**Technology Infrastructure Upgrade – Network Modernization Project**

**Texas Independent School District (TISD)**

## **1. Introduction**

TISD is soliciting proposals from qualified vendors to provide network infrastructure

upgrades across district facilities. The project will replace an existing, aging network that is

scheduled to be fully sunset. The district seeks a modern, reliable, and scalable solution

that meets current educational, operational, and safety needs.

This RFP is issued in accordance with standard procurement practice.

## **2. Background and Existing Environment**

The district’s current network infrastructure is outdated and will be **sunset in the near

term**, making a complete modernization necessary.

### **2.1 Cabling**

* All existing horizontal and backbone cabling across district facilities is **Category 5e

(Cat5e)**.

* Vendors must include recommendations for supporting current and future bandwidth

needs within this constraint or include optional modernization pathways.

### **2.2 MDF and IDF Topology**

* All **Intermediate Distribution Frames (IDFs)** across campuses **return to the Main

Distribution Frame (MDF)**.

* The MDF houses the district’s core switching, routing, and fiber aggregation

infrastructure.

### **2.3 Dome Gym Special Requirements**

* The dome gym **does not currently have an IDF**.

* Connectivity will be provided via a **Line-of-Sight (LoS)** wireless bridge back to the

main campus.

* The gym will include a **Ubiquiti Pro Max switch**, either **8-port** or **24-port**,

depending on final design needs.

* Vendors should specify:

* Integration details with the Ubiquiti Pro Max switch

* Expected latency and reliability metrics

## **3. Scope of Work**

The selected vendor will provide design, procurement, installation, configuration, testing,

and documentation for all required network infrastructure components.

### **3.1 Required Deliverables**

* Comprehensive network design aligned with district requirements

* Replacement or integration plan for the sunset network

* Switching architecture recommendations compatible with Cat5e

* LoS bridge solution and dome gym switch configuration

* Updated network diagrams (physical & logical)

* Installation and labeling of all equipment

* Documentation, testing results, and acceptance validation

## **4. Technical Requirements**

Vendors must address the following in their proposals:

### **4.1 Switching**

* All TISD infrastructure is Ubiquiti Pro Max switch, 24 or 48 port POE++

### **4.2 Wireless / LoS Bridge**

* Required throughput to support instructional and event-based usage

* Redundancy considerations

* Weatherproofing, mounting hardware, and electrical requirements

### **4.3 Cabling Compatibility**

* Solutions must function reliably over existing **Cat5e** cabling or provide optional

upgrade paths with separate pricing.

### **4.4 Centralized MDF Integration**

* All IDFs tie back to the MDF.

* Vendor solution must maintain or improve this topology.

## **5. Project Timeline**

Vendors should submit a proposed timeline including:

* Delivery of design documents

* Equipment lead times

* Installation phases

* Cutover strategies

* Final testing and handover

## **6. Vendor Qualification Requirements**

Proposals should include:

* Company background and years of experience

* K-12 or government project references

* Certifications relevant to switching/wireless infrastructure (e.g., Ubiquiti, Cisco, HP)

* Proof of insurance and bonding

## **7. Pricing Requirements**

Vendors must provide itemized pricing, including:

* Hardware

* Licensing/subscriptions

* Labor (installation, configuration, testing)

* Optional enhancements (e.g., cabling upgrades, fiber extensions, redundancy options)

* Multi-year support/maintenance pricing

* All yearly re-occurring costs to maintain or store data at rest and streaming.

## **8. Evaluation Criteria**

Proposals will be evaluated based on:

* Technical compliance

* Total cost of ownership

* Vendor experience & references

* Implementation timeline

* Support and warranty oierings

## **9. Submission Instructions**

Proposals must include all requested information and be submitted electronically in PDF

format.

Include the following in the subject line:

**“RFP TISD-2025-02 – Network Modernization Proposal”**

## **10. Questions & Clarifications**

11. Cloud vs. On-Premises NVR Solution Requirements

TISD is evaluating both cloud-based and on-premises Network Video Recorder (NVR)

solutions. Vendors must propose both options separately, including pricing, architecture,

and retention capabilities.

11.1 General Requirements (Both Solutions)

All proposals must include:

Solution overview and system architecture

Camera stream capacity and scalability

Supported video codecs (e.g., H.264, H.265)

User authentication and access control options

Integration compatibility with existing and future network modernization eiorts

Uptime, redundancy, and failover expectations

Licensing/subscription requirements

Maintenance and support model

11.2 Cloud-Based NVR Solution

Vendors must provide a complete cloud NVR option that includes video storage,

management, and remote access. The proposal must include:

Functional Requirements

Secure cloud-based video storage

Web-based and/or mobile viewing and administration

Encrypted transmission and stored video

Multi-site and multi-user support

Monitoring dashboards and alerting

Bandwidth requirements and recommended WAN utilization planning

Retention Requirements

Provide separate pricing for the following storage retention tiers:

30-Day Retention

90-Day Retention

Pricing must clearly indicate whether retention is per-camera, per-site, pooled, or bundled.

Additional Details

Required local caching hardware (if any)

Dependencies (e.g., minimum upload bandwidth per camera)

Cloud provider and data residency

SLA and uptime guarantees

Video export features and audit logs

11.3 On-Premises NVR Solution

Vendors must also provide an on-premises NVR option suitable for district-level

deployment.

Functional Requirements

Dedicated NVR appliance(s) or server-based NVR platform

Local storage arrays sized per retention requirements

Support for distributed camera environments

Integration with existing Cat5e infrastructure

Compatibility with centralized MDF topology

Option for video redundancy or failover appliances

Retention Requirements

Provide separate pricing for:

30-Day Local Storage Retention

90-Day Local Storage Retention

Vendors must include:

Total storage capacity calculations

Assumptions (camera count, resolution, FPS, compression)

RAID/storage protection level

Power, cooling, and rack requirements

Additional Details

Software licensing or annual maintenance costs

Firmware update strategy

On-site vs remote support model

Backup/export workflows for law enforcement or administrative needs

11.4 Comparison Summary

Vendors must include a side-by-side comparison covering:

Total cost of ownership (TCO)

Retention costs (30- and 90-day tiers)

Feature diierences

Bandwidth implications

Security posture and compliance

Scalability and future expansion

Criteria Cloud NVR On-Prem

NVR

30-Day

Retention

90-Day

Retention

Notes