REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS PORTAL DESIGN DEVELOPMENT HOSTING Table of

1 REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS PORTAL DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT & HOSTING Table of contents Page 1. SUMMARY 2. BACKGROUND INFORMATION 3. TECHNICAL DETAILS OF CURRENT PORTAL 4. ADVANTAGES OF PARTNERSHIP WITH WTPF 5. PROPOSAL GUIDELINES AND REQUIREMENTS 6. CONTRACT TERMS 7. PURPOSE, DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES 8. SUBMISSION SCHEDULE 9. CONTRACT TIMELINE 10. PROPOSAL FORMAT 11. PROPOSED BUSINESS MODEL 12. BUDGET 13. EVALUATION CRITERIA 14. EXPECTED DELIVERABLES 15. INFORMAITON REQUIRED FROM THE CANDIDATE ANNEX: RESPONSE TEMPLATE 1. CHECKLIST 2. RESPONSE TABLE SUPPLEMENTARY DATA 2 2 4 4 5 6 6 7 8 9 9 9 9 10 13 17 17 20 25 World Trade Point Federation This document contains proprietary information of the World Trade Point Federation and is not to be used for any purpose other than preparation of a response to this RFP 2 1. SUMMARY The World Trade Point Federation (WTPF) is accepting proposals to design, develop and host the Organization’s Web portal. This is a concept to completion assignment. The existing WTPF portal was originally designed in 2005 and has undergone subsequent improvements, additions and enhancements. The contract signed between WTPF and the successful candidate will be based on a shared business model whereby the contracted partner will have the opportunity to generate income and recoup the costs of development, maintenance and marketing. All proposals will be fairly evaluated and judged on the basis of the evaluation criteria set out under Section 13, including due consideration given to the proposed business model. 2. BACKGROUND INFORMATION The WTPF is an international non-governmental organization, set up under Swiss law, created to take over the management and further development of the Trade Point Programme from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The mission of the Federation is to become a global trade facilitator and information provider for small and medium-sized enterprises, particularly those located in developing countries and least developed countries, through its human network with local know-how and its global e-business marketplace. The WTPF is present in countries worldwide, classified for organizational reasons into the following five regions: Africa; the Americas; Arab Countries; Asia-Pacific; and Europe. The WTPF´s strategic objectives are to increase the participation of SMEs in international trade and help existing participants trade more efficiently, working through a network of 100 Trade Points in over 80 different countries. Trade Points act as one-stop-shops providing their client SMEs with a wide range of trade-related services (see below). More detailed information about the WTPF and its activities can be found at http://www.tradepoint.org The characteristics of Trade Point customer bases differ from country to country but can generally be described as predominantly SMEs with a considerable number of large companies and a growing number of micro-enterprises. There are currently 45,000 registered users of the portal and a substantial increase in the customer base is expected to accompany the further enhancement of the service offer. WTPF Products & Services Offerings (Current) WTPF provides SMEs with three categories of international trade-related services through its Trade Point Network. Additional services are developed as appropriate partners are identified. • Trade Information services: access to international trade-related information, knowledge and data covering a wide span of topics from current rules pertaining to the current international trading system, exchange rate policies and trade statistics, to quality standards etc. Trade Transaction services: covers services involved in actual trade transactions. • World Trade Point Federation This document contains proprietary information of the World Trade Point Federation and is not to be used for any purpose other than preparation of a response to this RFP 3 • Facilitation services: assistance to Trade Points or Trade Point clients through the provision of advice and support in accessing international trade opportunities. Trade Information Services include: • • • • • • Trade information portal: a single point of access to information on trade, markets and countries Trade Point database and directory: information on all established Trade Points throughout the world Publication database: access to information published by different organizations on topics of interest in international trade Frequently asked questions: answers to the most commonly asked questions relating to the WTPF, Trade Points, and the services provided on the website Electronic Newsletter: news and information on recent activities of the WTPF and of Trade Points Reference to other content providers: description of WTPF partners and the services they provide Trade Transaction Services currently include: • Electronic Trade Opportunity (ETO) system: platform of trade leads placed by Trade Points themselves, certified company members of Trade Points, and third party companies from outside the Trade Point Network. Global Trade Directory System (GTDS): a worldwide online company database fully owned and managed by the World Trade Point Federation (WTPF), featuring detailed product information and company contact details and a communication and media centre for company use. Company registration in the GTDS is fee-based but the on-line directory is freely accessible to view by anyone with internet access. • For future incorporation • Business document exchange: templates for the management and exchange of trade-related business documents. Facilitation Services include: • • • • • • • • • Payment methods: information on the different trade-related payment mechanisms applicable in different countries Customized and personalized access: different categories of access to information by SME clients in line with each individual Trade Point’s service packages Marketing and communication support: WTPF provides Trade Points with material and tools for the promotion of the Trade Point Programme and Trade Point services Investment opportunities: WTPF facilitates and coordinates investment opportunities Benchmarking: WTPF undertakes regular benchmarking activities in order to help Trade Points improve the quality of their services and ensure customer satisfaction Standard procedures, guidelines and tools: WTPF provides guidelines for standard approaches in Trade Point operations and for cooperation among Trade Points, etc. International procurement system: access to international procurement system Translation tools: a service available to members for translating common business vocabulary into different languages Training: training seminars or workshops on specific trade and business related subjects World Trade Point Federation This document contains proprietary information of the World Trade Point Federation and is not to be used for any purpose other than preparation of a response to this RFP 4 3. TECHNICAL DETAILS OF CURRENT PORTAL Candidates should refer to the SUPPLEMENTRAY DATA section at the end of the Annex for basic technical data on the current portal set-up. Further details will be made available to the successful candidate. 4. ADVANTAGES OF PARTNERSHIP WITH WTPF WTPF recognizes the competence of private sector players in many fields of activity of direct relevance to its operations and offers potential partners the considerable advantage of access to new market opportunities through its global network and of becoming associated with its consolidated brand image. WTPF is uniquely placed to become the global business facilitator for SMEs through: • • its international presence: the WTPF links more than 100 Trade Points in over 81 countries, forming a network of locally based offices with global reach; its in-depth knowledge of emerging markets: WTPF has a large database of information on local markets in developing, emerging and developed economies around the world and of SMEs located in these countries; a strong brand: WTPF continues to be supported by the United Nations. • The advantages of entering markets under the WTPF brandname include: • • • easier access to the markets of developing and emerging economies; lower customer acquisition costs; increasing customer loyalty over the long-term. Partnership with WTPF also provides attractive endorsement opportunities such as on-line cobranding, offline advertising endorsed by WTPF (mail, international trade shows, printed publications), endorsement through shared customer databases, preferred supplier status among SMEs. 5. PROPOSAL GUIDELINES AND REQUIREMENTS • This RFP is an open and competitive process and is not an offer to contract. • WTPF will evaluate all received proposals before coming to a decision. In the case of failure to fully comply in the first instance with the specifications as set forth in this RFP, proposals may not be accepted for further consideration. • WTPF will accept proposals from a Trade Point, a government body, an institution, a private company, or a consortium composed of any of the afore-mentioned. Proposals received after 6 P.M. (local time in Geneva) on 15th February 2009 will not be considered and will be returned unopened. • Proposals must contain the signature of the duly authorized officer or agent of the company/organization submitting the proposal. World Trade Point Federation This document contains proprietary information of the World Trade Point Federation and is not to be used for any purpose other than preparation of a response to this RFP 5 • WTPF reserves the right to accept or reject any or all the proposals submitted in response to this RFP and to take exception to or waive any of the current RFP specifications. • WTPF also reserves the right to negotiate simultaneously with more than one partner during the selection process in order to obtain the best proposal from each partner. • A candidate’s proposal constitutes a firm offer to contract on the terms and conditions described in the proposal. • Costs incurred: Candidates are responsible for all costs incurred in connection with the preparation and submission of their proposal. WTPF is not liable for any costs incurred by any candidate in responding to this RFP. • Sub-contracting: If the execution of the work to be performed by the candidate’s company/organization requires the hiring of sub-contractors, this must be clearly stated in the proposal. Any such sub-contractors must be identified and the work they will perform must be defined in the proposal. All contact details of the sub-contractor should also be provided. The World Trade Point Federation will not reject a proposal based on the use of sub-contractors, but does retain the right to refuse the candidate’s selection of sub-contractor. • Document ownership: All materials submitted in response to this RFP become the property of WTPF upon delivery. All data and information contained in the potential partner’s proposal shall be deemed to be non-proprietary unless specific items in which proprietary interest is claimed are clearly marked and an agreement has been entered into. Candidates are encouraged to submit such data and information, wherever required, for WTPF to understand and evaluate the proposal. If such data and information are submitted, candidates agree that WTPF shall not be liable for disclosure of such data and information if the same: is or becomes publicly available; was known to the WTPF without restriction at the time of receipt; is disclosed inadvertently despite the exercise of the same degree of care as the WTPF takes to preserve and safeguard its own proprietary information; was independently developed by the WTPF; or is obtained from a third party which has an unrestricted right to disclose the information. • Non-Disclosure: This RFP and any additional information on WTPF obtained in relation to this RFP constitute confidential information. Such information should not be disclosed to third parties or used for purposes other than the formulation of a proposal or negotiation of an agreement with WTPF. • Reproduction of the RFP: The contractor may make copies of this RFP, provided the said copies are used ONLY for internal purposes to evaluate this RFP and to prepare a proposal. Each copy must contain the Confidential Notice set forth at the bottom of each page of this RFP. • Obligations Regarding the RFP: At no time shall WTPF be considered to be under any obligation or commitment to purchase any proposed service or equipment from any candidate. Contract negotiations will be undertaken with the candidate whose overall proposal is determined by WTPF to best meet its requirements. The final contract will be prepared by the WTPF. • Publicity: Any publicity with regard to this RFP, future contract negotiations and/or subsequent transactions, whether in the form of brochures, press releases or verbal announcements, may be made only with the express prior written consent of WTPF, which may be withheld at the sole discretion of the WTPF. World Trade Point Federation This document contains proprietary information of the World Trade Point Federation and is not to be used for any purpose other than preparation of a response to this RFP 6 • Use of the WTPF Name: Neither this RFP nor any ensuing contract will confer on any party any right to use the name World Trade Point Federation or WTPF or any other name related to the World Trade Point Federation in any advertising, publicity, promotion or other disclosure, or to express or imply any endorsement of its products or services, in any matter or for any purpose whatsoever, without the prior written consent of WTPF. • Price: The price quoted in the proposal should be inclusive. If the price excludes certain fees or charges, a detailed list of these must be provided together with a complete explanation of the nature of such excluded fees and/or charges. 6. CONTRACT TERMS The World Trade Point Federation will negotiate the contract terms after having reached a final decision at the end of the evaluation process. The project will be awarded upon signing of the contract, outlining terms, scope, timeline, budget, business model and other necessary items. 7. PURPOSE, DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES Purpose The World Trade Point Federation currently has a Web presence (www.tradepoint.org) comprising a central portal with shared information and menus and the option to open the local interface of any Trade Point throughout the world. Each local interface is embedded in the main portal such that access to the shared central portal is concurrent with access to the specific menus and information of the individual Trade Point in question without having to move from one window to another. The system is so designed as to enable each Trade Point to upload its own local content and service menus. However, an opportunity exists i) or ii) to design a completely new portal incorporating the latest Web technology and reflecting the needs of WTPF. to re-engineer the portal to better reflect the needs of WTPF and to incorporate the latest Web technology It is also the intention of WTPF that the successful candidate should propose, design, develop and implement new tools/applications/services for the re-engineered or new portal. Upon completion of the re-engineered/new portal, all content, coding and graphics will become the sole property of WTPF. Description The target audience for the portal comprises Trade Points and companies already engaged in or potentially engaged in international trade, particularly SMEs, and with emphasis on those in least developed, developing and emerging economies. The proposed portal should be: World Trade Point Federation This document contains proprietary information of the World Trade Point Federation and is not to be used for any purpose other than preparation of a response to this RFP 7 • • • • • • • • • cleverly contrived quick to load and operate safe and secure easy and intuitive user-friendly informative visually pleasing commercially attractive sufficiently flexible to add new applications as they become available A Web-based database-driven administration tool must also be developed to allow key management personnel to easily update content without directly accessing the source code. WTPF will maintain ultimate editorial control of the content. Objective WTPF’s fundamental objective it to improve the visual appearance, usefulness and delivery of the centralized Web-based services it provides to Trade Points and to provide new Web-based tools and applications for Trade Points to offer their company members. It is intended that the portal will gain new life, attract increased revenues and become financially sustainable over the long-term. WTPF also seeks to: • continue to build WTPF brand identity through a Web presence that is attractive to the target audience • substantially increase the company user base by generating a critical mass of new on-line clients independently of Trade Point company members • increase the market share of individual Trade Points as trade-related service providers • strengthen the networking among Trade Points • improve business efficiencies • deliver a consistent image through both the centralized menus and the local interfaces Candidates should ensure that their proposal provides intuitive navigation, compelling visuals, an improved graphical user interface and easy-to-find content organization. 8. SUBMISSION SCHEDULE This RFP is dated 10th November 2008. Proposals are due no later than 6 p.m. (local time in Geneva) on 15th February 2009 at the following address: Mr. Bruno Masier President, WTPF World Trade Point Federation World Trade Center II World Trade Point Federation This document contains proprietary information of the World Trade Point Federation and is not to be used for any purpose other than preparation of a response to this RFP 8 29 Route de Pré-Bois 1215 Geneva Switzerland Proposals shall be submitted in five hard copies and one Microsoft compatible electronic copy (CD-ROM). Each proposal shall be accompanied by a letter of submission bearing the signature of an authorized representative of the candidate company/organization and including the name(s) of those individual(s) authorized to negotiate with WTPF, as well as the names of relevant sales representatives and product managers. Proposals must be valid for a minimum of 60 days. At any time during the evaluation process WTPF may require interviews at its offices in Geneva, on or about (date). You will be notified if this is necessary. Any questions concerning this RFP should be submitted in writing and sent by post, fax or e-mail to Mr. Bruno Masier (FAX: +41 22 292 5615; e-mail: bruno.masier@tradepoint.org) by 30th January 2009. All questions will be answered individually. No questions will be accepted by telephone, and no questions sent to addresses other than those mentioned above will be acknowledged or answered. 9. CONTRACT TIMELINE The contract will be for (a maximum of) five years. The contract period will be subdivided into three phases: Phase I: fact-finding, identification of requirements, portal definition, portal design Phase II: portal development, testing and deployment; technical training; marketing (the exact date on which the portal will become live will be determined during Phase I) Phase III: portal maintenance, hosting and support (further training, operation of the help centre, assistance in marketing, ongoing maintenance and enhancement). The tasks and deliverables expected during these three phases of the contract are described in the section on Expected Deliverables. SUBMISSION SCHEDULE AND TIMELINE Submission of proposals Additional questions from candidates no later than Interview (tentative, candidates will be informed) Final decision on the basis of the evaluation process Negotiations will begin with successful candidate Conclusion of negotiations with successful candidate Signature of contract All other candidates will be notified by Commencement of work under terms of contract Completion and delivery of Phase I Completion and delivery of Phase II DATE 15th February 2009 30th January 2009 Will be informed 10th March 2009 15th March 2009 15th April 2009 20th April 2009 15th April 2009 1st May 2009 1st June 2009 1st September 2009 World Trade Point Federation This document contains proprietary information of the World Trade Point Federation and is not to be used for any purpose other than preparation of a response to this RFP 9 Commencement of ongoing work corresponding to Phase III Contract ends 15th September 2009 Maximum 20th April 2014 10. PROPOSAL FORMAT Candidates are requested to use the Response Template in the Annex to this document. 11. PROPOSED BUSINESS MODEL Revenue-generating and revenue-sharing Under WTPF’s current income-generating system, certified Trade Point members and Global Trade Directory System (GTDS) members pay a fee. Revenues from Trade Point membership (which includes the fee for registration in the GTDS for Trade Point company members) will continue to accrue exclusively to Trade Points and the WTPF. WTPF is willing to share with the successful candidate all revenues emanating from GTDS membership alone (i.e. companies registered in the GTDS but not members of a Trade Point) as well as revenues generated through new applications. The proposed business model must take into account the need to increase revenues on a sustainable basis, must be logical and intelligent. All business model proposals must be clearly explained. 12. BUDGET WTPF expects the successful candidate to provide a turnkey solution. The price quoted by each candidate is therefore expected to cover: all the design, implementation, integration, deployment, maintenance, hosting, training and on-going support work included in the package; provision of a user help centre; all hardware, software, licensing and maintenance fees involved. All prices are to be quoted in U.S Dollars (USD). The chosen revenue-generating and revenue-sharing model should form an integral part of the costing and final price quotation. The proposal should include alternative scenarios (optimistic, conservative, pessimistic) with a detailed breakdown of (a) expected revenue from the portal and (b) mechanisms for revenue sharing between WTPF and the contractor. 13. EVALUATION CRITERIA Proposals will be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria: • Suitability of the proposal – how far the proposal meets the specific needs and requirements set forth in the RFP. World Trade Point Federation This document contains proprietary information of the World Trade Point Federation and is not to be used for any purpose other than preparation of a response to this RFP 10 • Expertise solutions. – in recommending and communicating the appropriate technical and aesthetic • Aesthetic capabilities – the extent to which the candidate’s reference work demonstrates artistic and innovative solutions that engage the interest of the targeted audience. • Experience – the candidate possesses the necessary qualifications and can demonstrate successfully completed projects. • Value-Pricing structure – the price reflects and is commensurate with the value of the product offered by the candidate. • Human resources – the candidate has the appropriate number and quality of staff to undertake the proposed project in the required time frame. • Clarity of proposal – the proposal is presented in a clear and organized manner. • SLA – the candidate demonstrates a clear commitment to high Service Level Agreements. Candidates’ experience in internet marketing will be taken carefully into account in the evaluation process. The successful candidate will be expected to work together with WTPF in drawing up a marketing plan for the portal’s products and services, with particular emphasis on capturing the attractive niche of companies outside the framework of the Trade Point Network. On the initiative of WTPF a meeting may be held in Geneva with the successful candidate prior to award of the contract, to provide both parties with the opportunity to review the final proposal and to ensure that the intent of the RFP is clear in all areas. 14. EXPECTED DELIVERABLES The successful candidate will be expected to provide technical and operating services, industry expertise and initial investment to supplement WTPF’s in-house capabilities and capacities. It is expected that the hardware (web server) software (content management) and professional services (design, implementation, integration; web hosting; technical training for WTPF staff) provided by the successful candidate will be fully commensurate with the task of enhancing or replacing the current portal and attracting a wider customer base. Required functionalities of the website • The portal will have a “frontend” and a “backend”. The backend will serve as a management module for enabling Trade Points to continue their responsibility for posting and updating data on their local interface and uploading data into the central Trade Info menu. • The backend will also serve to monitor frontend contents and movements, including tools for Trade Points to track modifications introduced by companies into their company/product data, a statistics module permitting constant monitoring of registrations, logins, page visits etc. World Trade Point Federation This document contains proprietary information of the World Trade Point Federation and is not to be used for any purpose other than preparation of a response to this RFP 11 • The backend will also serve for intranet-type functions and will have a dedicated online system (similar to Skype) to facilitate communication among Trade Points and an online “conference room”. • The backend of the portal will also include a centralized database in the backend for the WTPF Secretariat, including regional databases for the 5 Regions, each with the appropriate access codes, with software for the uploading and updating of documentation pertaining to the application and establishment of a Trade Point; Trade Point Annual Activity Reports; Communications between the Secretariat and Trade Points and between the regional Coordinators and Trade Points; and any other documentation of relevance. The central and regional databases should be so designed that updating of one is automatically captured by the other. • The portal frontend should retain the concept of the existing functionalities such as the registration, GTDS and ETO systems, all the current frontend menus including the Trade Information menus (Market Point and Knowledge Point) with their corresponding backend monitoring tools. • The portal will include an online payment system to serve current needs (GTDS payment); online payment of the products and services proposed by the successful candidate in this RFP; online payment of products and services to be incorporated in the future; and online payment of potential products and services offered by other WTPF partners. The administration system for online payment must permit the automatic splitting of the fees between WTPF, the contracted party and Trade Points (in the event of the latters’ intervention in the sale of a product or service). • Candidates are expected to ensure the full integration of the existing information databases and the company database (currently 45,000 companies) into the new system through an appropriate mechanism. • Candidates are encouraged to propose any enhancements to the existing frontend and backend functionalities that they consider appropriate. • It is also expected that candidates will propose new functionalities in line with the objectives of the WTPF and to enable Trade Points and their clients to promote their business, products and services globally, to increase sales of their goods and services in world markets, save time and costs in negotiating trade deals, and, by comparing offerings of global products and services, to adapt and fine-tune their marketing and pricing strategy. The portal will be accessible in the six official UN/WTPF languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Spanish and Russian), placing initial priority on English, French and Spanish. Provision should be made for the incorporation of further languages in cases in which individual countries are willing to finance the translation of the portal into their native language if different from those mentioned above. An excellent level of performance and reliability of the portal and excellence of support service is expected. Such support will also be required in the six official UN/WTPF languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Spanish and Russian), placing initial priority on English, French and Spanish. The format of company and product records in the GTDS should include horizontal indexing of all industries, mapping to SIC, HS Code and UN/SPSC. Price quotations will be in USD to facilitate global comparisons. World Trade Point Federation This document contains proprietary information of the World Trade Point Federation and is not to be used for any purpose other than preparation of a response to this RFP 12 Training and support for the delivery of the portal The training to be provided by the successful candidate shall be sufficient in duration and quality to familiarize the selected staff of WTPF and of selected Trade Points with all functions of the portal. The training programme shall include direct training and/or development of training and marketing materials for: • • • • • • Technical staff if needed End-users (Trade Points clients) TP document entry staff (verifying) TP phone support TP sales support, marketing service support Other staff as requested by the WTPF The successful candidate will also be expected to provide WTPF with an initial strategic marketing and sales concept based on its international expertise. Standardized, user-friendly training and user manuals should also be prepared for approved by WTPF. Such manuals should be prepared in English, French, Spanish (mandatory), Arabic, Russian and Chinese (optional). Support Centre • The website must be developed and implemented in such a way as to provide all Trade Points and their clients with a quality product and experience. Customer support is critical to maintaining the required level of quality, and WTPF therefore requires that an integrated support call-center operation be implemented. The successful contractor should assume a low digital skill level among users. • User access to the Support Centre: Trade Points should have access to the support set-up via dedicated (toll call – not toll free) telephone number(s). • Browser and website support: The Support Centre must be capable of diagnosing and resolving problems related to the installation, setup, configuration and operation of all applications including the ETO and GTDS systems, as well as problems of connectivity/access and password loss. Operation, administration and management of the portal • As an ICT-based trade facilitation organization, non-failing access to the website is fundamental to the services provided by WTPF. In the event of a disaster, a Disaster Recovery Plan must therefore be in place within 48 hours after the disaster to provide full recovery of the server and network infrastructure. • The WTPF requires full weekly (or more frequent) backups and daily differential backups of all databases, to be stored in an off-site location. To facilitate the location of on-site and off-site backups of WTPF data, it is required that such backups be trackable via an automated management system. The WTPF requires 24 hour-a-day access to all data. Planning, management and reporting systems World Trade Point Federation This document contains proprietary information of the World Trade Point Federation and is not to be used for any purpose other than preparation of a response to this RFP 13 • The successful contractor will be required to report to WTPF on a monthly basis. The monthly reports shall be delivered in digital form to the President of WTPF by the 15th of the following month and shall contain performance measures, project financial status, milestone status, personnel actions, and outlook for the next month. • WTPF expects the successful contractor to provide structured project management during the initial deployment of the portal. During this period the contractor will furnish WTPF with monthly progress reports and updated monthly schedules of remaining tasks to be performed. The contractor will use its best effort to ensure that the tasks proceed in accordance with the schedule. The information provided will be used to communicate work progress and future envisaged steps to the Trade Points community. 15. Information required from the candidate Proposals must be completed using the template provided further below. The following is a list of the questions to be responded to: 15.1 General considerations 15.1.1 15.1.2 15.1.3 15.1.4 How will the proposal support and/or enhance the WTPF brand reputation? Do you have the capacity to establish a worldwide presence? What quantity and sort of knowledge will you bring to WTPF and its members and clients? What cross-selling opportunities could you bring to WTPF? 15.2 Candidate background This section deals with information about your company/organization, the type of services you provide, and the types of products, if any, that you offer. It also concerns the type of support you offer, details of you financial situation, as well as any partnerships or alliances you have formed with other companies, and the capabilities to work in a developing country context. 15.2.1 Provide a brief profile of your company/organization. 15.2.2 Give a brief historical description of the company/organization’s involvement in the Internet/Communication service industry. 15.2.3 Provide organizational charts of relevant operating units including names and titles of key (e.g. senior management) individuals. 15.2.4 Describe the company/organization’s ICT plans for the next five years. 15.3.5 Provide a description of support strategies you provide such as customer care, including specific features and locations, physical and human resources. 15.2.6 Give names, titles/position, and attach CVs/Resumes of essential personnel who would be responsible for this project, should your company/organization be the successful bidder. 15.2.7 Provide name and contact information of the primary contact person in your company/organization. 15.2.8. Provide name and contact information of day-to-day contact in your company/organization if different from the above. 15.3 Services Partnerships 15.3.1 Describe any existing alliances (worldwide) that your company/organization has established with other companies to provide Internet/Communication Services. Provide the following: World Trade Point Federation This document contains proprietary information of the World Trade Point Federation and is not to be used for any purpose other than preparation of a response to this RFP 14 • Name of company with which you established an alliance. • Detailed description of each alliance, including information concerning marketing agreements, cross licensing, systems integration, standardization between companies, ownership, services provided, etc. 15.4 Current Litigation 15.4.1 Provide a list of any pending litigations to which your company/organization is a party and which involves more than USD 500,000 (United States Dollars) in contention. 15.4.2 Identify specifically any litigation related to your products or services and any claims of patent or other intellectual property rights infringement. 15.4.3 Identify any litigation in respect of a regulatory body. 15.5 Financial Information 15.5.1 Provide the most recent copy of the company/organization’s audited annual financial statement. 15.6 Experience / References 15.6.1 Provide details of the architecture you have to offer in terms of hardware, wan access, firewall etc. 15.6.2 Provide figures on the current state and expected growth, users, transactions, access connection time etc. of your company/organization’s Web-based structure. 15.6.3 Provide figures on your company/organization’s security management – redundancy, access, databases, mirroring, external replications, clustering and availability of servers. 15.6.4 Provide details on your core competency in the following areas: host computer configurations, information systems software – e-mail, World Wide Web, file transfer, network news, network traffic volumes and usage profile, user access volumes, general content type, IP network security, disaster recovery, international networking experience, particularly in developing countries. 15.6.5 Provide a list of staff members who would be undertaking the assignment work should your company/organization be the successful bidder. Indicate the level of expertise of each staff member and their individual competency in the following areas: i) End-to-end network and server management ii) Internet/extranet service iii) User support services iv) Training activities. 15.6.6 Provide a customer reference list (minimum of 3) of recent clients to whom you provided similar services to those required under this assignment. 15.6.7 Provide details of the five portals you have produced that best reflect your work and relevancy to this project, including the URL. 15.6.8 For each reference listed, provide the company/organization name, its address, contact name, contact telephone number and starting and ending dates of your work. 15.6.9 For each of the above customer references, give a description of exact services provided – please use the classification in section 4.6.4 above. 15.6.10 In addition, for each staff member listed in 15.6.5, please indicate the competency of the individual in the following areas: World Trade Point Federation This document contains proprietary information of the World Trade Point Federation and is not to be used for any purpose other than preparation of a response to this RFP 15 • • • • Internet/extranet service End-to-end network and server management User support services Training activities 15.7 Service Level Agreements 15.7.1 Provide a copy of any Service Level Agreements that you have established with each of the customers identified above. 15.8 Approach to Quality 15.8.1 Give examples of quality control methodologies used in your organization, and indicate types and details of quality control certification that you hold. 15.9 Major Subcontractor Information 15.9.1 Provide information concerning each of the major subcontractor partners (if any) you have identified for this project, identify the staff who will be involved in the assignment work and describe exactly which tasks they will be carrying out. 15.10 Support Centre 15.10.1 Specify the modalities of user access to the Support Centre. 15.10.2 Explain how the Support Centre diagnoses and resolves problems regarding installations, setup, configuration and operation of all applications. 15.10.3 Explain in precise detail what type of support the Centre would provide to Trade Points and their clients 15.11 Operation, Administration & Management 15.11.1 Provide a copy of your Disaster Recovery Plan for the server and proposed network infrastructure locations. 15.11.2 Specifically describe how you will recover or replace the Server infrastructure following a disaster. Identify the locations to be used for recovery, the procedure and personnel involved in the recovery operation, and the source of replacement equipment. 15.11.3 Describe physical security measures and procedures that are in place or will be in place at the locations in which WTPF resources will be temporarily located. 15.11.4 Describe your plan for coordinating data collection and operation between the main data center and eventual mirror site facilities. 15.11.5 Provide information about how you will implement the backup strategy, including the backup hardware and software to be used, and any automated procedures you will use to schedule and perform backups. 15.11.6 Provide information about the backup management system and the partner, schedule and facility used for off-site storage of backup media. 15.12 Planning, monitoring and reporting 15.12.1 Provide samples of a website management report and describe how such reports can be customized to meet WTPF´s specific requirements. 15.12.2 Briefly describe how you will deal with the required monthly reports on the status of the website, income generation etc. World Trade Point Federation This document contains proprietary information of the World Trade Point Federation and is not to be used for any purpose other than preparation of a response to this RFP 16 15.12.3 Describe how you will manage relationships with external partners and subcontractors, if applicable. 15.12.4 Describe your project control process, identifying specific tools and measures you plan to use for the project. 15.12.5 Provide information on how you plan to assess WTPF´s current and future website capacity, performance, security and reliability needs. 15.12.6 Specify the size and composition of the staff to be dedicated to the management and monitoring of the development and deployment of the website. 15.12.7 Specify requirements for staffing, support and tasks to be performed by WTPF in support of the deployment of the portal. 15.12.8 Outline your project management organizational procedure. 15.12.9 Provide a sample schedule, task list and progress report you have used in the past for a similar project or provide the one you propose to use for this project. 15.12.10 Provide the proposed mechanism and format for publicizing the portal. 15.12.11 Describe how you will assist the WTPF in the creation and implementation of an adequate marketing strategy and how you plan to sell publicity. 15.13 Other considerations 15.13.1 Discuss the 3 most important issues which, in your opinion, may affect the successful process of development and operation of the portal within the envisaged deadlines. 15.13.2 Propose action you consider WTPF should undertake to facilitate this process. 15.13.3 Establish the minimum local ICT specifications (LAN, PCs, software etc.) that will be required to operate the portal in local Trade Point offices. World Trade Point Federation This document contains proprietary information of the World Trade Point Federation and is not to be used for any purpose other than preparation of a response to this RFP 17 ANNEX: RESPONSE TEMPLATE CHECKLIST Question Answer: Mandatory/Desirable Answer in Answer in a (M/D) the response separate file table below (Please give the (Yes/No) name of the file) Answer in a separate hard-copy document (Please give the title of the document) Section General Considerations Candidate Background 15.1.1 15.1.2 15.1.3 15.1.4 15.2.1 15.2.2 15.2.3 15.2.4 15.2.5 15.2.6 15.2.7 15.2.8 15.3.1 15.4.1 15.4.2 15.4.3 15.5.1 15.6.1 15.6.2 156.3 D D M D M D D D D M M D M D M D D D D D Services Partnerships Current Litigation Financial Information Experiences/References World Trade Point Federation This document contains proprietary information of the World Trade Point Federation and is not to be used for any purpose other than preparation of a response to this RFP 18 Question Answer: Answer in Answer in a Mandatory/Desirable the response separate file (Please (M/D) table below give the name of (Yes/No) the file) Answer in a separate hard-copy document (Please give the title of the document) Section Service Level Agreements Approach to quality Major Subcontractor Information Support centre 15.6.4 15.6.5 15.6.6 15.6.7 15.6.8 15.6.9 15.6.10 15.7.1 15.8.1 15.9.1 D D M D D D D D D M Operation, Administration & Management Planning, Monitoring & Management 15.10.1 15.10.2 15.10.3 15.11.1 15.11.2 15.11.3 15.11.4 15.11.5 15.11.6 15.12.1 15.12.2 15.12.3 15.12.4 15.12.5 15.12.6 15.12.7 M M M D D M D D D M M M D M D M World Trade Point Federation This document contains proprietary information of the World Trade Point Federation and is not to be used for any purpose other than preparation of a response to this RFP 19 Other considerations 15.12.8 15.12.9 15.12.10 15.12.11 15.13.1 15.13.2 15.13.3 D D M M M M M World Trade Point Federation This document contains proprietary information of the World Trade Point Federation and is not to be used for any purpose other than preparation of a response to this RFP 20 2. RESPONSE TABLE GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS (Section 15.1) Response Question 15.1.1 15.1.2 15.1.3 15.1.4 CONTRACTING PARTNER BACKGROUND (Section 15.2) Response Question 15.2.1 15.2.2 15.2.3 15.2.4 15.2.5 15.2.6 15.2.7 15.2.8 SERVICE PARTNERSHIPS (Section 15.3) Response Question 15.3.1 World Trade Point Federation This document contains proprietary information of the World Trade Point Federation and is not to be used for any purpose other than preparation of a response to this RFP 21 CURRENT LITIGATION (Section 15.4) Response Question 15.4.1 15.4.2 15.4.3 FINANCIAL INFORMATION (Section 15.5) Response Question 15.5.1 EXPERIENCE / REFERENCES (Section 15.6) Response Question 15.6.1 15.6.2 15.6.3 15.6.4 15.6.5 15.6.6 15.6.7 15.6.8 15.6.9 15.6.10 World Trade Point Federation This document contains proprietary information of the World Trade Point Federation and is not to be used for any purpose other than preparation of a response to this RFP 22 SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENTS (Section 15.7) Response Question 15.7.1 APPROACH TO QUALITY (Section 15.8) Response Question 15.8.1 MAJOR SUBCONTRACTOR INFORMATION (Section 15.9) Response Question 15.9.1 SUPPORT CENTRE (Section 15.10) Response Question 15.10.1 15.10.2 15.10.3 World Trade Point Federation This document contains proprietary information of the World Trade Point Federation and is not to be used for any purpose other than preparation of a response to this RFP 23 OPERATION, ADMINISTRATION & MANAGEMENT (Section 15.11) Response Question 15.11.1 15.11.2 15.11.3 15.11.4 15.11.5 15.11.6 PLANNING, MONITORING & MANAGEMENT (Section 15.12) Response Question 15.12.1 15.12.2 15.12.3 15.12.4 15.12.5 15.12.6 15.12.7 15.12.8 15.12.9 15.12.10 15.12.11 World Trade Point Federation This document contains proprietary information of the World Trade Point Federation and is not to be used for any purpose other than preparation of a response to this RFP 24 OTHER CONSIDERATIONS (Section 15.13) Response Question 15.13.1 15.13.2 15.13.3 World Trade Point Federation This document contains proprietary information of the World Trade Point Federation and is not to be used for any purpose other than preparation of a response to this RFP 25 SUPPLEMENTARY DATA TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS OF THE CURRENT SYSTEM GENERAL OVERVIEW The current server names are: argon, helium, neon (see Fig. 1). All servers run on the same operating system (Debian-Etch) in the same version (Linux HELIUM 2.6.18-4-686 #1 SMP Wed May 9 23:03:12 UTC 2007 i686 GNU/Linux). All systems have the same software stand installed. The apache web server, the MySQL data base version and all the important applications (e.g. ssh demon) have the same software release. The system is based on three computers, all three servers communicating with each other through an internal none-private network (Fig. 1). It is therefore possible to connect argon through neon, helium through argon, argon through helium and so on. Helium is not accessible via ssh through its internet IP address (this port is blocked for security reasons). The entire infrastructure can be accessed only through argon. An ssh demon is only accessible through the internet. The helium and neon boxes (the latter a 2CPU box with at least 1GB memory) are old and therefore rather slow. There is no FTP demon running at all. An ssl tunnel (sftp) is used to connect to the servers. Mailing System (ARGON) The main services run on this server and the DNS records for the tradepoint.org domain point to this server only. Mail DB All email addresses, aliases and domains are defined in an MySQL data base located on neon->maildb. Amavis (anti virus protection system) Courier POP server (with virtual mail boxes) HTTP SERVER The web servers include three parts: 1) Listen on port 80 for the domain www.tradepoint.org 2) Includes all sub-domain such as murcia.tradepoint.org etc. 3) Is the load balancer for the entire domain (see load balancer section) The configurations directory /etc/apache/sites-available includes all files related to the virtual hosts running on this box. The directory /etc/apache2/sites/enabled contains all active vhosts. HTTP LOAD BALANCER World Trade Point Federation This document contains proprietary information of the World Trade Point Federation and is not to be used for any purpose other than preparation of a response to this RFP 26 The apache load balancer balances the incoming web traffic between argon and neon on port :80. The traffic goes through the none-private connection. Helium is not accessible from the internet at all. The LB is based on three apache2 modules. 1) proxy.conf 2) proxy.load 3) proxy_balancer.load There are currently two servers in the cluster: argon: http1.tradepoint.org:80 (192.168.1.13) helium: http2.tradepoint.org:80 (192.168.2.15) The load should be balanced 10 (argon) to 1 (helium). The LB work session is oriented in order to deal with typo3, so LB rewrites the Cookies on the client to the respective web server. HTTPS WEB SERVER (SSL) The SSL web server is based on its own apache (1.3.19) server binary owing to the current mail interface being used (squirrelmail). The server listens on the default port:445 and acts as an stand-alone server. It is not a part of the web cluster. All email addresses, aliases and domains are stored in the maildbon neon. FIREWALLS All three servers are protected with a firewall (iptables). Neon act as a router and forwards the traffic from argon <-> helium on the internal interfaces. Neon must therefore be set as router on argon as well as on helium. Neither Neon nor Helium is accessible at all from out of the site! No server is reachable via ping! A traceroute will time out. On the internal traffic are no rules set. All boxes can see each other and can access all services through the none-private network. TYPO3 GENERAL INFORMATION Typo3 is an php(5) based content management system and therefore is based under just one directory that contains the location to the DB, the loaded Typo3 modules the main username and password for the install tool and much more. The localconf.php is also available through a web interface. The install page is protected and requires two passwords. CRONTABS There are two main crontabs included in the root crontab file. 1) The script to update the Trade Alert system 2) Backup script for the DB and Typo3 BACKUP and RESTORE Backup scripts: /root/scripts/backup.sh Backup path: /data/BACKUP/ General backup storage folders have the same location on all servers and the data are stored in subfolders: World Trade Point Federation This document contains proprietary information of the World Trade Point Federation and is not to be used for any purpose other than preparation of a response to this RFP 27 argon-www argon-mysql neon-www neon-mysql helium-www helium-mysql Some directories may be empty because the respective server doesn't run the services. The files are named by the date and can be used to restore data base or typo3 files. There are at least 10 generations of the data base on neon, helium and argon and 3 generations of the typo3 settings, ext folder and user uploaded files on helium and argon in the respective folders. HELIUM Helium is a copy of neon and argon and can take over the work from both systems, with the exception of the mail system. At the moment helium is just a worker in the load balancer and delivers the web sites like argon. Argon shares its web folder through an NFS mount with helium. All configurations and location are exactly the same as on argon or neon. This is in particular the apache2 and the MySQL data base. Data Base Server (NEON) Neon is the main data base server and also routes the traffic between helium and argon for the non-private network in the back end. It is therefore the most important server in the cluster at the moment. If neon is not running it is not possible to connect to helium. SSL TUNNELING TO ACCESS THE DB FROM OUTSITE Neon's data base can be accessed from the internet using a ssh program which allows one to open tunnels trough an existing connection. World Trade Point Federation This document contains proprietary information of the World Trade Point Federation and is not to be used for any purpose other than preparation of a response to this RFP 28 Figure 1: World Trade Point Federation This document contains proprietary information of the World Trade Point Federation and is not to be used for any purpose other than preparation of a response to this RFP