ESC/DIGK, Global Grid (Product Area Directorate), 5 Eglin Street, Hanscom AFB, MA 01731-2100

70 -- REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) FOR THE ACQUISITION OF COMMERCIAL OFF THE SHELF (COTS) NETWORK PLANNING TOOLS (NPT) SOL F19628-00-R-0007 POC Dale M. Pease, Contracting Officer, (781) 377-6395 WEB: ESC Business Opportunities Web Page, http://www.herbb.hanscom.af.mil. E-MAIL: Click Here to E-mail the POC, Dale.Pease@hanscom.af.mil. The Global Grid Product Area Directorate of the Electronic Systems Center (ESC/DIG) is conducting market research for the acquisition of Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) Network Planning Tools (NPT). The tool set should meet the requirements outlined in the Theater Deployable Communications (TDC) and Combat Information Transport System (CITS) Operational Requirements Documents (ORD) and the Air Force High-Level Communications System Network Planning Tool (NPT) Requirements Document. The tool set shall also interface with the current JDIICS-D planning tool, the Tactical Network Analysis Program Plus (TNAPS+), and planning tools for the backbone network at fixed bases. The tools must: (1) operate on either a desktop or laptop computer, (2) have the ability to rapidly plan, monitor, and modify deployed and/or fixed networks consisting of TDC, CITS, legacy, and commercial equipment, (3) support planning at the Theater level as well as the Base level and individual equipment level, and (4) support the detailed planning of the transmission, data, message, and circuit switched networks. In addition, the tools must: (a) provide a multi-windowing Graphical User Interface (GUI); (b) provide validation checks to assist the planner in planning the deployed and/or fixed network with minimal errors; (c) provide a system administration function to allow the planner to manage files associated with each exercise/operation database; (d) provide the ability to automatically discover an existing network configuration; and (e) provide the ability to generate reports and make them for output to standard output devices (i.e., screen, printer, and ASCII file. Our goal is to minimize or eliminate software development and to use COTS tools, as is, to the maximum extent possible. Government-unique functions should be accommodated through libraries, configuration options, or other such means. The use of multiple products to satisfy the requirements is acceptable and even desirable, if it eliminates the need for development. ESC plans to acquire approximately 250 tool sets between 2000 and 2007. Therefore, the Government is interested in identifying potential sources that meet the submission requirements listed below. Respondents are notified that a formal solicitation may not necessarily result from this Request For Information (RFI). However, information received as a result of our market survey activities may be reflected in a formal solicitation. The Government will not pay for any information received in response to this RFI, nor will the Government compensate a respondent for any cost incurred in developing the information provided to ESC. Without written permission from you, ESC will not release to any firm, agency, or individual outside the Government, any information marked with a Proprietary legend. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS: Responses to this RFI should include the following: (1) documentation that shows the extent to which your existing product(s) meets the minimum and desirable requirements listed above, (2) information about how your product(s) could be combined with other products to meet additional requirements, (3) information about how your product(s), plus other products could be expanded or upgraded in a logical manner to fulfill additional requirements (with minimal development), (4) information on how your product(s) will interoperate with other NMS/BIP tools (5)if your product(s) has been officially tested by a Government organization, participated in an operational exercise, and/or participated in a Government sponsored experiment, provide a copy of (or identify) any formal documentation that describes how your product was used and how it performed; (6) indicate any additional functionality not in the requirements documents that your product provides that you believe would be beneficial to the TDC/CITS mission; (7) identification of your customer base in terms of types of business and number of licenses (or other unit of measure) sold for the product(s) you are recommending, and (8) the size and socioeconomic status of your business (i.e., small business, large business, small disadvantaged business, very small business, HUBZone small business, 8(a) concern, or women-owned small business). Information regarding this acquisition, can be found on the Hanscom Electronic RFP Bulletin Board (HERBB)(http://herbb.hanscom.af.mil) [click on "Biz Opportunities", then click on "AF Global Grid Network Planning Tools"]. Interested parties are encouraged to review the documents posted on the HERBB website and to provide us with information, comments, and suggestions regarding any aspect of this planned acquisition. The Government is currently developing the acquisition strategy for the purchase of these network planning tools. The Government is planning a field evaluation of tools meeting some or all requirements during the second and third quarters of fiscal year 2000. Please direct any questions on this RFI to Mr. Dale M. Pease, Contracting Officer, (781) 377-6395, e-mail: dale.pease@hanscom.af.mil or Ms Joan Wandrei, Program Manager (781) 377-7965, e-mail: joan.wandrei@hanscom.af.mil. The RFI packages should be delivered in two paper copies, limited to 30 pages, including brochures; software copies may be delivered along with the paper copies. The RFI packages are due, within 10 business days of the posting of this notice in the CBD, to Mr. Dale M. Pease (U.S. Postal Mailing Address: ESC/DIGK, 5 Eglin Street, Hanscom AFB, MA 01731-2100; Note -- for commercial delivery such as FedEx, address packages to 3 Eglin Street). Packages received after 10 business days of the date this notice appears in the CBD may not be reviewed. Posted 11/29/99 (D-SN404050). (0333)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0202 19991201\70-0006.SOL)