ability to configure systems to appropriate levels of resiliency for the following
options:
Redundancy within a site
Redundancy and hot failover at an alternative site
Redundancy and warm (manual intervention) or cold (date restoration and system configuration)
failover at an alternate site
Automatic data and content backup and restoration at a local or remote site
Bidders should also describe:
The connectivity, and how access to the solution is accomplished in the event of partial or full
system failure of the solution
How the redundancy, reliability and survivability are affected with system growth
Backup power for the system or phantom power to handset

Standards
Ask bidders to:
Specify the various standards supported by their solutions.
Explain whether the system provides industry-standard APIs.

System Networking
Require bidders to describe:
How the proposed presence and IM capabilities will interface with the proposed voice solution.
Differences in the networking integration between local and remote users.
How the solution is centralized or decentralized.
Any messaging feature/functionality that does not carry through the network.
Options for networking this solution with other systems.
The reroute/backup plan incorporated into their design in the event of a network failure.
Any limitations on the number of networked users.
How remote and main-site messaging users can be part of the same "logical network" as
related to applications.
System Security
The proposed system must provide for secure, encrypted communications between endpoints for
peer-to-peer communications, and between endpoints and servers for all other communications.
Signaling channels and media streams must be secured. The response must address the methods
used for securing this communications function.
Users of the system from outside the enterprise premises (i.e., outside the enterprise firewalls) must
have the ability to maintain the security of the communications signaling and media streams.
Securing the communications should not require additional hardware or software elements (such as
VPNs) to create and maintain the secure communications channels.
Ask bidders to describe the:
System security measures in place with your solutions
Access entry security for system administrators
Access entry security for users
Security associated with accessing databases and other files
System diagnostics and alarms
Tools available for security monitoring
Method of notification for security violations

Security factors covered must include:
Use of a dedicated virtual LAN (VLAN) segment for voice
No split tunneling for voice over the VPN

Effective encryption over VPN
Firewall protection at the application layer
Protection from unauthorized access
User authentication
Protection from unauthorized use
Protection from unauthorized invasion of privacy during calls
Protection from voice spam
Protection from denial of service (DOS) attacks

System Management
System management requirements of the proposed solution are described in the sections that
follow.
Overall System Management
Bidder should confirm that the proposed management solution supports the basic fault
management functions listed and should describe fault management capabilities. Describe methods
and procedures used to detect troubles and component failures in the proposed system, as well as
alarm monitoring and diagnostic tools provided by the proposed system.
The system management solution must meet the following minimum requirements:
The system management tool must provide maximum flexibility for rapid, efficient and cost-
effective configuration changes to the VoIP/UC solution through a standard browser-based
interface (including, but not limited to, format screens, pull-down menus, valid entry choices,
online help and templates).
Administration, system monitoring, diagnostic and maintenance operations for all locations
must be supported using a centrally located server(s) with distributed client workstations.
Simultaneous access from multiple locations by multiple users must be supported.
Ability to access remotely so someone can be on standby.
Moves, adds and changes must be able to be implemented transparently across all locations.
Online system administration must not disrupt service. The telephone system must remain
operational during backups, updates and upgrades.
The solution must support strong security features (including, but not limited to, password
attribute customization, authentication logging, audit logs and multilevel authorization access).
Support open protocols, including SNMPv3, SOAP, XML and HTML.

Support centralized provisioning, maintenance and troubleshooting.
Offer a single administrative point that is simple, intuitive and consistent across all systems and
applications.
Bidder should confirm that the management solution proposed complies with the requirements set
forth above, and include a brief overview of the proposed management solution, including the
following:
Overall capabilities, briefly addressing how the management solution meets the minimum
requirements set forth above.
Major hardware and software components, and any customer-provided server and client PC
requirements.
Whether the software to support the functionality is included in the overall system price or
provided at an additional charge.
Configuration Management
The bidder's proposed management solution must support centralized configuration management
to include, but not limited to:
Station user moves, adds and changes
VoIP and UC endpoint/subscriber profiles and parameters
VoIP and UC group definitions and assignments
Call restriction assignments
Class-of-service definitions and assignments
Dial plan and routing parameters
Call admission control (CAC) parameters
Trunk group definitions and individual trunk circuit programming
Trunking gateways
Media and voice conferencing servers

Automated Functions
Describe any automated functions that allow a deployed SIP device to autoconfigure from a
centralized server. Describe mass provisioning capabilities, including capabilities related to users
and endpoints.
On-Site Remote Location Administration
Describe any services that must be administered locally at a remote site.
Online Data Availability
Is the online data readily available for viewing by the system administrator? If so, please describe.
Licensing Management
The licensing for the system should be dynamic (i.e., the total number of devices that can
concurrently place/receive calls is determined by the total number of dynamic licenses purchased).
Licenses should be supported by the proposed system and used anywhere in the enterprise. Bidder
should confirm compliance and describe any licensing management capabilities provided with the
proposed management solution.
Basic Fault Management
The goal of fault management is to recognize, isolate, correct and log faults. The bidder's proposed
management solution must support centralized fault management to include, but not limited to:
Performing diagnostics and troubleshooting
Provide monitoring and filtering of alarms, faults and associated logs
Provide real-time statistics regarding system performance, including checking server and
process status
Support Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) traps to external umbrella management
systems
Basic Performance Management
The goal of performance management is to collect, analyze and report on a variety of system
operations. The bidder's proposed management solution must support centralized performance
management to include, but not limited to:
A traffic tool providing graphical and numerical data for call attempts, traffic load, incoming/
outgoing calls and busy-hour call completion (BHCC) for selected periods
Traffic measurements (statistics and counters) on business groups call usage and patterns,
feature usage, hunt groups and CAC
Bidder should confirm that the proposed management solution supports the basic performance
management functions listed and describe performance management capabilities.
Security
Security features within the management solution must include, at a minimum, password
requirements with configurable parameters, access authorization levels, authentication, secure
access, logging activities and backup/restore and patching/update capabilities. Bidder should
confirm compliance and describe security features of the proposed management solution as
requested below.
Passwords and Access Authorization Levels
Describe the administrative user access levels of various capabilities to restrict administration
access and the flexible password configuration parameters (e.g., password length, aging,
complexity).
Secure Access
Describe the mechanisms utilized to ensure secure access to the management solution, including
authentication, secure Web capabilities, session/history logs for access and changes, invalid
access attempt settings, tracking and lockout capabilities.
Backup, Recovery and Updates
Bidder must describe the mechanisms supporting backup, recovery and update activities. The
system must remain operational during backups, recovery and updates. Bidder must describe how
this is accomplished.
Accounting Management
The goal of accounting management is to track service usage and costs. The bidder's proposed
management solution must support centralized call detail records, which can be utilized by an
external call accounting application. The system should generate call detail recordings (CDRs) for
incoming and outgoing calls, call attempts on trunk facilities and station-to-station calls. Bidder
should describe how the system supports CDR, including the level of detail generated for a CDR
record, methods for capturing and transferring data for processing and CDRs' buffering capacity. If
additional hardware/software is required, bidder should delineate these requirements.
Optional Management Add-On Capabilities
Based on the objectives provided in the RFP, the bidder should describe any optional management
tools it recommends to specifically enhance operations and the ability to manage the proposed
solution.
Session Border Control (Optional)
Bidder should confirm the value of a session border controller (SBC) solution and ensure that it can
meet the following requirements:
Has been thoroughly tested and documented as an integral part of the enterprise UC solution,
including common use cases, such as SIP trunking, remote worker, remote contact center
agent, video, etc.
Has been incorporated into the certification configurations of the enterprise UC solution with the
SIP trunk service provider
Provides support and maintenance services for UC and UC application security
Has a large installed based in the service provider market, ensuring the enterprise deployment
of the SBC will mesh well with the service provider's SBC
Provides a full set of security features, including prevention of DoS and distributed DoS (DDoS)
attacks, as well as botnet attacks from a group of computers that are controlled from a single
source; and supports analytics to include user behavior patterns and compliance
Supports UC infrastructure resiliency and disaster recovery features
Scales well from about 25 to many thousands of concurrent sessions in two specific use cases:
In small sites, such as remote branches, and large sites, such as centralized data centers
During early stage deployments with planned growth for later-stage deployments
Can be deployed in a stand-alone configuration for data networking applications, or for

converged voice and data applications
Supports high-traffic, high-availability enterprise and contact center use cases
Offers pricing and a licensing model that enables cost-effective growth
Supports interoperability with a range of session manager and voice platform bidders
IPv4/IPv6 interworking
Bidder Design Summary
Bidders must provide one or more illustrations showing all physical distribution of the software
modules on servers, routers, appliances, etc., by location and geography, as appropriate.
Solution Architecture
Bidder must provide detailed answers to these questions:
Can your solution for presence and IM be architecturally independent from the proposed voice
solution? Could it work without the support of the rest of the proposed solution?
How does the proposed solution work and interface with IP- and time-division-multiplexing
(TDM)-based systems?
Network Diagrams
Bidders should provide one or more (as needed) illustrations showing the network topology and
connectivity of the solution for:
Specific network elements included in the RFP
Interoperation with existing or prerequisite network elements
Interoperation with external networks (PSTN, Internet, cellular, WLAN/WAN, etc.)

Physical Requirements
Bidders should specify:
Floor space to support the proposed solution
Floor-loading requirements
Raised-floor requirements
Minimum ceiling height

Environmental Requirements
System power circuit breaker panel location
Lighting requirements
Long- and short-term environmental ranges that the system can tolerate, including the:
Desirable temperature range
Desirable humidity range
Heat dissipation of the system at maximum configuration in British thermal units (Btus) per
hour
Power Requirements
Voltage and phase parameters of the main components, such as server and gateways
Circuit breaker panel requirements relative to the number of circuits and amperage ratings
Recommendations for reserve power requirements in stand-by hours and battery capacity
(ampere-hours), if an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is proposed
PoE requirements for handsets
Centralized and local power and cooling requirements

Warranty, Maintenance and Training
After the warranty period, the successful bidder will be required to service, maintain and provide
training support for the entire working life of the proposed system.
Warranty
Bidders should specify the warranty periods for all solution hardware, as well as the software
associated with running the proposed systems and applications.
Maintenance
The bidder must quote maintenance on a contractual basis indicating the annual fixed
maintenance rate after warranty expiration, including the rate for the next three years. The quotes
for system maintenance options should include annual hardware and software support, software
upgrades and remote monitoring.
The bidder should be able to support an emergency response time of no more than two hours,
24/7. ABC Company will be able to choose different service levels for different locations. For
instance, branch locations and headquarters may need different service levels.
Bidders should:
Define the number of factory-trained service technicians available through the local service
depot, and identify the centers from which technicians will be dispatched after hours, on
holidays and during weekends.
Provide a copy of the standard maintenance contract and details of optional extras.
Describe committed response times and mean time to repair (MTTR) by type of service
disruption.
Provide a copy of normal maintenance escalation procedures, and include communications

with affected parties with names and contact details of all parties affected.
Provide an emergency contact number if normal channels of fault-reporting communications

fail. Describe how that emergency contact number will be answered and by whom:
Are there any times or restrictions by day, week or month on this service?
What information will those answering a call have available?
Will they have specific information on the system being proposed for the organization?
Describe the procedures for software updates and upgrades; detail what, if any, costs would be
associated with upgrades.
Define major and minor alarm conditions, and how the system responds to each circumstance.
Describe the capabilities for remotely monitoring the system.

Describe the capabilities for automatically reporting fault conditions, both to organizational and
supplier personnel.
Describe supporting tools, such as expert systems, used to assist in problem diagnosis and
service restoration.
Indicate where the local and regional parts depots are located.
Provide an inventory of all spare parts, including pricing that will need to be maintained in on-
site inventory.
Training
The successful bidder will be required to provide on-site training to users and system management
communities. If training costs are not included as part of the system pricing response, then the
bidder must provide those costs, along with a detailed training schedule. The schedule should
denote class sizes, length of a typical training session and how one-on-one executive training will
be organized. Pricing for alternative modes of training delivery is also required.
Emergency Response
The bidder must provide a detailed in-place plan to restore service if the system is rendered totally
inoperative as a result of a major malfunction or catastrophe. The bidder must specify the maximum
time to provide limited service. In the event of a major system failure, a replacement system must
be made available. The bidder must state where the replacement system is located and the time
required to restore full service.
Furthermore, the bidder should recommend installing telephones within the organization to be
connected directly to the PSTN, so that emergency communications will be possible in the event of
a total system failure.
Implementation
Bidders should describe how they will manage the implementation project, stating who will provide
the necessary resources, and who will pay for them.
Bidders must provide an implementation plan that includes:
Project stages and milestones
Resources required
Responsibilities of each of the parties
Sources and skills required of the project manager
Sources and skills required of other resources, and who will pay for them
Integration with other telephony systems
Integration with applications

Communication processes for reporting the project's progress
Recommendations for briefing the project manager, and possibly the organization's working
party or steering committee members
Training schedule by type of audience
Fallback plans
System Pricing and Licensing
Bidders should describe the system and user application licensing model for the proposed solution,
and provide a table or spreadsheet in editable electronic format with all pricing information showing
line-item detail for any item that has a separate price, even if the item is sold as part of a bundle.
Column headings should reflect:
Item description
List price
Discount amount
Net unit price
Quantity
Total net price

Bidders should provide pricing for the following components:
Voice, messaging, IM and presence, conferencing, communications-enabled business process

(CEBP)
Standard features
Optional features
Data network upgrades, including PoE
Field system design
Installation and cabling
Database development
Software
Documentation
Training
Delivery costs
Project management costs

Applicable taxes
Incremental Costs
Gartner recommends that buyers request itemized cost schedules for several scenarios, such as:
Adding 25 IP telephones and two IP trunks to the base configuration. This information must
include which major hardware and software components would be reused, as well as those that
would not be reused.
Adding twice the number of telephones (50) and twice the number of IP trunks (four).
Adding the requirements for a small office. Request itemized quotes for office sizes of 25, 50
and 75 people, for example or whatever number is applicable. Request quotes for sites with
their own telephony servers, as well as sites supported by a server in another enterprise
location.
Adding 25 unified messaging users to the specified voice mail system. This information must
include which major hardware and software components would be reused, as well as those that
would not be reused.
Adding twice the number of unified messaging users (50).

The bidder will need to provide pre- and post-cutover unit prices and the associated labor costs on
principal system components, such as line and trunk cards and station equipment. Unit prices will
help you as the buyer adjust the final system cost if actual installed quantities differ from those
specified in the RFP. These unit prices will also help buyers calculate the costs of any expansion,
and understand the bidder's price model to achieve cost-effectiveness.
As the buyer, you should mandate that all prices remain firm for a period (usually one year) after
system acceptance.
Unified Communications as a Service Pricing (Optional)
UC offers businesses the ability to significantly improve how individuals, groups and companies
interact and perform. The majority of UC deployments to date have been on-premises-based
solutions. However, with the advent of cloud computing and new business models, providers now
have the ability to offer unified communications as a service (UCaaS).
With UCaaS, the provider owns, manages and hosts the UC infrastructure in its facilities. The
infrastructure is typically multitenant or virtualized to allow customers to share hardware resources
(and thereby reduce the provider's cost structure). Users then pay subscription fees for UC
services, as opposed to making capital investments for an on-premises-based infrastructure.
If UCaaS or a hybrid solution of on-premises-based and UCaaS is proposed, the bidder should
provide UCaaS pricing on a monthly per-user basis. (See Appendix C for the UCaaS price form.)
The objective is to categorize costs based on the UC modules that are activated for each endpoint
included in the proposed solution.
UCaaS typically has professional service costs relative to engineering, installation and integration.
Bidders have the option to:
Include professional service costs associated with the service (state costs explicitly for each
module)
Embed the professional service costs in the costs of the service

It is expected that each employee will have a core VoIP component. This is essentially a PBX
replacement capability. Certain employees will then have the option to select additional modules
based on their job requirements. These modules will be procured on an a la carte basis.
IM/presence
Unified messaging
Mobility
Conferencing
Bidder is to identify if there are additional support costs related to the UCaaS offering. Typical costs
include moves, adds and changes, and technical support. Please specify whether such costs are
included with the core service, or if there is an extra fee. Explicitly specify what, if any, costs will be
charged.
UCaaS respondents may include value-added services that are part of the UCaaS offering. Please
identify whether each of these categories (e.g., local voice, WAN management) are included, and, if
so, the additional associated costs.
Additional contract parameters:
Contract length: What is the contract duration for your UCaaS contract?
Size: Specify the minimum number of endpoints required for this pricing to be valid.
Software maintenance: UCaaS supplier will be responsible for any software maintenance and
patches required.
Subscription Pricing (Optional)
Hosted solutions from service providers and integrators have enabled organizations to procure
communications on a utility model, typically a monthly payment for a set of services provided to
each user in the network.
As an option, bidders should provide monthly per-user pricing for the ability to license software on a
subscription basis in place of the traditional right-to-use license for each of the core UC
components: voice, messaging, IM and presence, conferencing and clients. Buyer understands that
it will still be necessary to purchase the hardware infrastructure, such as servers, handsets, video
terminals and gateways.
Finance
If leasing arrangements are available, then the bidder should provide a sample lease, or lease and
purchase agreement, with the terms and conditions for these deals.
When there are currency exchange rate considerations in the prices quoted, the bidder must define
them and spell out policies to allow for fluctuations in exchange rates.
Bidders always request payments based on a schedule that corresponds to key project milestones.
As the buyer, you should understand the major events to which these payments are linked and the
expected percentage payments. You must approve the payment schedule. If an initial proposal is
unacceptable, then the schedule can be a negotiating point with bidders that make the shortlist.
It is also important to seek information on the proposed warranties, including the period(s) covered
and the conditions attached.
Bidder Qualifications
Company History
The bidder must provide:
A brief description of its company.
Description of its experience in providing communication systems.
Evidence of financial stability with an annual report, Form 10-K, or audited financial statement.
Name of the manufacturer of the proposed system.
Name/location of a technical support center that provides remote maintenance.
List of other types of customer support available from the technical support center.
Options for emergency service.
At least three reference customers with systems similar to the one proposed. Customer
reference information must include company name and location, contact person, telephone
number and the system name with model number.
The quantity and location of qualified personnel available to support the proposed solution.
Responsibility for Proposed System Implementation
The bidder must include a statement describing the terms of the agreement with the
manufacturer(s) of the proposed solutions. The statement must define the distributor's authorized
territory, note the current contract expiration date, and include a statement from the manufacturer
agreeing to support the product, the distributor and the buyer for a minimum of seven years.
If the bid is from more than one party, such as a combined proposal from a manufacturer and a
distributor or system integrator, then the accountabilities of each party must be spelled out clearly.
The prime contractor and the account management structure proposed must be acceptable to the
customer.
Bidder Support and Structure
If the proposed system will function within a multisite, networked environment, then the bidder must
explain its capability to provide regional and national support for multiple locations.
Each bidder should describe the structure of its organization, with organization charts showing the
executive, engineering, sales and field support (installation, service and training) entities within the
company.
The bidder should state how many people it employs in each of the following job categories:
Project management
Engineering support
Customer service
Interface to telephone service provider
Switch installation
Data networking
Station and cable installation
Training
A bidder should:
Provide a copy of its most recent annual report, or at least a financial status statement including
annual revenue, profit, net worth and other data.
Have a technical support center that provides remote maintenance.
Explain what other types of customer support are available from the technical support center.
Describe its standards and processes for providing emergency service.

Finally, as the buyer, you should request references for at least three customers (from the bidder)
with comparable systems in terms of size, geography and features. Customer references should be
germane to your vertical market, such as finance, government, healthcare, hospitality or retail.
References should include the company name, contact name, telephone number and the system
names or model numbers installed and used.
Appendix A: Voice Features
Speed dialing or abbreviated dialing

Automatic callback
Automatic callback message
Call forwarding/call coverage
Caller ID
Call pickup
Conferencing
Hunting
Integrated directory
Intercom
Last number dialed
Music on hold
Night service; auto attendant
Paging
Ringing pattern
Station lock
Telecommuting/remote user/softphone features
Speech recognition
Integrated voice response (IVR)
Computer-telephony integration (CTI)
Emergency notification (e.g., E911) capabilities

Appendix B: Voice Mail Features
Automated attendant capabilities
Caller options
Support for multilingual capabilities and multiple time zones
Broadcast message options
Login announcement options
User messages storage and delete options
User greeting options
Message creation and addressing capabilities

Dial-by-name feature
Mailing list options for users and system administrators
Choices for message delivery markings
User message notification options
Message retrieval options
Fax messaging capabilities
User mailbox security options
System security capabilities
Mailbox system administration capabilities
System diagnostics and alarms capabilities
System management reports capabilities
Integration between the IP PBX, voice messaging system and email application
Methods of user message waiting notification
Proposed and future mailbox capacity
SMS integration
Appendix C: UCaaS Pricing
Table 3 identifies seven UCaaS modules, with space on the table to insert monthly charges and
comments for each module category.
Table 3. Sample Pricing Format for Included UCaaS Components
UCaaS Module Module Category Monthly
Charge
Comment
Core VoIP Handset Define handset model
PBX feature set
Voice mail
Other
Professional services Please define
Total core VoIP price Engineering, installation,
integration and cutover services
IM/Presence IM/presence functionality
Other Please define
Professional services
Total IM/presence a la carte price
Unified Messaging Voice mail to email (WAV)
Speech to text
Email If provider includes hosted/cloud
email
Other Other UM capabilities provided
Professional services Engineering, installation,
Total UM a la carte price
Mobility Single-number ring Specify devices support
iPhone, Android, RIM
Mobile device PBX feature set
Other Other mobility capabilities
provided
Charge
Comment
Total mobility a la carte price
Conferencing Audio
Web
Video
Other Other conferencing capabilities
provided
Total conferencing a la carte price
Support Costs Moves, adds and changes
Technical support
Other
Total support costs
Complementary
Services
Local voice calling
Long-distance voice calling Assume in-country only
SIP trunks
Data network
Security
LAN management Specify whether provider
supplies the LAN switches
WAN management Specify whether provider
supplies the WAN router
Other
Professional services
Charge
Comment
Total complementary service pricing
Recommended Reading
Some documents may not be available as part of your current Gartner subscription.
"Critical Capabilities for Corporate Telephony"
"Magic Quadrant for Corporate Telephony"
"Magic Quadrant for Unified Communications"
"User Experiences Reveal Best Practices for Deploying Unified Communications"
"Q&A: What You Should Know About Session Border Controllers, but Were Afraid to Ask"
"How to Choose a Corporate Telephony Vendor in a Turbulent Market"
"Case Study: Indiana University Deploys Unified Communications"
"Case Study: McDonald's Deploys Unified Communications and Collaboration"
"Case Study: University of Kentucky Uses Unified Communications to Enhance Communication and
Cut Costs"
"Unified Communications and Collaboration Key Initiative Overview"
"Gartner's Four Levels of Cost Optimization Can Help Support the Business Case for Unified
Communications"
"Fitting Unified Messaging Into Your Unified Communications Plan"
"A Technology Framework for Enterprise Unified Communications"
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How To Develop A Comprehensive RFP For Unified Communication

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How to Develop a Comprehensive RFP for

Defining clear enterprise communications objectives and creating a checklist of requirements

Using collaboration to accelerate product development and reduce time to market

Improving customer service and satisfaction

Reducing travel expense

Extending enterprise communications to mobile personnel and key suppliers

What are the good points (of the present system)?

What are the functional pluses and minuses for people?

A description of the business, objectives, time frames and targeted users

Contact Name and Title:

City, State and ZIP:

Name (and Title) of Responsible Person or Office:

City, State and ZIP:

"Comply" Bidder meets the specifications.

Integrated UC client launch of preferred third-party Web conferencing service/application

PBX and IP PBX systems

Voice mail systems

Applications that use analog interfaces and devices

Private or public voice networks

Telephony dial plans

What is the system's capability to support trunk aggregation?

R-Factor or mean opinion score (MOS) for real-time applications

Supports wideband high-quality audio; noise-canceling microphones to reduce background

Provides choice of wearing styles to ensure comfort and enhanced ergonomics

The proposed configuration of IP handsets or multibutton telephone sets to replace established

Softphone voice quality, ease of deployment and simplicity of user interface.

Power requirements of IP phones and support for PoE.

Investment protection: All SIP endpoints must be capable of firmware upgrades/software

Call control features (e.g., hold, transfer, message waiting)

Call lists (missed calls, received calls, attempted calls)

Postconnect dual-tone multifrequency (DTMF) dialing

Access to online help

Provide an easy-to-use GUI with customizable views

Provide overflow (to another attendant)

Support paging system access

Provide visual status of user's line (i.e., busy, ringing, idle)

Provide night service capabilities.

Support Intrusion (break-in/override)

Support trunk-to-trunk transfer

Out-of-office reply options

Message waiting indication

Web-based messaging features

Integration capabilities with enterprise-based or hosted email applications, such as Microsoft

Mobility options for devices and message send/listen

Message broadcast capabilities

Message classification options that protect confidentiality and limit distribution

Scalability of proposed solution

Business continuity options

Personal user interface tools and capabilities

Message storage and archiving capabilities

Infrastructure design and upgrade requirements

Features that support compliance

System maintenance and support features

Scheduling features and tools

Speech access options for users and callers

Recommendations for backing up and restoring

Message search features

Out-of-office reply options

Web-based messaging features

Mobility options for devices, message send/read, search, document retrieval

Scalability of proposed solution

System and personal management tools and capabilities