2001-25 Cloud Services Addendum 3

Agency:	Hartford Housing Authority
State:	Connecticut
Type of Government:	State & Local
NAICS Category:	518210 - Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services 541512 - Computer Systems Design Services 541519 - Other Computer Related Services
Posted Date:	Jan 16, 2026
Due Date:	Jan 22, 2026
Original Source:	Please Login to View Page
Contact information:	Please Login to View Page
Bid Documents:	Please Login to View Page

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ADDENDUM # 3

2001-25 CLOUD SERVICES

Original Notice of RFP Issued on: November 6, 2025

Response Due Date: Thursday, January 15, 2026

NEW RESPONSE DATE IS: THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 2026 AT 2:00pm

January 15, 2026

To All Prospective Bidders:

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I am writing to request clarification regarding the reference requirement in the solicitation. Specifically,

we would like to confirm whether it is acceptable to submit key personnel experience and references

instead of company-level references as part of our proposal submission. Yes HACH will recognize key

personnel experience and references.

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Questions on Existing Infrastructure and Compatibility

1. What is your current on-premises infrastructure setup? For example, are you primarily

using Microsoft Active Directory for identity management, or do you have any Oracle-

based systems (e.g., Oracle Database or identity tools) already in place?

The Authority primarily operates in a Microsoft-based environment. Active Directory is

in use for identity management. Oracle-based systems are not currently in place.

2. Are there any existing applications or databases that must integrate seamlessly with the

proposed cloud environment? If so, could you specify if they rely on Microsoft SQL

Server features, or if equivalents like Oracle Database would be compatible without

migration efforts? The agency ERP system, Emphasys EliteMicrosoft SQL Server

compatibility is required.

3. For the Remote Desktop Services (RDS) requirement, do you have a strong preference

for Microsoft's native RDS, or would alternative remote access solutions (e.g., Oracle's

secure access tools) be acceptable if they meet the 50-user licensing and MFA

needs? Microsoft native Remote Desktop Services is the preferred solution.

Alternative remote access tools would be considered.

Questions on Flexibility and Requirements

4. The SPS specifies Windows Server and Microsoft SQL Server—would deviations from

these (e.g., using Oracle Database as a substitute for SQL Server) be considered,

provided they meet performance, security, and FedRAMP compliance standards? The

specifications reflect required technologies. Deviations are not accepted.

5. Are there any non-negotiable elements in the Scope of Services (e.g., the exact SQL

Server Standard Core License with 4 cores), or is there room for equivalent alternatives

that could offer better optimization for your workloads? The Scope of Services, including

the SQL Server Standard Core License with 4 cores, should be treated as flexible.

6. How critical is Active Directory integration? If we proposed an Oracle Identity

Management solution for role-based access and auditing, would that align with your

needs, or must it be Microsoft-specific? Active Directory integration is critical and must

be Microsoft-based. Oracle identity tools would not meet the requirement.

Questions on Priorities and Performance

7. What are your top priorities for this IaaS contract (e.g., cost savings, scalability,

automated maintenance, disaster recovery speed, or ease of integration)? For instance, if

database automation and performance are key, how would you weigh Oracle's

Autonomous Database features against Microsoft SQL? Key priorities include security,

reliability, ease of integration with the existing Microsoft stack, and operational

continuity.

8. Based on your anticipated usage), do you expect heavy database transactions or I/O-

intensive workloads? If yes, would you be open to solutions that potentially offer superior

performance in those areas, even if they differ from the specified Microsoft stack?

Workloads are not expected to be unusually I/O-intensive. The Authority is not seeking

alternative database platforms at this time.

9. For scalability, the SPS mentions on-demand resource scaling and adding RDS

licenses—do you foresee needs beyond the initial specs (e.g., AI/ML integration or

advanced analytics), and if so, what features would be most valuable? On-demand scaling

for users and RDS licenses is anticipated. Advanced AI/ML or analytics capabilities are

not currently in scope.

Questions on Cost, Licensing, and Long-Term Needs

10. How do licensing costs factor into your evaluation? For example, if an Oracle solution

could reduce long-term expenses through included features like free data egress or

autonomous patching, would that influence your decision? Licensing should align with

the specified Microsoft requirements. Cost efficiency is important, but not at the expense

of compatibility or compliance.

11. Are there any budget constraints or funding sources (e.g., HUD-related) that might favor

cost-optimized alternatives over the specified Microsoft licensing? This is a small federal

purchase

12. Looking ahead to the 3-year term with optional extensions, what future expansions or

changes do you anticipate (e.g., more users, additional storage, or hybrid cloud setups),

and how flexible should the solution be to accommodate them? Over the 3-year term,

modest growth in users and storage is possible.

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1. Azure Subscription Ownership - Will the Housing Authority provide the Microsoft

Azure subscription under which the infrastructure will be provisioned and billed, or

should the contractor provision and manage the Azure subscription under its own

account? The contractor should provision and manage the Azure subscription unless

otherwise directed during award negotiations.

2. Payment Terms - Can the Authority please confirm its standard invoicing and payment

terms (e.g., Net 30), and whether monthly invoicing is acceptable for the ongoing

managed services component? Standard invoicing and payment terms apply. Monthly

invoicing for managed services is acceptable.

3. MFA Vendor Flexibility - The RFQ references Duo MFA for approximately 50 users.

Would the Authority consider functionally equivalent MFA solutions that are natively

integrated with Microsoft Azure and Entra ID (formerly Azure AD), provided they meet

or exceed the same security and usability requirements? Duo MFA is referenced and

preferred. Functionally equivalent MFA solutions may be considered if they are natively

integrated with Azure/Entra ID and meet or exceed requirements.

4. RDS Licensing - The RFQ specifies Remote Desktop Services for approximately 50

users. Should the bidder supply RDS Client Access Licenses (CALs) under SPLA or

other licensing programs, or will the Housing Authority provide the required RDS

licenses? The bidder should supply the required RDS Client Access Licenses unless

otherwise specified.

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Several of the “Compliance Requirements” forms reference construction or construction experience. I see

on the title page that “Bonds are not required for this solicitation”. Can you please confirm if this

solicitation requires all of the Compliance Requirements forms (except the Bid Bond Form), or if there

are other forms that are also not required? no, the compliance requirements (documents) that I need are

already made part of the solicitation. This is a small federal purchase, and the awarded vendor would need

to supply certificate of insurance per our stated insurance limits, and w-9. Our terms and conditions are

incorporated on the PO.

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 Are we handling the migration or are you  Migration responsibilities and scope

should be clarified during proposal.

 Where is the current data located   Current vendor private cloud

 How are the DUO licenses administered (do you want us to managed licenses

you purchase do you want us to provide software etc)  This can be discussed with the

awarded vendor; management by the MSP is acceptable.

 Uptime is specific to azure we cant guarantee  Azure platform uptime is governed

by Microsoft SLAs; the Authority understands vendors cannot independently

guarantee Azure uptime.

 The way this reads is we are only looking after the server environment, are we

provided 24/7 to just   The contractor is responsible for the server environment. 24/7

support expectations will be clarified in the final scope.

 What is the current client firewall, is it on premise, are you providing the

virtual firewall as well or would you like us to  The current firewall environment is

on-premises SonicWALL

 Are we providing maintenance and helpdesk support specific to the end

user utilizing the RDS environment   No.

 What is the archival timespan for backups  

 Are you maintain an on prem AD server with entra connect?   Yes

 Servers:

o What Windows server version are they running?  2019

o How old are the server(s)? 

o How many physical versus virtual machines? 

 What core licensing is currently in place beyond the RDS

licensing? 

 Backups: 

o What is the current backup solution?  Hosted

o Do they anticipate needing to migrate old backups to the new

system?  Migration of legacy backups is not anticipated unless required

 Contract term if they're currently partnered? 

 Security and Compliance 

o What is the current security environment based in (Fortinet, Meraki,

Extreme, etc?)  Standard enterprise firewall and security tools are in use

o Do they already have security groupings defined, or would they need

consultation? 

o Security groupings exist but consultation may be required

 Scalability and Performance 

o Focused on the network infrastructure or the server infrastructure? 

o What is the current versus intended user load for the RDS servers and the

applications?  30 Concurrent users

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Specifically, we are hoping to better understand:

 The approximate number of Virtual Machines anticipated in the cloud environmentThe

environment is expected to consist of a small number of VMs appropriate for RDS,

application, and database workloads.

 The estimated amount of data under management, in terabytes (TBs), particularly as it

relates to backup and disaster recovery requirementsData volume is modest and will be

quantified during implementation. Vendors should assume typical SMB-scale storage for

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1. How many users will be using the remote desktop server? Approximately 50 users

2. What applications will run on the application server? Line-of-business applications

consistent with a housing authority environment.

3. Where will users be accessing the application from? (i.e. Does the Authority have a VPN

they will be securing access to the application through?) Users will access applications

remotely; VPN details will be finalized during implementation.

4. Does the Authority already use duo on premise? Duo is already in use.

5. If yes- does the Authority have licenses you want to use or do you want the MSP to procure

the licensing for it? Authority has Licensing, may be procured by the MSP if required.

6. Will the application be accessing any data on prem? (i.e. Does the MSP need to account for

data needs beyond the usual between the on prem and the IaaS)\ Limited; to be addressed

during design.

7. What hours do the users work? Standard business hours.

8. Are admin rights required for anyone at the Authority? Yes, IT Manager

9. What is the RTO and RPO response time expectation? To be defined during final design;

standard business-continuity expectations apply.

10. Is the Authority open to VDI Architecture? The Authority is open to discussion but has not

adopted VDI as a requirement.

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All other terms and conditions remain the same.

Kim Cotharin- Contract Officer

This page summarizes the opportunity, including an overview and a preview of the attached documents.

Description	Opening Date/Time	Closing Date/Time
2001-25 Cloud Services Addendum 3	December 04, 2025 :	January 22, 2026 2:

2001-25 Cloud Services Addendum 3

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