At the request of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Office of Managing Director (OMD), and to ensure wide exposure of the Universal Service Administrative Company's (USAC) solicitations, the FCC is alerting the public that USAC has posted on its website, a synopsis of the Invitation for Bids (IFB) for Server Hardware for a USAC data center in Ashburn, VA. The IFB is available electronically at http://www.usac.org/about/tools/procurement. The closing date for bids is March 6, 2009 at 5:00PM Eastern Time. This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for server equipment. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation. Bids are being requested and a separate written solicitation will not be issued. No additional notification will be issued by the FCC. ALL COMMUNICATIONS IN REFERENCE TO THESE OPPORTUNITIES SHALL BE THROUGH USAC'S Contracting Office. The IFB describes the goods requested and provides instructions on how to respond. BACKGROUND: USAC is a not-for-profit Delaware corporation. The FCC has appointed USAC as the permanent administrator of the Universal Service Fund (USF) and the universal service support mechanisms (Support Mechanisms): High Cost, Low Income, Rural Health Care (RHC) and Schools & Libraries (SL) as set forth in Title 47, Part 54, Section 701 of the Code of Federal Regulations. As part of its administrative function, USAC performs, subject to FCC oversight, the billing, collection, and disbursement functions associated with the USF and the Support Mechanisms. Additional information concerning USAC and its administration of the USF and Support Mechanisms can be obtained from USAC's website located at: www.usac.org. USAC is requesting sealed bids from authorized partners and/or resellers of Hewlett Packard (“HP”) Proliant servers. These servers will be used at USAC’s data center in Ashburn, Virginia. All bids submitted in compliance with the instructions and requirements of the IFB will be opened at 2:00 p.m. EST on March 9, 2008. USAC expects the equipment identified in the IFB to be delivered no later than April 17, 2009. THIS IS NOT A PROCUREMENT BY A FEDERAL AGENCY, GOVERNMENT CORPORATION, GOVERNMENT CONTROLLED CORPORATION OR OTHER ESTABLISHMENT IN THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT. THE CONTRACT AWARDED AS A RESULT OF THIS IFB WILL NOT BE A SUBCONTRACT UNDER A FEDERAL PRIME CONTRACT TO USAC. Please submit three (3) signed paper originals of each bid, and an electronic copy of the bid in a PDF format on magnetic disk or CD-ROM in a sealed package to Mr. Jay Beard, USAC Purchasing Manager, USAC Contracting Office, no later than the date and time set forth in the IFB. Bids must be submitted by mail, courier or hand delivered to: Universal Service Administrative Company Attn: Mr. Jay Beard, 2000 L Street, NW, Suite 200. Washington, DC 20036. Electronic bids will be accepted at [email protected] and by facsimile at (202) 776-0080. Telephonic bids will not be accepted.

Bid Protests Not Available