ENTERPRISE VOIP SOLUTION FOR THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

The NYC DOE, the largest public school district in the U.S., serves 1.1 million students and employs over 150,000 staff. The Division of Instructional and Information Technology (DIIT) manages the DOE's vast telecommunications infrastructure. This RFEI is issued to explore industry capabilities and inform a future procurement strategy to transition from aging digital PBX systems to a unified, resilient, and cost-effective VoIP ecosystem.

Objective

The focus of this RFEI is to gather information from Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), solution providers, and resellers capable of designing, deploying, and supporting a secure, scalable, and modern Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) solution to replace NYC DOE’s legacy telephony systems across over 1,800 school and administrative sites.

Compliance & Regulatory Requirements

All proposed solutions must comply with applicable federal and New York State regulations governing data privacy, security, and telecommunications, particularly those related to educational institutions and emergency services.

Desired Solution Characteristics

The DOE seeks a modern, secure, and scalable VoIP solution that aligns with its operational, technical, and compliance needs across a large and diverse educational environment.

1. User Scope
   • Support for 150,000+ staff across 1,800+ schools
   • Must accommodate parent-facing and multilingual features
2. Deployment Model
   • Cloud, on-premises, or hybrid options
   • WAN-independent calling capabilities for emergency functions
3. Integration & Interoperability
   • Microsoft Teams Calling & Presence
   • SIS platforms (e.g., ATS, NYCSA), ServiceNow, HR systems
   • API, webhooks, telemetry, and event-driven integrations
4. Network & Performance
   • =99.99% availability for core call services
   • Real-time monitoring of QoS, MOS, jitter via RTCP
   • Must handle large, sudden call volumes without service degradation
5. Features Required
   • Unified dial plan
   • Voicemail, transcription, and analytics
   • Presence, call queues, IVR, paging, recording
   • Emergency services, SMS/MMS, verified business messaging
   • Device management (provisioning, updates, troubleshooting)
   • Site-based delegated administration (RBAC and audit logging)
6. Compliance & Security
   • Encryption (e.g., TLS, SRTP, AES-256)
   • MFA, RBAC, SAML integration
   • E911 compliance (location routing, RAY BAUM’S Act, Kari’s Law)
   • Audit logs and incident response plans
   • SOC 2, ISO 27001 or equivalent certifications preferred

Procurement Platform Access

This RFEI is published via the NYC DCAS City Record Online https://a856-cityrecord.nyc.gov/ and is publicly accessible through the Vendor Portal https://www.finance360.org/vendor/vendorportal/

Submission Instructions

All Respondents must submit their completed responses by the deadline through following method:

• Via Email: Send to dcptech@schools.nyc.gov
  • Subject Line: Response to the VoIP RFEI from [Name of Firm]

To ensure consistency all Respondents are required to complete and submit the Appendix C- Vendor Response Template, which is provided as an attachment to this RFEI. Vendor Submission Package Must Include:

1. Completed Vendor Response Template (PDF or Excel format)
2. Any supplementary documentation referenced in the Template:
   1. Product architecture diagrams
   2. Case studies or references
   3. Security certifications
   4. Costing model details
3. Optional: Marketing brochures, white papers, or other materials

Formatting Guidelines:

• Limit narrative content to 15 pages, excluding appendices.
• Number all pages.
• Include a table of contents.
• Use standard file formats: PDF, DOCX, XLSX, or PPTX.

Important Notice

This RFEI is issued for information-gathering purposes only. It is not a solicitation for bids or proposals and does not obligate the NYC DOE to:

• • Enter into negotiations or a contract
  • Commence any procurement process
  • Select or shortlist any Respondent

The DOE is not responsible for any costs incurred by Respondents in connection with preparing or submitting responses to this RFEI.