With the first public computer centers set to roll out in a few weeks, V.I. Next Generation Network (viNGN) board members qualified four companies Friday that could supply the hardware.
The public computer centers (PCCs) are one of four components of the government’s territory-wide broadband initiative, which is meant to improve Internet service by creating a fiber-optic, middle mile network that links the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Miami. The PCCs will provide residents with a host of multimedia services, including digital training and access to video or teleconferencing equipment.
At Friday’s meeting, viNGN consultant Marion Prescod said that four bidders had responded to an initial Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to supply the hardware for the PCCs. Under the RFQ, viNGN would be able to order a minimum or maximum amount of any particular item needed for the centers without getting boxed in on the price or quantity, Prescod explained.
The board decided to qualify all four bidders — Ottley Communications, Computer Solutions, Dell and Omni Systems — on Prescod’s recommendation that it could help viNGN get the best deal.
"We can go to all the vendors and the most competitively priced of them will receive the bid," she said. "And we will be able to do that throughout."
The first of the PCCs would have 20 desktops and monitors, along with nine Macs, among other things, she said. The board also set a budget of $1.5 million for the hardware, which is supposed to cover all of the proposed PCCs.
The board also voted to enter into an agreement with ETI Software Solutions for its operating support and business support systems. The OSS/BSS is a system that would allow viNGN to manage its network inventory, configure its network components, deal with its customers and process bills, among other things. ETI’s bid price for the system was $210,000, but the board set a cap of $300,000 since some extra work — such as customizations — might be needed.
The board also voted to contract with BizVI-Lambert Media for advertising and public relations. While the company’s initial bid was $1.2 million, Prescod said that they were able to bring the price down to $600,000 after taking out some items — including a social networking component — that viNGN had already begun working on.
Board members present at Friday’s meeting were Alfred Boschulte, Gov. John deJongh Jr., Hugo Hodge Jr., Keith O’Neale and Douglas Whitehead.
