US Government Entities Hard Spec Hikvision

This Haverford bid also has a no substitutions section for Avigilon, what do you make of that:

dang it. I think I mistakenly clicked yes on teh survey but 100% meant NO they should not hard spec or even consider HIK

I don't know how they got around BAA (Buy America Act). If you use Federal Dollars on any project (including local jobs with Federal Funding), you have to write substantial justifications to move the needle to allowing foreign products. In regard to Chinese Products, that needle is very hard to overcome. I used to write justifications for Mobotix Products. As they were a favored trading partner on an approved list, it wasn't that hard. That said, China is not on a friendly list. This is a shocking turn-of-events. I won't stoop to denigration of the HikVision line of products, its just that the Federal government CANNOT circumvent their own policies (https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2010-title48-vol2/pdf/CFR-2010-title48-vol2-sec52-225-11.pdf)

Furthermore - here is the list of approved countries from the FAR/DFAR:

225.872-1 General.

(a) As a result of memoranda of understanding and other international agreements, DoD has determined it inconsistent with the public interest to apply restrictions of the Buy American statute or the Balance of Payments Program to the acquisition of qualifying country end products from the following qualifying countries:

Do you see CHINA on this list? - Nope.

That said, the FCO (Federal Contracting Officer) can make a decision to go with a less expensive product IF they are part of a trade agreement OR if they believe that the price of domestically available products is excessive.

Here's my take on this - the FCO sought through an RFI pricing for camera products (in a generic sense) and government suppliers (contractors) provided bids that were wholly unacceptable to the FCO with the exception of the HikVision vendor. I would still think that those vendors who sought to bid the work can play the BAA and ask for certifications from the FCO (even to the point of going to the GAO and Federal Ombudsman authority) to seek consideration.

The last thing is that with the price being so low on some of their products (HikVision) in addition to the direct intervention by the Chinese Government (fiscal support), it's unfortunate that our Government (US) hasn't pursued a WTO violation on this product line - it's clearly an effort to prop up an industry to destroy local commerce. The only real people who start one of these initiatives is the state department and they just seem to be "treading water" right now with the entire email scandal. I'd suggest that a US manufacture lodge a direct complaint with the State Department and seek a WTO case for ruling against the Chinese Government.

My two-bits...

I think western companies need to get there act together especially Canon/Axis/Milestone before there's not much left. There is no point being afraid of a market that you don't have and will probably never get and one that is taking your existing market.

And there's no point innovating and going for that market if like you say they have to expose there "back-end" code. They will only copy it and you wont have leg to stand on.

"In China, a similarly equipped Mercedes goes for 1/4 the price the US market would pay for the same vehicle."

Huh?? Which China?

It's another way around. Mercedes/BMW etc pricing in China is much much higher than what pay here in the States.

Here's a bid for a school in India that was pre-loaded for Hik, but done a bit too obviously to get away with.

Couple of quotes:

Seem the specs has been copied from HIKVISION its their nomenclature. Request to please make it generalized for all.

Generally Bosch/Pelco/Sony cannot compete with Hikvision in term of technology & costing. Request you to keep same range of make or add equivalent brand of Dahua or CP Plus which are equivalent with Hikvision

Out of the 4 brands mentioned only Hikvision has 256 channel NVR. Therefore requesting you to add CP Plus and Dahua brand so that there is fare competition

The technical specification of all CCTV products in the tender seem to be inclined towards a particular OEM – “Hikvision”. Therefore, request you to please make general technical specification of CCTV products to give equal opportunity to all. Also as per CVC guidelines, Point no. 8.3 – “Unduly restrictive criteria, creating entry barrier for potential bidders” is restricted.

Central vigilance commission guidelines for public Procurement. It is mentioned in the check list that “Whether there is any deliberate attempt to make the pre- qualification criteria suiting to particular bidder(s)”

It's not unusual for city and state government to buy cheap anything.

You will not see DOD buying Hikvision. China is not a favored country and will never be one as long as it is ruled by Communism. So until something freezes over.

I don't think anyone gave the end user info on Hikvision background and I doubt if the decision maker has the intelligence to check anything out besides pricing.

We just bid on 3 major opportunities and in all cases, customer excluded any company that has product made in China. This also excluded Panasonic's new low end line.

This was after they were given verbal info we shared from IPVM.

Have to give IPVM credit. I may not always agree with IPVM but I like their words when it comes to US protection.

Government entities specifying a product that has been reviewed, tested and proven un-secured and low performing is simply IRRESPONSIBLE.