Objectives

The primary objective of this tender is to appoint a service provider responsible for the supply, delivery, installation, maintenance, and management of the data centre environment on an as-and-when-required basis. The contract aims to ensure the continuous operation, security, and future scalability of the City of Ekurhuleni's data centre infrastructure until 30 June 2029, including upgrading existing systems, implementing disaster recovery solutions, and enhancing data security measures such as ransomware protection.

Scope

The scope encompasses comprehensive services and equipment related to data centre infrastructure, including:

• Supply, delivery, installation, and maintenance of hardware components such as servers, storage systems, switches, firewalls, and cooling systems.
• Implementation of virtualization, cloud, and disaster recovery solutions across three data centres (Germiston, Alberton, Boksburg).
• Design, planning, and deployment of network architecture, including SDN controllers, spine-leaf topology, and multi-DC connectivity.
• Provision of security solutions including firewalls, sandboxing, ransomware protection, and security management systems.
• Provision of management platforms such as DCIM, monitoring, and automation tools.
• Support for hybrid cloud environments, including public, private, and multi-cloud integrations.
• Provision of professional services such as training, migration, and system integration.
• Ongoing maintenance, support, and lifecycle management of all hardware and software components.

Technical Requirements

The technical specifications include:

• Hardware: Servers with multi-core CPUs, high-capacity SSDs, RAID support, and redundant power supplies.
• Storage: All-flash, active-active architecture supporting SAN/NAS protocols, ransomware detection, and scalable capacity.
• Network: SDN-enabled switches supporting high throughput (up to 170 Gbit/s), multi-protocol support (VXLAN, BGP EVPN), and advanced telemetry.
• Data Centre: Modular design with power density of at least 6kW per rack, advanced cooling, fire suppression, and physical security features.
• Security: Next-generation firewalls, sandboxing, intrusion detection/prevention, and ransomware protection appliances.
• Management: DCIM systems, real-time monitoring, automation, and remote management capabilities.
• Cloud Integration: Support for hybrid cloud architectures, elastic resource scaling, and secure APIs.
• Support & Maintenance: 24/7 OEM support, rapid response times, and comprehensive lifecycle management.

Skills Requirements

The successful bidder must demonstrate:

• Expertise in data centre infrastructure design, deployment, and management.
• Proven experience with virtualization platforms, cloud solutions, and disaster recovery architectures.
• Strong knowledge of network architecture, SDN solutions, and multi-DC connectivity.
• Capability to implement advanced security systems, including next-generation firewalls, sandboxing, and ransomware detection.
• Ability to provide comprehensive professional services such as system integration, migration, and staff training.
• Qualified personnel with certifications such as Cisco CCNP/CCIE, VMware VCP/VCIX, Microsoft MCSE, and security-specific certifications (e.g., SABSA, CISSP).
• Demonstrated capacity for ongoing support, rapid incident response, and lifecycle management of complex ICT infrastructure.