70 -- UPGRADE OF DBBUILD CD-ROM AUTHORING AND PREMASTERING SOFTWARE AND OPTIWARE RETRIEVAL SOFTWARE

Notice Date

September 13, 2000

Contracting Office

National Institute of Standards & Technology, Acquisition & Assistance Div.,100 Bureau Drive Stop 3572, Bldg. 301, Rm B117, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-3572

ZIP Code

20899-3572

Solicitation Number

53SBNB060179

Response Due

September 22, 2000

Point of Contact

Joseph L. Widdup, Contracting Officer joseph.widdup@nist.gov or fax (301) 963-7732

E-Mail Address

NIST Contracts Office (Contract@nist.gov)

Description

This is a notice of intent to enter into a sole source purchase order under Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13, Simplified Acquisition Procedures, with Thomas Technology Solutions, Inc. of Horsham, PA under the authority of FAR Subpart 13.106-1(b). The National Technical Information Service (NTIS) Office of Electronic Multimedia Services of Springfield, VA, a client of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) of Gaithersburg, MD, has a requirement to upgrade the Defense Technical Information Service's (DTIC) DBBUILD premastering and authoring software and their Optiware data retrieval software. Since 1991, DTIC has published the Technical Report (TR) database on CD-ROM using Reed Technology's (now called Thomas Technology Solutions, Inc.) proprietary DBBUILD CD-ROM premastering software and Optiware retrieval software as the CD-ROM search engine. DTIC has a follow-on requirement for their existing DBBUILD software and Optiware retrieval software which requires that the contractor upgrade the retrieval software to the new 32-bit Optiware2 interface retrieval software. This software must be 100% backward compatible with database and indexes created by the Solaris 2.5 version of the DBBUILD CD-ROM Authoring Software. The authoring software will reside on a multiple-disc, ISO-9660 compliant CD-ROM set. Specifically, the aforementioned modifications will result in: (a) the modification of existing DBBUILD authoring and premastering software to work with file sizes larger then 2 GB and modification of the existing DBBUILD load programs to make them compatible with all ISO-9660 compliant CD-ROM players, towers and disc changers; and (b) the upgrade of the Optiware retrieval software to Optiware2 interface retrieval software and make it compatible with DVD-ROM technology. Market research conducted by NTIS revealed that only the intended sole source firm could perform the required upgrade efforts because they developed both DBBUILD and Optiware software products and these software products are exclusive to Thomas Technology Solutions, Inc. Accordingly, NIST anticipates the sole source award of the aforementioned purchase order to Thomas Technology Solutions, Inc. using FAR Part 13 procedures. The estimated award date is 10 days after publication of this notice. Interested parties may identify their interest and capability to provide the required upgrade efforts according to both of the aforementioned requirements. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive quotations; however, NIST will consider all responses received by September 22, 2000. A determination by NIST not to compete this proposed requirement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of NIST. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. A Request for Quotation (RFQ) package is not available.

Web Link

NIST Contracts Homepage (http://www.nist.gov/admin/od/contract/contract.htm)

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20000915/70SOL004.HTM (W-257 SN496030)