REQUEST FOR JOINT VENTURE PARTNERS U.S. Department of Commerce, National Technical Information Service (NTIS), located at 5285 Port Royal Road, Room 200F, Springfield, VA 22161. REQUEST FOR JOINT VENTURE PARTNER. The NTIS FedWorld program is searching for a joint venture partner or partners in the arena of public key services. NTIS has a mandate to investigate the use of new electronic media and mechanisms to disseminate technical information. In this context, NTIS/FedWorld envisions the need to provide authentication, encryption, and non-repudiation services on behalf of NTIS, for selected online subscriptions, as well as on behalf of numerous of its agency customers, for whom it currently provides a variety of information dissemination and transaction services. NTIS/FedWorld is reviewing the option of entering into a joint venture to provide these services on a shared-revenue basis. This will not be a procurement. Accordingly, NTIS/FedWorld is seeking proposals from potential joint venture partners having the capability to issue and manage certificates, provide directory services, provide technical assistance in the development of policies and help to market these services. Partners with the capability to offer widespread, practical options for local registration would be preferable. Key recovery capability would be an asset as well. The ideal joint venture partner would be a private sector organization (1) which can offer a range of cost-effective options; (2) which has demonstrated capabilities in providing public key infrastructure services; (3) for which these services are a significant business function rather than an ancillary effort; and (4) which will not be bound to a single technical solution or suite of technical solutions. Interested companies should describe in the proposal their current suites of public-key products and services; their level of technical and corporate commitment to public key technologies; their capabilities in providing registration services over large geographical areas; and any relevant partnerships with other organizations. Please provide your proposal within 30 calendar days of the date of this announcement to the attention of Ms. Keren Cummins. Fax or electronic mail submissions are acceptable. NTIS will enter into joint venture partnerships in accordance with the authority granted to NTIS in the National Technical Information Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 3704b) and in accordance with the guidelines published in the June 13, 1989 Federal Register. For further information, call Ms. Cummins at (703) 605-6445, FAX (703) 487-4131, email kcummins@fedworld.gov.

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