70 -- Intent to award a sole source purchase order

The Department of State intends to issue a sole source purchase order to Cybernetics, Inc., located in Yorktown, Virginia, for the provision of 75 internal native tape backup drives, specifically AIT-2 50 GB and AIT-3 100 GB models. These drives must be fully compatible with the hot-swappable drive bays and backplane of Hewlett-Packard's DL380G3 servers. This procurement will be conducted on a noncompetitive basis under the Federal Acquisition Regulation, Part 12, which governs the acquisition of commercial items. Interested and responsible parties are invited to submit written statements demonstrating their technical capability to meet these requirements, along with price data to support their submission. Submissions must include detailed technical information capable of allowing the agency to assess bona fide capability and must be sent via email to the designated contract specialist, Kathleen J Mejia, by 12:00 p.m. EST on September 24, 2004. Telephone inquiries or messages will not be accepted or returned. Failure to submit a proper response will result in the government moving forward with negotiations exclusively with Cybernetics, Inc. This action aligns with NAICS Code 423430 and reflects an intent to sole source based on the unique compatibility and product requirements specified.