DHS CBP - Apache ActiveMQ Escalation Support Services - MRAS

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), through the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) Office of Information and Technology Enterprise Infrastructure and Operation Directorate (EIOD), is seeking to enhance its technological capabilities by transitioning from IBM MQ messaging systems to Apache ActiveMQ. This initiative is part of a broader effort by CBP to adopt open-source technologies, thereby reducing operational costs while maintaining high standards of data integrity, system reliability, and performance quality. The General Services Administration (GSA) is conducting market research on behalf of DHS to identify capable vendors who can provide escalation support services for the Apache ActiveMQ messaging infrastructure.

The scope of work involves providing advanced customer support consulting services for Apache ActiveMQ. As an open-source Java-based message broker, ActiveMQ facilitates communication between applications using industry-standard protocols. Given that Apache does not offer direct support services for its software, CBP requires a firm fixed-price task order that ensures access to a dedicated toll-free hotline for resolving complex issues beyond the expertise of in-house Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). This service must be available 24/7 throughout the year.

In addition to escalation support services, the contract also includes provisions for knowledge transfer through live online training sessions. These sessions are intended to acquaint CBP's IBM MQ messaging experts with ActiveMQ functionalities and are scheduled on an ad-hoc basis as per mutual agreement between CBP and the vendor's SMEs. The training component is distinct from the core support services, emphasizing capacity building within CBP's technical teams.

To accommodate future scalability needs due to an increasing number of installed ActiveMQ brokers, the contract will allow flexibility in adjusting support quantities based on actual installations over time. The vendor will need to provide optional blocks for message broker counts/quantities as required by CBP's evolving infrastructure landscape.