A -- Wireless Network after Next (WNaN) Adaptive Network Development (WAND) API Technical Interchange Meeting (TIM)

Wireless Network after Next (WNaN) Adaptive Network Development (WAND) API Technical Interchange Meeting (TIM) DARPA will host a Network API Technical Interchange Meeting (TIM) in support of the Wireless Network after Next (WNaN) Adaptive Network Development (WAND) effort on 10 April 2007 at Marriott Crystal Gateway, 1700 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA 22202; beginning at 8 a.m. and lasting until 5:00 p.m. The main focus of the TIM will be presentation / review of the WANN wireless node Network Application Program Interfaces (APIs). The Government is providing this opportunity for potential WAND bidders to get insight into the WANN performers approaches to the Network APIs to support development of WAND proposals that are maximally applicable to all WANN node suppliers. During the morning session each WANN developer will present details of their Network API designs. The formal TIM presentations will end at noon. In the afternoon session there will be optional 20-minute time slots during which organizations that intend to be a prime bidder in response to the WAND BAA can meet - one-on-one with the WANN teams to have more in-depth discussions on the APIs. Primes can bring a maximum of 15 people to the - one-on-one sessions and are encouraged to include their potential / planned subcontractors in their - one-on-one meetings. The goal of the WAND effort is to design and develop the network technologies necessary to establish ultra-large (tens of thousands of nodes), highly-scalable, highly-adaptive ad-hoc networks that provide robust networking across densely-connected deployments of inexpensive wireless nodes. The premise of the WNaN vision is that WAND-enabled networks will adapt to changing conditions and mission requirements by adjusting the topology of the network and the operational mode of the wireless nodes, to create and maintain a rich, multiply-connected network fabric. This rich interconnection fabric will provide superior battlefield communications at lower system cost and enhance survivability by ensuring information, applications, and services are readily available within the tactical environment. Previous practice has been to build high cost and hence sparsely deployed nodes, and to organize the network around these nodes. This program aims to shift the approach used to design military wireless networks from design for radio range to design for node density. WNaN has two complementary components: (1) Low-cost, multi-channel, spectrum-agile, MIMO-capable wireless nodes built with inexpensive RF circuit technology (WANN focus), and (2) Network with densely deployed low-cost wireless nodes and adaptive network layers that mitigates the shortcomings of the nodes by leveraging the rich interconnection topologies (WAND focus). When integrated together and deployed, these two components create a distributed, intelligent network entity that is more than the sum of its parts. The result will be a novel mobile wireless communication system that is both inexpensive and high-performance. The WAND effort will include 3 sequential phases. DARPA is soliciting proposals for all three phases of the WAND effort with BAA 07-07 - WNaN Adaptive Network Development (WAND). A BAA 07-07 Proposers Day was held on 27 February 2007. The overall program concept and specific objectives were presented at the Proposers Day meeting. The BAA 07-07 Proposer Information Pamphlet (PIP) and the briefings and attendance list from the Proposers Day are available at: http://www.darpa.mil/sto/solicitations/WAND/index.html. The meeting will be unclassified. TIM Registration Instructions: Participants are requested to register NLT 4 April 2007 at http://safe.sysplan.com/TIMN-API. If you plan to attend the TIM please state a government contract you are currently executing in the space provided. If you desire to attend, and do not have a government contract a request for individual determination by the Program Manager can also be made on the registration page. Please include your name, organization, email address and phone number. Directions to the facility, local hotels and transportation information, and other materials are shown on the registration website and will also be emailed upon registration. There is no fee for the Network API TIM. The attendee list will be posted on the WAND website following the meeting. If you do not wish to be included on the attendee list you must send email notification to Susan Dietzel (sdietzel@stassociates.com) by 4 April 2007. Non-U. S. Citizen and Permanent Resident Instructions for Conference Participants: Attendees are required to submit a DARPA Form 60 Foreign National Visit Request to Susan Dietzel (sdietzel@stassociates.com or FAX: 703-522-0367) to complete registration. Note that the Foreign National Visit Request, if required, must be submitted by 2 April 2007 to allow time for processing. One-on-One Meeting Reservation Instructions: Organizations that are considering being a prime for BAA 07-07 and are interested in meeting one-on-one with the WAND developers must send email to WAND@darpa.mil NLT 4 April 2007. The number of time slots is limited, and will be assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis. It is not mandatory to attend the Network API TIM to respond to BAA 07-07. The material presented at the API TIM will be posted to http://www.darpa.mil/sto/solicitations/WAND/index.html. NOTE: DO NOT CONTACT THE CONTRACTING OFFICER IDENTIFIED BELOW WITH RESPECT TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. ALL QUESTIONS SHOULD BE SENT TO WAND@darpa.mil.