[Eratechat] Please help me clear up some questions

[Dan Riordan]

Sharon,

 

You always need to accept bids.  The Form 470 provides an opportunity for
vendors to see what services you are interested in, and send you a bid.  You
must consider any bids that you receive.  You can consider your existing
service as a bid.  Price must be the primary factor (that is, weighted more
heavily than any other single factor), but you can use any reasonable
factors in addition.  If you do not receive any bids, and want to continue
with your current service provider, it's a good idea to write a memo to the
file explaining that.

 

Bad news on the eligibility front, I'm afraid:

1.	Anti-virus is not eligible for E-Rate funding.  No costs associated
with anti-virus are eligible.
2.	License fees are not included in basic maintenance, so the annual
fee for SonicWall may not be eligible.  It all depends on what's included in
the service agreement.

 

And here is the coup de grace: at your discount level (assuming it's close
to last year's 66%), you are extremely unlikely to receive funding for
Internal Connections (IC) or Basic Maintenance (BMIC).  You would probably
be better off to split off your elementary schools with their 80% discount,
and go for IC and BMIC funding for those locations.  Even at 80%, funding is
not at all certain.  For district-wide equipment (like a firewall), you
would use the district discount, and I would be very surprised to see you
get funding.

 

I'm sorry I don't have any good news, but I hope that's helpful.

Dan Riordan
President
On-Tech Consulting, Inc.
E-Rate Funding - Guaranteed
Phone: 732-530-5435
Fax: 732-530-0606
www.on-tech.com 

 

  _____  

From: eratechat-bounces at lists.more.net
[mailto:eratechat-bounces at lists.more.net] On Behalf Of Sharon Sumner
Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2008 6:19 PM
To: 'eratechat at lists.more.net'
Subject: [Eratechat] Please help me clear up some questions

 

 

 

I am fairly new to e-rate and am very overwhelmed right now on what is
eligible, what is not, etc.  If anyone could help me get this clear in my
mind it would help!

 

Basic Maintenance - We don't need to get bids on this, do we?

 

1.	Basic maintenance -  We pay a yearly license fee to Sophos for tech
support, software upgrades and lab work done behind the scenes to keep
antivirus protection ongoing.  We have our own server that runs the
software, but it also contains some other programs.  We could move the other
programs to another server so that this server is dedicated to Sophos if we
need to.  Would the yearly license fee we pay to Sophos be covered?
2.	Basic maintenance -  We also pay a yearly fee to Sonic Wall for
updates and tech support.  We own the Sonic Wall equipment.  Would the
yearly license fee we pay to Sonic Wall be covered?

 

If covered would we list this as maintaining data equipment?

 

I'm sure I'll have more in the next several days, but that will do it for
now.  

 

Thank you,

 

Sharon Sumner

Technology Coordinator

Sullivan School District

1073 East Vine Street

Sullivan, MO  63080

573-468-5181

sumners at eagles.k12.mo.us

 

 

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