70 -- COTS SOFTWARE FOR SSA MSOM

Notice Date

May 30, 2001

Contracting Office

Social Security Administration, Deputy Commissioner for = Finance, Assessment and Management, Office of Acquisition and Grants, = 1710 Gwynn Oak Avenue, Baltimore, MD, 21207-5279

ZIP Code

21207-5279

Solicitation Number

Reference-Number-SSA-SSS-01-JCE-MSOM

Response Due

June 15, 2001

Point of Contact

Junghie Elky, Contract Specialist, Phone 4109659483, Fax = 4109659560, Email junghie.elky@ssa.gov

Description

The Social Security Administration (SSA) is seeking sources for = two (2) commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) products to be used in the = re-vamping of its Modernized Systems Operations Manual (MSOM). = BACKGROUND: MSOM provides procedural instructions to the employees of = the SSA for using its various online operational systems. The MSOM = consists of some 3000 files in WordPerfect for Windows 5.2+ (using the = WordPerfect set of printer drivers), comprising approximately 50 = megabytes of disk space, and approximately 12,000 paper pages. The MSOM = is distributed to various SSA sites in paper and via CD-ROM discs. The = Office of Systems Requirements (OSR) of the Social Security = Administration has the responsibility of maintaining the MSOM and = publishing periodic updates to it. Within OSR, the 7-person MSOM Staff = exercises direct responsibility for these functions. PURPOSE: SSA = will (1) convert the MSOM to eXtensible Markup Language (XML); (2) = create a system that incorporates using XML in the authoring, editing, = publishing, and storage of the MSOM. This system will be the first = component of a more comprehensive agency-wide authoring/publishing = system. This system will be based upon Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) = software. The purpose of this synopsis is to find two different COTS = software packages. The first is one that will: (1) create of an XML = Document Type Definition (DTD); (2) edit XML documents; (3) publish XML = documents to paper and to the Web. The second is one that will manage = the workflow of the MSOM publication process and life cycle. Both = software products will be integrated with Oracle iFS (and each other) = into the new system. DEPENDENCIES: The configuration for the software = being procured includes an Oracle 8.1.7 database in the UNIX operating = system in the Hewlett-Packard (HPUX) operating environment. The server = components of the software being procured will reside in the UNIX = operating system in the Sun Solaris 2.8 (or later version) operating = environment. The Sun Solaris 2.8 (or later) operating environment will = also include Oracle iFS, IBM WebSphere 3.5 (or later version) or = iPlanet Web Server (Enterprise Edition) 4.1 (Service Pack 4) (or later = version), and server components for both the workflow software and the = XML editing/publishing/development software. SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS ? = SPECIFICATIONS: Requirements for XML Editing/Publishing/Development = Software ?=20 (1) The products must be offered as a fully integrated suite of = products to ensure seamless integration and operation; (2)Server = component(s) must be compatible with the UNIX operating system in the = Sun Solaris 2.8 (or later version) operating environment; (3) Server = component(s) must be compatible with IBM WebSphere 3.5 (or later = version), and with iPlanet Web Server (Enterprise Edition) 4.1 (Service = Pack 4) (or later version), each running in the Sun Solaris 2.8 (or = later version) operating environment; (4) Must work seamlessly with = Staffware 2000 version 8.1 (or its equivalent); (5) Server components = must be able to take advantage of multiple processors; (6) Workstation = component(s) must be compatible with the Windows NT 4.0 and Windows = 2000 operating systems; (7) Must be compliant with Section 508 of the = Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998; (8) Must support, at a minimum, = 32-bit processing; (9) Must support multi-threading; (10) Must provide = functions for data modeling; (11) Must provide capability to create and = modify XML Document Type Definitions (DTDs); (12) Must provide the = capability to create and modify stylesheets for use with the XML = editing functions; (13) Must be able to convert SSA?s standard word = processing files to XML format, and XML files to SSA?s standard word = processing files. (The current SSA standard word processor is = Microsoft Word 97). (14) Must have the ability to associate XML tag = names with style names to help simplify this function; (15) Must = provide transformation from a single XML source to print, Web, PDF, = PDAs, CD-ROM, and wireless devices; (16) Must support dynamic documents = (data merging, personalization, dynamic assembly); (17) Must provide = repository support via Oracle iFS, providing seamless access to iFS = functions through editor tools and a front end Web-based conversion = interface; (18) Must support processing via C/C++, and Java; (19) Must = have a U.S. English language dictionary and thesaurus; (20) Must have a = U.S. English language user interface; (21) Must support = language-specific content (elements and attributes); (22) Must support = Formatted Output Specification Instances (FOSI) stylesheets; (23) Must = support eXtensible Style Language (XSL); (24) Must support the = following graphic file formats: bitmap (.BMP), CALS G4, CGM, EPSF = (versions 1.2 and 2.0), GIF, Island Draw DRW, JPEG, PCX, PDF, Sun icon = file, Sun Raster, TIFF, X11 bitmap; (25) Workstation component(s) must = have the capability to support a minimum of 7 users to a maximum of = 1,000 users. Requirements for Workflow Software: (1) The products must = be offered as a fully integrated suite of products to ensure seamless = integration and operation; (2) Must integrate with/be compatible with = Arbortext?s Epic suite of products or equivalent XML = editing/publishing/development software; (3) Server component must be = compatible with the UNIX operating system in the Sun Solaris 2.8 (or = later version) operating environment; (4) Server component(s) must be = compatible with IBM WebSphere 3.5 (or later version), and with iPlanet = Web Server (Enterprise Edition) 4.1 (Service Pack 4) (or later = version), each running in the Sun Solaris 2.8 (or later version) = operating environment; (5) Server components must be able to take = advantage of multiple processors; (6) Workstation component(s) must be = compatible with the Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000 operating systems; = (7) Must be compliant with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act = Amendments of 1998; (8) Must support, at a minimum, 32-bit processing; = (9) Must be able to store data in Oracle 8.1.7 format in the HPUX = operating environment; (10) Must interface with Oracle iFS to retrieve = content from a repository, store content in a repository, and update = metadata associated with repository content; (11) Must have a U.S. = English language user interface; (12) Must have an interface for = initiating, monitoring, and modifying routings; (13) Must have industry = standard ways of implementing task logic; (14) Must have the ability to = define workgroups as well as individual users; (15) Must have the = ability to mine captured routing data for status and productivity = reporting; (16) Must be able to provide detailed workflow and = management information, tracking various aspects of the work/task being = developed, throughout the publishing life-cycle; (17) Tasks must be = able to pass and fill in forms for data capture, as well as passing = documents for editing and review; (18) Workstation component(s) must be = scalable to serve a minimum of 10 to a maximum of 1,000 users; (19) = Must be able to be integrated into an authoring/editing/publishing = system wherein: (a) the text is stored in XML format in an Oracle 8.1.7 = database; (b) the authors use MS Word 97 or later to create/modify = their documents; (c) XML editing/publishing software will convert XML = instances into MS Word documents, and subsequently convert MS Word = documents into XML; (d) the authors submit drafts to reviewers = throughout the SSA Headquarters campus; (e) the reviewers have a = pre-established date by which to return comments or a statement of ?No = Comments? to the authors; (f) the authors have a pre-established date = by which to submit final drafts to the MSOM Staff for editing and = publication; (g) final output will be published in paper, to CDROM, and = to SSA?s Intranet. RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS: Any responsible = organization able to provide either or both COTS software packages = meeting the requirements stated herein is invited to submit complete = details concerning its capabilities, experience, and other pertinent = data (including GSA contract information). Respondents must clearly = indicate the capability of the product(s) to meet the requirements = stated above (any literature or information submitted as a response to = this notice must contain enough information to attest to the capability = of the product(s) offered to meet the stated requirements). Only = written responses will be accepted. Two (2) full written copies of the = response are requested, along with an electronic copy (such as through = e-mail transmittal) if possible. Responses are due by June 15, 2001. = The Government does not intend to pay for any information provided. = This is a request for information only -- THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR = PROPOSALS (RFP). Requests for a solicitation will not be honored or = acknowledged. No contract award will be made on the basis of responses = received. However, this information will be used in SSA?s assessment = of capable sources. Respondents should refer to SSA-SSS-01-JCE-MSOM. = Respondents will NOT be notified of the results of the evaluation of = the information received.

Web Link

Visit this URL for the latest information about this (http://www.eps.gov/spg/SSA/DCFIAM/OAG/Reference-Number-SSA-SSS-01-J= CE-MSOM/listing.html)

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010601/70SOL020.HTM (D-150 SN50N4O0)