USDA, Office of Operations, Procurement Operations Division, Room 1547-South Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9850

R -- SOFTWARE UPGRADE POC Shanda M. Turner (202) 720-4674 The U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Information Technology Center intends to purchase on a sole source basis the following software upgrade items manufactured and provided by Sterling C ommerce, Inc. The Government requires this software to be upgraded to a perpetual license: upgrade software from Group 70 to Group 80 for upgrading the IBM 9021-860 to a 9021-900 (s/n 78051) for: Connect: Direct for MVS (SNA). Estimated date Sterling Commerce is the developer of the software and no other firm is able to obtain the software source code. Estimated date of the upgrade is February 22, 1998. Responses to this annoucement will only be considered from those firms capable of providing the software upgrade and must be received in writing within fiftteen days following the publication of this notice. No solicitation package is available. (0021)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0096 19980123\R-0019.SOL)