General Services Administration, Federal Technology Service (FTS), Office of Information Security (TI), 7th & D Streets, S.W., Room 5060, Washington, DC, 20407

D -- ACCESS CERTIFICATES FOR ELECTRONIC SERVICES, TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES, MESSAGING SERVICES, PKI AUTHENTICATION SERVICES SOL GSA-TIBA-98003-A DUE 021999 POC Jon Faye, Contracting Officer, Phone (202) 708-6099, Fax (202) 708-7027, Email jon.faye@gsa.gov -- Jon Faye, Contracting Officer, Phone (202) 708-6099, Fax (202) 708-7027, Email jon.faye@gsa.gov WEB: Visit this URL for the latest information about this, http://eps.arnet.gov/cgi-bin/WebObjects/EPS?ACode=P&;ProjID=GSA-TIBA-98 003-A&LocID=246. E-MAIL: Jon Faye, jon.faye@gsa.gov. Notice of release of the Access Certificates for Electronic Services (ACES) Request for Proposals (RFP). Effective date of release, January 4, 1999. Written questions and comments on this RFP are requested as soon as possible, but no later than 20 January 1999, close of business, via facsimile to the Attention of Jon Faye at 202-708-7027 or via US Mail to: GSA, FTS, OIS (TIB), 7th & D. Sts., SW Room 5060, Attention Jon Faye (ACES), Washington, DC 20407. The RFP is available for immediate download from the GSA EPS <HTTP : slash slash EPS . ARNET . GOV > site or the ACES web-site at < HTTP : slash slash WWW . GSA . GOV slash ACES > in Microsoft Office 97 Word and Excel formats. A Pre-proposal conference is SCHEDULE for 27 January 1999, at 9:30 AM, at the GSA National Capital Region (NCR) Auditorium, 7th & D. Sts., S.W., and is planned to end no later than 12:30 PM. Parking is limited in the area. The closest Metro stop is L'Enfant Plaza, located directly across the street. Access to the GSA NCR building is through the secured main entrance where visitors and belongings are scanned after signing in and having presented acceptable identification. OFFER DUE DATE is February 19, 1999, no later than 4:00 PM Washington, DC time at the General Services Administration, Federal Technology Service (FTS), Office of Information Security (OIS) c/o Mitretek Systems, Inc., 7525 Colshire Drive, McLean, Virginia, 22102-7400, Attention: Jon D. Faye (c/o MAIL STOP No. 450) for all proposals for providing Access Certificates for Electronic Services (ACES) support to the Federal government under this RFP. Alternate proposals, if any, shall be mailed-delivered under separate cover by the due date, time, and clearly market "Alternate Proposal." Offerors are advised to review this final ACES RFP at Sections B, C, E, H, J, L, and M for a detailed description of the specifications, price structure, agency involvement, contract terms and related issues, instructions to offerors, and basis for award. The effective period of performance of the contracts is 24-months from the date of award, with two-two-year renewable oiption periods. The Federal government is striving to increase efficiency, productivity, and citizen access to government information and services through the introduction of modern information technologies. This presents new challenges relating to the integrity and availability of information gathered, stored, processed, and transmitted by the government. One such challenge is to ensure that access to an individual's personal information is restricted to the individual in question, and that the integrity of the information is protected when transmitted using public networks like the Internet. It is therefore necessary that the individual citizen and the government be able to mutually authenticate each other's identity, and ensure the integrity of the information being transmitted and received. One way to do this is by issuing digital signature public key certificates to participating individuals, businesses, and government agencies. These certificates can then be used during electronic communications to mutually authenticate identity and ensure the integrity of the information. The government believes that ACES-type support is commercially available from multiple sources, and intends to procure services for use by select government agencies and the citizens who wish to communicate with them electronically. The Proof of Concept services to be procured include: verification of certificate applicants identity; registration of certificate applicants who have successfully completed the identity verification process; a robust means for generating and protecting applicants private keys; a means of providing and issuing certificates; marketing of the services; on-line validation of certificates 24 hours per day and 7 days per week; renewal of certificates; suspension and revocation of certificates; billing of participating government agencies by registered application (on the basis of cost per certificate validated); and operation of a customer service center available 24 hours per day and 7 days per week. In addition, all offerors will be required to offer systems integration, PKI services, and end-to-end communications support, as requested by government agencies on a task order basis. A Certificate Arbitrator Module (CAM) that will be used by the participating government agencies to receive incoming access requests and route them to the appropriate certificate authority for validation will be provided by GSA. Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) non-mandatory firm fixed price contracts are intended with a base period of performance of not to exceed two years and with two, two-year renewable option periods. Small businesses are encouraged to participate. ACES services are intended to commence availability within six months of a contract award. This procurement is conducted under Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Code 4899, Communications Services N.E.C. Questions or Comments? Jon Faye, Phone 202-708-6099 or Fax 202-708-7027. Posted 01/04/99 (D-SN284799). (0004)

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