info@ienetworksolutions.

com
www.ienetworksolutions.com

Date: Dec 6, 2023

Ref: IE/EiABC/231206/001

To: Addis Ababa University, Procurement Office

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Subject: Follow-Up and Clarification on Delayed Approval for Change Request

We writing to address a matter pertaining to our ongoing project with the university, which involves
the implementation of UTM and license renewal. The contractual agreement for this project was
signed on October 25, 2022. Specifically, the issue at hand concerns the delay in approval of change
request submitted to the university dated on Oct 25, 2023, with Ref No: IE/EiABC/232501/001
related to renewal of support service for the NetApp storage infrastructure.

As per the terms of our contract, one of the deliverables involves the support renewal for the NetApp
storage infrastructure, which includes the replacement of failed hard disks and a three-year support
service. I would like to bring to your attention the comprehensive actions we have taken to fulfill this
commitment.

IE Networks successfully replaced the failed hard disks and renewed the support service for 46
months, as stipulated in the contract. However, during our request for payment, we encountered a
discrepancy with the project technical team's understanding of the support service's expiration date
and unwillingness to confirm the delivery of the support service renewal. This has significantly
delayed our payment for the delivery to be paid as per the contract document. To clarify,

1. Our approach to support renewal aligns with industry standards, where the manufacturer,
NetApp, counts the renewal service from the previous service expiry date. This is
confirmed by the manufacturer NetApp itself. This ensures that the support service
covers the entire period from the date of license termination onwards, providing updates,
patches, and bug fixes for data integrity and security.

2. Moreover, we explicitly stated in both our technical compliance document submitted

during the bid response period and the contract document (Section 9, page 25) that the
support renewal period supplied by IE Networks would start from April 04, 2019, and
conclude on January 01, 2023, for a service period duration of 46 months.

IE Network Solutions PLC | 7th floor 22 Festival Bldg. | Haya Hulet | P.O.Box 122321 | Addis Ababa | Ethiopia
T: +251(0) 115 570544 | M: +251(0) 911 511275 / +251(0) 911 210654 / +251(0) 930 105789 | F: +251(0) 115 57 05 43
 info@ienetworksolutions.com
www.ienetworksolutions.com

However, understanding the technical team concern and in our commitment to resolving this matter in
the best interest of the University, we explored various options.

1. First, we attempted to provide additional support service periods; however, due to the
end-of-sale and support declaration by NetApp, this was not feasible.

2. In our last attempt to find a solution, we successfully negotiated with NetApp to cancel
the previous purchase order and agreed to replace the existing storage infrastructure with
a new series, providing twice the storage capacity, along with a two-year support service.
It is crucial to note that the initial purchase agreement between IE Networks and the
university entailed a three-year support commitment. However, this new proposal
encompasses an entirely new storage infrastructure coupled with a two-year support
service.

This change, while beneficial for the University, carries financial implications on IE networks,
including import tax, freight costs, bank service charges, and insurance costs. Consequently, seeking
an additional ETB 5,347,323.47 from the previously approved project budget to accommodate these
expenses.

As we all understand the significance of this change request and the potential opportunities it presents
for the University. We would like to kindly request your approval for the submitted change request,
allowing us to proceed with the necessary actions to enhance the infrastructure and support services
provided to Addis Ababa University.

Sincerely,

CC
 AAU ICT office

IE Network Solutions PLC | 7th floor 22 Festival Bldg. | Haya Hulet | P.O.Box 122321 | Addis Ababa | Ethiopia
T: +251(0) 115 570544 | M: +251(0) 911 511275 / +251(0) 911 210654 / +251(0) 930 105789 | F: +251(0) 115 57 05 43