R 171207Z MAY 13
UNCLASSIFIED/
MARADMIN 253/13
MSGID/GENADMIN,USMTF,2007/CMC WASHINGTON DC C4(UC)/F002//
SUBJ/PROCUREMENT OF COMMERCIAL OFF THE SHELF SOFTWARE//
REF/A/MSGID:DOC/SECNAV/YMD:20090410//
REF/B/MSGID:MEMO/DON CIO/YMD:20120222//
REF/C/MSGID:DOC/CMC/YMD:20100105//
REF/D/MSGID:MSG/HQMC C4/061806ZJUL2011//
NARR/REF (A) IS SECNAVINST 5230.15 WHICH PROMULGATES POLICY ON THE FIELDING AND VENDOR SUPPORT OF COMMERCIAL OFF THE SHELF (COTS) SOFTWARE.  REF (B) IS DON CIO DIRECTIVE ANNOUNCING MANDATORY USE OF (DON) ENTERPRISE LICENSE AGREEMENTS (ELA) BY ALL DON ORGANIZATIONS AND PROGRAMS TO ACHIEVE MAXIMUM COST SAVINGS. REF (C) IS MCO 5400.52 ASSIGNING DIRECTOR C4 THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE (DON) DEPUTY CIO FOR THE MARINE CORPS (DDCIO (MC)). REF (D) IS MARADMIN 375-11 WHICH PROMULGATES IT PROCUREMENT POLICY.//
POC/ROBIN THOMAS/CIV/UNIT:HQMC C4CIO/NAME:WASHINGTON DC/TEL:703-693-3488/EMAIL:ROBIN.A.THOMAS (AT)USMC.MIL//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  PURPOSE.  TO INITIATE A STRATEGIC PAUSE ON THE PROCUREMENT OF COMMERCIAL OFF THE SHELF (COTS) SOFTWARE ON EXISTING DON AND/OR MARINE CORPS ENTERPRISE LICENSE AGREEMENTS (ELA)  AND ESTABLISH POLICY ON USE OF ELAS, FUNDING FOR SOFTWARE LICENSES, MAINTENANCE AND VENDOR SUPPORT  IAW REF (A), AND APPROVAL OF SOFTWARE IT PROCUREMENT REQUESTS.
2. BACKGROUND. REF (A) REQUIRES ALL COTS SOFTWARE IN USE ACROSS THE DON TO BE VENDOR SUPPORTED. OVER THE YEARS, COMMANDS HAVE PROCURED SOFTWARE LICENSES OFTEN WITHOUT CONSIDERATION OF THE COST FOR FOLLOW-ON MAINTENANCE OF THAT SOFTWARE.  THIS ACTIVITY HAS GENERATED A SIGNIFICANT SUSTAINMENT BILL FOR THE MARINE CORPS.  FY15 AND OUT, THE MARINE CORPS SOFTWARE ENTERPRISE LICENSE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (MCSELMS) FACES A SIGNIFICANT SHORTFALL RENDERING IT UNABLE TO FUND SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE FOR LICENSES PURCHASED IN PREVIOUS YEARS USED IN THE  LEGACY ENVIRONMENT BY THE OPERATING FORCES AND SUPPORTING ESTABLISHMENT.  
3. ACTION: EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY:
3.A.1. SUSPEND PROCUREMENT OF NEW SOFTWARE LICENSES FOR THE  FOLLOWING SOFTWARE PRODUCTS WHETHER PURCHASING THROUGH MCSELMS OR OTHER CONTRACTING ORGANIZATION AND/OR VEHICLE: ORACLE, MICROSOFT, COGNOS, HP MERCURY, RED HAT AND CIRCADENCE, ACTIVIDENTITY, AXWAY, ADOBE, HP, SYMANTEC, IBM, AND CISCO.  THE STRATEGIC PAUSE WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT PENDING THE COMPLETION OF A BASELINE REVIEW AND VALIDATION OF THE CURRENT INVENTORY OF LICENSES FOR THESE SOFTWARE PRODUCTS; IF THIS IMPACTS A UNITS' MISSION, SUBMIT REQUEST FOR WAIVER THROUGH THE  INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROCUREMENT REQUEST AND APPROVAL SYSTEM (ITPRAS).  OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE WILL BE RELEASED NOTIFYING ORGANIZATIONS WHEN THEY CAN START SUBMITTING REQUESTS TO PROCURE THESE SOFTWARE PRODUCTS AGAIN.  AS INDICATED BELOW, ONCE THE STRATEGIC PAUSE IS LIFTED, THE PROCUREMENT OF THESE SOFTWARE PRODUCTS WILL BE THROUGH MCSELMS USING EXISTING DON AND MARINE CORPS ELAS.  FOR THOSE SOFTWARE IT PROCUREMENT REQUESTS FOR PRODUCTS LISTED ABOVE ALREADY IN ITPRASPENDING APPROVAL, HQMC C4 WILL REVIEW TO DETERMINE IF PROCUREMENT CAN WAIT UNTIL THE STRATEGIC PAUSE IS LIFTED.
3.A.2. AT THIS TIME THE STRATEGIC PAUSE DOES NOT APPLY TO REQUIREMENTS FOR NEW VMWARE PRODUCT LICENSES OR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, CONSULTING AND TRAINING CREDITS OF THE MARINE CORPS ELA. THE MARINE CORPS ELA FOR VMWARE AFFORDS ALL UNITS THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACQUIRE SELECT VMWARE PRODUCT LICENSES AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT AT NO COST.  THE CURRENT OPTION YEAR FOR THE MARINE CORPS VMWARE ELA EXPIRES 16 SEP 13, AFTER WHICH THE ABILITY TO ACQUIRE NEW VMWARE PRODUCT LICENSES AND SUPPORT WILL NO LONGER BE AVAILABLE.  SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE WILL CONTINUE ON EXISTING LICENSES ONLY.  AFTER 1 AUG 13, THE MORATORIUM WILL ALSO APPLY TO THE PURCHASE OF VMWARE PRODUCTS. GUIDANCE ON THE PURCHASE OF NEW VMWARE PRODUCTS WILL BE PROVIDED ONCE THE STRATEGIC PAUSE IS LIFTED.
3A.3. ACTION:  UNITS WITH VALID REQUIREMENTS FOR VMWARE PRODUCT LICENSES MUST SUBMIT A REQUEST IN ITSS SHOPPING CART AND ITPRAS NLT 1 AUG 13 IN ORDER TO OPTIMIZE THE MARINE CORPS' CURRENT INVESTMENT IN VMWARE.
3.B.1. IAW WITH REF (B), WHERE A DON ELA EXISTS, ANY SOFTWARE  PRODUCTS, HARDWARE, AND RELATED SERVICES OFFERED BY THAT ELA MUST BE PROCURED USING THAT ELA, INCLUDING THOSE PROCURED WITH GOVERNMENT PURCHASE CARDS.  IN THE ABSENCE OF A DON ELA FOR DESIRED SOFTWARE PRODUCT, HARDWARE OR RELATED SERVICES, USE OF ELAS ESTABLISHED AND MANAGED UNDER MCSELMS IS MANDATORY FOR ALL MARINE CORPS COMMANDS AND PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE PROGRAM LIFECYCLE.  IF AN ELA EXISTS FOR SOFTWARE PRODUCTS, HARDWARE, AND RELATED SERVICES NEEDED, PROGRAM MANAGERS MUST USE THE DON OR MARINE CORPS ELA VICE INCLUDING REQUIREMENTS IN THE STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES OR STATEMENT OF WORK FOR SUPPORT CONTRACTS WHERE THE VENDOR WOULD PROVIDE THE SOFTWARE PRODUCT, HARDWARE, AND/OR RELATED SERVICES.  
3.B.2. FOR DON ELAS: ORGANIZATIONS WANTING TO REQUEST A WAIVER FROM USING A DON ELA MUST FOLLOW THE PROCESS DESCRIBED IN REF B.
3.B.3. FOR USMC ELAS: ORGANIZATIONS WANTING TO REQUEST A WAIVER FROM USING A USMC ELA WILL REQUEST THAT WAIVER THROUGH ITPRAS WITH THE DIR C4, PROVIDING FINAL DISPOSITION OF WAIVER REQUEST.  FURTHER DETAILS ON WHAT IS TO BE INCLUDED IN THE IT PROCUREMENT REQUEST SUBMITTED INTO ITPRAS WILL BE PROVIDED IN SEPCOR.
3.C.1. IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH REF (A) AND ENSURE AN UNFUNDED BILL IS NOT GENERATED FOR SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE IN THE OUT YEARS, IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE REQUESTING UNIT TO COMMIT TO AND IDENTIFY OMMC FUNDING TO BE USED TO PAY FOR SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE THROUGHOUT SOFTWARE LIFECYCLE.  IF SOFTWARE PURCHASED THROUGH DON ELA OR MCSELMS USING AN EXISTING ELA, FUNDING MUST BE IDENTIFIED FOR TRANSFER TO MCSC TO PAY FOR CONTINUED SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THE SOFTWARE LIFECYCLE.  THE ITPRAS IT PROCUREMENT REQUEST FORM NOW REQUIRES THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE MARINE CORPS PROGRAMMING CODE (MCPC) FROM WHICH FUNDING WILL BE USED TO PURCHASE SOFTWARE, UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED, THAT SAME MCPC WILL BE USED TO COVER FYDP SUSTAINMENT COST FOR SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE. THE INITIAL SOFTWARE PURCHASE WILL NOT BE APPROVED WITHOUT THE SUSTAINMENT FUNDING IDENTIFIED AND COMMITMENT MADE BY UNIT TO COVER FYDP COST.
3.D.1. ALL IT PROCUREMENT REQUESTS FOR SOFTWARE, REGARDLESS OF DOLLAR AMOUNT, MUST BE APPROVED BY DIRECTOR C4.  REF (D) ESTABLISHED A DOLLAR THRESHOLD OF $150K AT WHICH DIRECTOR C4'S APPROVAL IS REQUIRED - THAT THRESHOLD NO LONGER APPLIES TO SOFTWARE IT PROCUREMENT REQUESTS.  THIS POLICY APPLIES TO ALL USMC FUNCTIONAL AREAS, PROGRAMS OF RECORD, AND UNITS.
4. BEST PRACTICES, THE EVER INCREASING CYBER SECURITY THREAT, AND CURRENT FISCAL CLIMATE DICTATE CHANGES TO HOW THE MARINE CORPS PROCURES AND MAINTAINS COTS SOFTWARE PRODUCTS.  THE MEASURES ESTABLISHED IN PARAGRAPH 3 ARE TAKEN TO PROTECT THE MARINE CORPS ENTERPRISE NETWORK, ASSETS, DATA AND PEOPLE AND DO SO IN AN EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE MANNER BY LEVERAGING THE BUYING POWER OF THE DON AND MARINE CORPS.
5. THIS MESSAGE SELF CANCELS UPON PUBLICATION APPROVAL OF A MCO  ON THIS SUBJECT.
6. RELEASE APPROVED BY BGEN KEVIN J. NALLY, DIRECTOR C4/DEPUTY DON CIO (MC).//