Top ICT tenders: Networking matters

Networking dominates this week, with a wide range of requests spanning telecommunications, hardware, software, services and training.

The State Information Technology Agency (SITA) opens the issue with an invitation for bids for the provision of layer-2 transmission network for its core network, with maintenance and support for a period of 60 months. 

According to the agency, its current layer-2 core network has numerous single points of failure challenges, which result in frequent outages that impact negatively on its customers. SITA clients are also moving their workloads and applications to the cloud, and this trend, combined with rapid bulk data growth, mobile devices and media-rich applications, is placing more demands on SITA’s core network.

SITA also closes the issue with a request for information on an enterprise vulnerability management solution that can be deployed within the client’s network. It notes its ISS department is responsible for ensuring protection of government information systems against a number of threats. The ideal solution will be provided as a service, be centrally managed, and offer capabilities to monitor, identify, prioritise and fix vulnerabilities efficiently.

The South African Post Office returns this week with its request for a service provider to supply a managed networking service, hosted cloud-based telephony, Access Point Name and cloud-based contact centre to meet its electronic communication services needs.

Eskom also makes an appearance with two tenders. The first calls for training on industrial ethernet TCP/IP and introduction to substation automation and advanced networking concepts and detailed substation automation. 

The second is a request for supply, delivery, support and training on DMR (digital mobile radio) and analogue handheld equipment (UHF only) for its national distribution network on an ‘as and when required’ basis.

The Department of Transport is looking for a service provider to procure, implement and configure networking switching infrastructure and wireless access points. This is to address the department’s current aging networking infrastructure, with network switches that have reached end of life.

The Electoral Commission (IEC) also has two advertisements on offer. In its first request, the IEC is looking for a mobile device management solution that can cater for approximately 40 000 voting management devices, which are mobile and operated from any location in the country. This solution will be used to on-board mobile devices, load applications and data files, and manage and secure the devices in the field.

In its second request, the IEC seeks to appoint a suitably qualified and certified service provider to commission the expansion of the Mitel Enterprise Private Virtualised Hosted Multi-Site Unified Communications solution to its estimated 270 local offices together with the supply, delivery, configuration and commissioning of Mitel IP telephone handsets and a Mitel contact centre solution at its national office that will seamlessly integrate with the Mitel onsite PBX telephone solution.

Other tenders that make this week’s top 10 include:

• The Department of Science and Innovation is looking for a service provider to conduct IT governance and general controls audits. This is in response to an increase in internal and external audit findings relating to IT systems, as well as a recent malware attack that resulted in the loss of certain important files and data, it says.
• The Driving Licence Card Account wishes to procure hardware infrastructure for the smart enrolment solution. Smart enrolment will be replacing the ‘Live Enrolment Units’ that were installed in 2016/7 and are expected to reduce the time spent by the public at Driving Licensing Testing Stations.

State Information Technology Agency
Bids are invited for the provision of layer-2 transmission network for the SITA core network with maintenance and support for a period of 60 months.
Compulsory briefing: 21 Nov – Microsoft Teams
Tender no: RFB 2686/2022
Information: Shalati Mabunda, Tel: (012) 482 2918, E-mail: Shalati.Mabunda@sita.co.za.
Closing date: 7 Dec 2022
Tags: Telecommunications, Hardware, Software, Networking, Layer-2 transmission network, Services, Support and maintenance

South African Post Office Limited
SAPO is advertising for fully managed WAN services.
Tender no: RFP22/23/23/Fully Managed WAN Services /AVW
Information: Anton Van Wyk and Amos Matjutla, Tel: 083 276 4397, E-mail: anton.vanwyk@postoffice.co.za.
Closing date: 8 Dec 2022
Tags: Telecommunications, Networking, Wide-area network, Services, Managed services

Eskom
The utility is calling for proposals for training on industrial ethernet TCP/IP and introduction to substation automation and advanced networking concepts and detailed substation automation based on IEC 61850.
Non-compulsory briefing: 8 Dec – Microsoft Teams
Tender no: MWP1739DX
Information: Distribution, Tel: (011) 800 6013, E-mail: slondiwe.mthethwa@eskom.co.za.
Closing date: 15 Dec 2022
Tags: Telecommunications, Networking, Internet, TCP/IP, Software, Automation, Services, Training and eLearning

Supply, delivery, support and training on DMR (digital mobile radio) and analogue handheld equipment (UHF only) is sought for all Eskom distribution national for a period of five years, on an ‘as and when required’ basis.
Non-compulsory briefing: 11 Dec – Microsoft Teams
Tender no: MWP1738DX
Information: Distribution, Tel: (011) 800 6013, E-mail: slondiwe.mthethwa@eskom.co.za.
Closing date: 15 Dec 2022
Tags: Telecommunications, Hardware, Software, Services, DMR, Digital mobile radio, Analogue, Support and maintenance, Training and eLearning

Department of Science and Innovation
The national department is advertising for IT governance and general controls audits.
Tender no: RFP12/11/2022
Information: Charlotte Nukeri, Tel: (012) 843 6627, E-mail: tenders@dst.gov.za.
Closing date: 24 Nov 2022
Tags: Services, Professional services, Consulting, Governance, General controls, IT audit

Department of Transport
A service provider is sought to procure, implement and configure networking switching infrastructure for a period of three months.
Tender no: DOT/16/2022/ITP
Information: Tyron Mkhari, Tel: (012) 309 3011, E-mail: mkharit@dot.gov.za.
Closing date: 24 Nov 2022
Tags: Hardware, Networking

Driving Licence Card Account
Bids are invited for the procurement of hardware infrastructure for the smart enrolment solution.
Compulsory briefing: 22 Nov – SITA Auditorium
Tender no: DLCA/2022/04
Information: Supply Chain Management Office, Tel: (012) 347 2522, E-mail: tenders@dlca.gov.za.
Closing date: 5 Dec 2022
Tags: Hardware, Software

Electoral Commission
The IEC requires a mobile device management solution.
Non-compulsory briefing: 24 Nov – Zoom, Link
Tender no: IEC/ICT-02/2022
Information: Libisi Maphanga, Tel: (012) 622 5700, E-mail: libisi@elections.org.za.
Closing date: 9 Dec 2022
Tags: Telecommunications, Hardware, Software, Mobile, Mobility

The commission is also advertising for Mitel handsets and a contact centre solution.
Non-compulsory briefing: 23 Nov 
Tender no: IEC/SS-01/2022
Information: Anet Horn, Tel: (012) 622 5700, E-mail: horna@elections.org.za.
Closing date: 6 Dec 2022
Tags: Telecommunications, Hardware, Software, Contact centre, Call centre

State Information Technology Agency
SITA is looking for information on enterprise vulnerability management tools.
Non-compulsory briefing: 18 Nov – Microsoft Teams
Tender no: RFI 2682/2022
Information: Lunathi Mqalo, Tel: (012) 482 2665, E-mail: Lunathi.Mqalo@sita.co.za.
Closing date: 5 Dec 2022
Tags: Software, Security, Vulnerability management