05.05.2023
Cet appel d'offres concerne la fourniture des systèmes suivants à l'UPU, ainsi que les services de maintenance et de support correspondants, pour une période de quatre ans:
- la diffusion des réunions en direct lors des sessions de l’UPU;
- un système de vidéo à la demande (VOD) pour visionner les enregistrements des réunions précédentes.
La date limite de soumission des offres est fixée au 12 mai 2023 à 18 heures HAEC.
4.2.1 WEBCASTING
Provision of event analytics (live + VOD)
- Do you currently use an analysis tool for users and data? If so, can you provide us with the details of the tool?
no
Possibility of editing VOD (with all audio channels)
- Do you need a IN/OUT cut (clean the VoD) or more editing features over a video editing tool?
basic editing is enough
Possibility of increasing the number of languages for specific events
- How many languages webcasted in simultaneously are requested at the maximum?
this may depend on how many users are paying for interpretation. But 10 should be the maximum
4.2.2 VIDEO ON DEMAND PORTAL
General
- Must the on demand Portal include a « Public » section access?
no
Possibility of switching between different languages, including audiovisual metadata (live/VOD)
- Are metadatas available and provided in different languages?
metadata should in English, but exceptionally could have French as well.
Regular analysis of traffic
- What kind of traffic must be analysed, please specify (incoming / outgoing / ..)?
both traffic. When we say analyzed it more measured
4.4 SECURITY
Global information UPU infrastructure :
- What kind of network storage are you providing (SMB, NFS) for video storage?
can be both
- Which OS is supporting on VM ?
windows preferably. Appliance would be the best.
- Details of VM specification ?
it is not up to us to dimension the VM
- Are the the system and services splits in DMZ or VLANs (multiple)?
yes
- Do you use private clouds infrastructures?
no, but will soon
4.6 INTEGRATION
Integration with the SAML authentication system implemented by the UPU
- Only for internal users ?
not sure about what you call internal users. Authentication will be on several Active directories
- What kind of SAML identification process do you manage (QR code, one-time password, etc.?) username password
- Concerning external user login into an event (p. ex. external member state / external stake holder / .. ), hey have
to authenticate using SAML?
yes
“For support purposes, consultants must be located within 2.5 hours of Berne by train.”
We are based in London and service clients like Unilever, Linked In, L’Oréal etc globally from London delivering webcast, video and virtual event solutions in multiple markets.
Will our location prevent us from responding to this tender? The answer to that is Yes. You cannot answer.
[General]
- How much events and what is the total amount in hours that are live streamed by UPU?
2 time 2 weeks per years at least with an addition of 3 weeks every 2 years
- What is the maximum of simultaneous viewers a live stream of UPU is viewed?
not possible to answer, it will be open, then depending on the topics and interest of viewers
- Some of the requested features requires some developments. Can we propose to split the project in two phases?
yes
First phase based on the standard platform including already existing features and second phase including deployment of new requested features by UPU and as specified in the tender?
this is acceptable depending on the content of first delivery
[4 Service requirements]
- Is Cloud hosting allowed to be offered as an alternative for inhouse hosting?
no
- Is NDI deployed within UPU or is this a request as a standard to be supported for future use?
- We consider SRT as a requested for live streaming for inbound use. Streaming towards the live stream and VOD viewers is most probably requested in HLS format. For this reason, is it allowed to use another inbound streaming standard as SRT?
yes
- The list of requirements is mentioning: For security reasons, video must be hosted on UPU infrastructure. Does this mean that media files need to be stored local but platform application can be hosted within a Cloud environment?
yes
- 4.7: Analytics: What do you mean with “infrastructure logs”? Please can you clarify what is the minimal information that needs to be available in the logs?
numbers of users connected, IP (countries), would be interesting to know the system quality of the connection. A bit like in the report available in Zoom
- Dynamic simulcasting of audiovisual feeds (RTMP, RTMPS, SRT): Is this for streaming to 3rd parties like social media and other platforms?
yes this is part of it
- Overlay of dynamic information (images, speech to text, titles). How is this dynamic information made available so it can be used on the live streaming platform?
how it is made available would be more part of the product. If I answer this question it may restrict too much for some provider and would not be fair for all.
- Provision of global access to live and VOD content – all countries, all formats. Please clarify what you mean with "all formats."
- Publication of metadata (automatic or manual). Please clarify what do you mean with automatic or manual metadata publication.
metadata can be added based on the title or the session automatically on added manually
- Monitoring of progression of the meeting and insertion of information for timing of next stream (to be defined later in view of language issues). Can you please give more functional details on this requirement?
if a meeting is to start at 14H and finish at 18H possibility to see the time left or the percentage left. If there are several meetings running at the same time possibility to see what is going on or what is coming.
- Integration with the UPU environment (data centre, Proxy/NetScaler, etc.). Please clarify: what integrations are expected.?
running on a VM running on VMWare ESX (server will also do even if this is not the preferred option ) and proxy friendly.
4.2.1 Webcasting
Support forencrypted and authenticated streams for closed and highly confidential meeting require-ments
We would like to ask for further details. With our solution we can offer a Switzerland based end to end encrypted solution for the direct exchange among the participants – is this point already covered or are there further aspects expected in „highly confidential“?yes
4.4 Security
For security reasons, IA processing must be done on UPU infrastructure; no cloud allowed
Please give a detailed definition of „IA-Verarbeitung“ („IA-Processing“)
analyze and reconciliation of log and differents informations avaialble.
For security reasons, video must be hosted on UPU infrastructure
Can we assume that this requires an On Premise solution for Live as well as OnDemand part?
yes
Does the Encodeservice, besides the server structur, also have to hosted directly on the UPU-Infrastrutur?
yes
4.7 Analytics
User profile, actions andvisitsfor authenticated users
Which exact actions have to be tracked? Is there an external tool to use for the analysis (for example Matamo or Piwik)?
IP addresses, countries, Username when authenticated
General questions
Which scale (number of people as well as duration/ number of stream) can use as a calculation base for the pricing? What is the maximal number of people at an event?
very difficult to say it depends on the event. I would say maximum around 1000.
Will there be a plan which includes Peer-2Peer pr Caching solution for the relief of the internal company network?
if necessary but this is out of scope of the RFP
- Do you have an annual estimated forecast of on-site / local support requirements / no. of personnel?
this is an option. one is enough
- Do you have an annual estimated number of short notice 2-4 hour support requirements?
this is not possible to foresee. It depends on the potential problems
What is your Goal?
You state that;
“the UPU seeks a provider to deploy a webcasting and VOD solution at its premises in
Berne, Switzerland.”
“the provision of the following systems to the UPU, as well as associated maintenance and
support services, for a period of four years:– webcasting of live sessions during UPU
meetings;– video on demand (VOD) system to view recordings of previous meetings.”
“The UPU holds frequent meetings with member countries, often with interpreting in several
languages. These meetings are broadcast live, and are also recorded and made available
for consultation. Interpretation is available for most of these meetings, in up to 10 languages.
The various language streams must be available via both the webcast and VOD systems.”
Is your goal to commission a platform that can be installed on your in-house servers and use
your in-house CDN to webcast 6 simultaneous streams in 10 languages which will also be
available on demand?
yes
What is your current state?
● Do you have an existing video streaming system?
yes
What is it and how is it set up?
not relevant. It is home made
● Do you have fixed locations with hardware to digitise the webcast feeds?
yes, but this is out of scope
● Please provide a current hardware diagram.
no
● Please provide a current cable/ switcher diagram.
no
What are your current resources and assets?
● Do you require a remote encoder or will we need to set it up within your servers?
you do not need to provide anything else more than what is asked
● What is the specification of your internal CDN?
● If you don't have an internal CDN are we required to provide you with access to our
CDN?
no stick to what is asked
● If we are to use our own CDN what are the expected annual; number of events,
average duration, average and maximum audience size and required flavours of the
content?
● Would you be open to using our secure platform solution? It is currently being used
by our customers including the most security conscious UN agency, who use it for all
their highest level secure video streaming. (See RFP No. 2020-0084/RAHMAN on
UNGM)
probably yes.
If using our secure platform solution is not acceptable;
● What are the specifications of your network?
● Is it possible to allocate a server within your network where we are root admin or will
we be guests on an existing server?
for the deployment you may get admin credentials
● How would this work? Would we need to liaise through a dedicated System admin to
deploy ?
to be discussed once solution is decided
● Is it an in-house system or is it a third party system? Do you have internal skills to set
up a load distributed system?
yes
General questions
● What is your approved budget for the project?
we cannot say
● Please clarify the assessment criteria which differ in 2.18 amd 4.11
2.18 Evaluation procedure
“Tenders shall be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria, in descending order
of importance:
– Quality of the tender (according to the specifications herein);
– Knowledge and experience of the Bidder and its team and/or consultant(s), as
applicable to the subject
matter;
– Proposed timeframe for the project;
– Price.”
and 4.11 Assessment criteria
“Bidders’ tenders will be assessed only if they take into account all of the elements
presented herein. Bidders will be assessed on the basis of:
i) their tender’s compliance with the needs expressed in the call for tender
documents provided;
ii) the quality of their partnerships with equipment suppliers;
iii) their pricing structure;
and iv) their delivery date.
Clarifications
● 4.2.1 Webcasting
○ By “dynamic restream” do you mean automated quality switching during
viewing? (Adaptive Bitrate)
yes
○ “Provision of global access to live and VOD content – all countries, all
formats”
by countries we means language sorry.
Would you like us to provide this or will it be achieved on your CDN?
○ “Provision of multi-bitrate (MBR) video format” What are the flavours that you
would like to offer as (MBR).
○ “Possibility of editing VOD (with all audio channels)” What level of editing do
you require? As standard we provide the ability to trim the in and out and
apply filters to adjust contrast and brightness.
this is ok
○ “Possibility of secure access to private events “ What do you mean by secure
access? Password protected?IP locked? Digital 2fa? Physical token?
password protected
○ “Provision of event analytics (live + VOD)” To facilitate detailed analytics it will
be necessary to use our player, is this acceptable?
yes
● 4.2.2 Video on demand portal
○ “Possibility of switching between different languages, including audiovisual
metadata” Please expand on "audiovisual metadata" requirement and detail
the required metadata.
when language change the metadata should change as well
○ “Publication of metadata (automatic or manual)” Please specify the metadata
you would like published.
type of meeting for example
○ “Overview during player seek (sprite)” - Please expand, would you like a
thumbnail skim functionality?
yes
○ “Live streaming to social networks (e.g. YouTube, Twitter, Workplace,
Facebook)” - Do you have individual accounts on each network for each
language?
for this case we would have only one language
Would you like us to restream to these networks live?
● 4.3 Optional services
for all these question we are asking you if you can offer the service not to provide an offer
○ Installation of the required encoding and back-up equipment and connection
to the on-site audiovisual- What current equipment is in place?
○ What current in-house personnel resources do you have to stream events?
○ How many events do you expect to stream each day or month?
○ “Testing of the stream from the premises before each event” Would you like
this done remotely or by in-house staff?
● 4.4 Security
○ For security reasons, IA processing must be done on UPU infrastructure; no
cloud allowed- Please expand on the IA processing requirement.
processing of log and information in the system. Capability of log analytic and consolidation
● 4.6 Integration
○ “Integration with the UPU environment (data centre, Proxy/NetScaler, etc.)”
What API would you require?
Vmware, Menlo proxy
● 4.7 Analytics
○ “Video infrastructure logs “Please expand on the specific requirement.