According to the notice, the forthcoming request for offers (RFO) will seek a vendor to manage and operate SecOps services that protect infrastructure systems across DIR’s data center environments. The procurement is intended to support DIR customers, which include state and local governmental entities that rely on STS for shared IT.
DIR stated that the selected respondent will be responsible for strengthening SecOps integration, authority and visibility across all Data Center Services operations. The agency envisions a Security Center of Excellence that unifies security standards, tools and integrations while providing enterprise-level cybersecurity expertise to DIR and its customers.
The scope described in the pre-solicitation notice includes governance, risk and compliance; security program management; vulnerability management; digital forensics; security incident response; and continuous monitoring and reporting. The SecOps provider will be expected to integrate with other service component providers and align with DIR’s multisourcing services integrator operating model.
DIR plans to release draft versions of the RFO and statement of work documents by the end of February to allow interested vendors to submit feedback ahead of the formal solicitation. Feedback will be accepted for a limited period following the draft release.
The expected schedule of events for the forthcoming RFO includes:
- RFO publication on the Electronic State Business Daily on April 8
- A bidder’s conference scheduled for April 16
- Questions due by 2 p.m. April 28
- Responses due by 2 p.m. May 19
More detailed information about pre-solicitation DIR-CPO-STS-602, including anticipated timelines and scope details, can be found online. This notice expires March 27. Deshon James is the point of contact for this solicitation.
DIR also recently issued a separate pre-solicitation notice for a forthcoming cooperative contract covering end-user IT hardware, including desktops, laptops, tablets, and related software and services. That effort is part of DIR’s Cooperative Contracts Program and is distinct from the agency’s STS procurements.
