--The Government intends to negotiate solely (as prescribed in FAR 6.302-1) with Cognos Corp, 15 Wayside Rd, Burlington, MA 01803

The contract involves a maintenance agreement between the US Army Contracting Agency, Directorate of Contracting in Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, and Cognos Corporation, the Original Equipment Manufacturer. The agreement covers the renewal of standard support for three specific Cognos ReportNet products for one year: the Administrator Standard Support, the Test/Quality Control Environment Standard Support, and the Professional Author Named User Standard Support. This award is contingent upon the availability of funds, and the government intends to negotiate exclusively with Cognos Corporation under the authority specified in the Federal Acquisition Regulation. The contract falls under the NAICS code 811212, with a size standard of $21 million in average annual receipts over the past three years. Interested parties were invited to express their interest and capability to meet the requirements of this contract by submitting relevant information by November 7, 2005, although this notice was not a solicitation for competitive proposals. The point of contact for this action is Martha Hughes, Purchasing Agent. The contract aims to ensure continued support and maintenance of these proprietary software components, emphasizing the government’s intent to negotiate solely with the OEM due to their proprietary rights over replacement parts and software. The place of performance is Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, and the procurement seeks to maintain uninterrupted software support crucial for the US Army’s operational needs.