USPS Information Technology Purchasing, 475 L'Enfant Plaza, SW, Washington, DC 20260-6238

70 -- MOBILE DATA COLLECTION DEVICE AND COMMUNICATIONS COMPONENTS POC David G. Beckman, Contracting Officer, Room 4541, 475 L'Enfant Plaza, Washington, DC 20260-6238. Mobile Data Collection Device and Communications Components. The United States Postal Service (USPS) expects to pre-qualify an adequate number of the best-qualified sources who can manufacture and provide Mobile Data Collection Devices and Communications Components. USPS plans to enhance the track and trace capabilities of the existing expedited service system to improve the quality of service to Postal customers. A major component of this enhanced system is to provide near real-time delivery confirmation information to customers. In addition to enhancing track and trace capabilities, the USPS is seeking to improve the performance and consistency of delivery to customers, to provide an emergency alert system for carriers (USPS employee who delivers and collects mail) and vehicle security, and to provide two-way messaging capabilities to allow managers and carriers to initiate messages for problem reporting, dispatching, and various other needs. Therefore, the USPS is exploring the acquisition of mobile data collection devices that use active and passive data collection technologies. These devices along with their associated communications and data transfer components will be provided to approximately 300,000 carriers. The devices shall be capable of transmitting data via wide-area wireless communications to a host information system in real-time or near real-time. The USPS delivery environment encompasses both motorized and non-motorized delivery routes and includes both indoor and outdoor coverage. The USPS will pre-qualify companies/teams/partnerships who are capable of providing these mobile data collection devices and associated components, as well as accompanying software, that will meet the capabilities addressed in the pre-qualification document. Companies/teams/partnerships seeking to be pre-qualified should have capability of delivering 20,000 devices per month for a period of 15 months. Delivery will begin within 60 days after notification to initiate delivery, developing software for, and supporting these data collection devices. In addition, the company/team/partnership must be capable of performing and/or supporting host system software development, training, troubleshooting, maintenance, and help desk activities. Pre-qualification does not constitute a contract award. The USPS is pre-qualifying suppliers for use in the event that there is a requirement of this nature. The pre-qualification package may be down loaded in RTF for Microsoft Windows based word processors or in ASCIITXT. The pre-qualification document is a self expanding archive containing multiple files. The files will be located on the internet at www.usps.gov/business/wantad.htm, on or about July 17, 1996. No copies will be provided via print media. Pre-qualification responses to the USPS by August 16, 1996. (198)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0446 19960719\70-0004.SOL)