58 -- Sole Source procurement of DITECH Digital Echo Cancelling equipment

The Department of Homeland Security, specifically the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Mt. Weather Emergency Operations Center in Bluemont, VA, plans to negotiate a sole source procurement with Ditech Communications from Port Orange, FL. The contract involves the acquisition of sixteen Gemini T-Shelves for SX024 Digital Echo Cancellers and eight Single Extended Digital Echo Cancellers. Although the procurement is proposed as sole source, the agency is inviting interested parties to submit written responses that detail their capability to supply these items, including descriptive literature and pricing, by August 23, 2005, at 4:30 p.m. Responses can be sent either by mail or electronically to the designated DHS contact. This notice does not constitute a request for competitive proposals, and the government retains full discretion on whether to proceed without competition based on the received input. Any information garnered from responses will be used strictly to determine if a competitive procurement is warranted. The procurement falls under NAICS code 334290 and is managed by the National Continuity Section within the Department of Homeland Security. The contract solicitation was posted on August 11, 2005, and the place of performance details are not specified beyond the organizational and office locations in Berryville, VA.