Objectives

The primary objective of this tender is to renew the municipality's existing Private Automatic Branch Exchange (PABX) software and associated call recording software. This renewal ensures continuous, secure, and compliant telecommunication operations, supports administrative efficiency, and maintains alignment with municipal IT governance standards.

Scope

The contract encompasses the renewal, licensing, and deployment of updated PABX management software and digital call recording solutions. The successful service provider will deliver software licenses compatible with existing municipal infrastructure, perform necessary system configuration, and provide post-deployment support. All activities must align with the detailed specifications contained in the official bid documentation.

Technical Requirements

While comprehensive technical parameters are specified in the separate bid package, bidders must propose solutions that meet current industry standards for reliability, security, and interoperability. Expected technical criteria include:

• Seamless integration with existing telephony hardware and municipal network architecture
• End-to-end encryption and secure storage for recorded communications
• Scalable licensing models that accommodate future growth or departmental expansion
• Compliance with national data protection regulations and municipal cybersecurity policies
• Valid software certifications, active vendor support agreements, and documented upgrade pathways

Skills Requirements

Bidders must demonstrate proven expertise in telecommunications software lifecycle management, particularly regarding licensing renewals, system migrations, and compliance-driven deployments. Required competencies include:

• Certified proficiency in PABX platform administration and call recording analytics
• Experience delivering software solutions to public sector entities under South African supply chain management frameworks
• Qualified project management capabilities to coordinate deployment timelines, testing phases, and stakeholder training
• Technical staff with demonstrated troubleshooting, system optimization, and user support skills

Procurement & Evaluation Framework

Evaluation follows an 80/20 preference point system, allocating 80 points to price competitiveness and 20 points to socio-economic factors. To qualify for preference points, bidders must submit a completed MBD 6.1 declaration, original or certified B-BBEE verification certificates, and documented proof of locality. All submissions must adhere to the attached General and Special Conditions of Tender. The municipality reserves the right to accept or reject any bid without obligation.

Explanation of Key Terms

• PABX (Private Automatic Branch Exchange): An internal telephone switching system that enables organizations to route internal and external calls independently of public telecom networks.
• Recording Software: Telephony add-on software that captures, stores, indexes, and retrieves voice conversations for compliance auditing, quality assurance, or dispute resolution.
• 80/20 Preference Point System: A South African public procurement scoring model where 80% of the evaluation score is based on price, and 20% reflects non-price factors such as B-BBEE status and local economic participation.
• MBD 6.1: A standardized municipal bidding annexure used to declare Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment status; incomplete or unsigned forms disqualify bidders from receiving preference points.
• Informal Tender: A streamlined procurement process applied to lower-value contracts, governed by simplified supply chain management rules while maintaining transparency, fairness, and audit readiness.