This is a brand name requirement; the specification is for the Oracle Operating System that is unquie to the IRS there is no other manufacturer of Oracle or comparable software on the market.

Oracle Premier Support for Systems includes support coverage for system hardware, integrated software (such as firmware), and software. For servers, you get support and updates for the following system software: Oracle Solaris, Oracle Linux, and Oracle VM—all included. For storage systems, your coverage includes support for embedded system software. Support of additional licensed software is priced separately but is delivered together with your system support as a single service solution.

The maintenance and support required for these hardware products is essential to avoid disruption to the daily processing of taxpayer information performed at the centers in support of modernization. Oracle servers are already installed and in use at the above-named Computing Centers. The IRS has researched and analyzed other UNIX server manufacturers and it has been found that Oracle provides the best overall technical solution and functionality within the IRS Enterprise Architecture. As the service provider has been providing this support and is during completing the requirements. A stoppage for knowledge transfer to another vendor at this time would create additional hardship to the Oracle Premier Support by delaying efforts until such time as another vendor is identified, brought up to speed, begins work and is qualified to provide the required level of support as identified in the SOW.

Since 2011, the IRS has been decreasing its Information Technology (IT) Oracle infrastructure. In the beginning of FY 2011, the IRS was spending over 12 million dollars per year for Oracle Premiere Nationwide IT Support.

The IRS Information Technology Enterprise Operations Demand Mgmt & Project Governance (DMPG) Division office worked with multiple IRS business units and shareholders to combine consolidate all Dell, Hewlett Packard (HPE) and Sun Systems into two contracts. One contract will provide Dell and HPE support, the other contract will provide Sun/Oracle break fix support. Both contracts provide onsite and hardware part replacement support.

When the IRS ended the Oracle Premiere contract back in 2012. The IRS created the Oracle Premiere Operating System (OS) Only contract. This contract will only provide Oracle Solaris Operating System Support only. This contract decreases the total cost of the Sun/Oracle systems due to the current Oracle systems now only requiring Solaris Operating System support only. The hardware part replacement support was being managed by 3rd Party Break Fix Nationwide contract. This contract oversees Dell, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) and Sun/ Oracle systems.

During FY 2022, the Oracle OS option year one cost the IRS $1,057,462.79 starting on December 1, 2021-November 30, 2022. The IRS Oracle SME notified the COR to remove retired and now surplus systems from the Oracle OS contract. This latest contract modification decreases the Oracle OS to total contract cost by $546,563.37. The new Oracle OS cost is now $510,899.42 option year one. For FY 2023, the projected cost of the Oracle OS contract is now $37,355.65.

This new version of the new Oracle Premiere contract starting on October 23, 2022-October 22, 2023, will continue to support for the systems that are currently under contract on IRS award number TIRNO-17-K00466. The current contract will expire on October 22, 2022.

The remaining Sun/Oracle Systems that is listed on contract number under contract 2032H5-21-F-00810 the 3rd Party Nationwide contract will be airlifted to the new Oracle Premiere contract, and this will create another IRS cost savings for the Nationwide 3rd Party Break Fix contract.

Oracle support is required, to provide access to the software and tools to keep the M7-16 platform in compliance with security standards of the IRS and to maintain optimal performance. Oracle is the only vendor who can provide premier support for Oracle products, currently at the IRS, if we cannot use this critical filing seasons servers would not receive latest firmware upgrades and patches which would cause a work stoppage in certain areas of the IRS.

The resulting acquisition purchase will be the primary contract vehicle for the IRS uses to order Oracle Premier Support for Systems Data Rention Support.