TECS NCIC/Nlets Software Interface

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), intends to issue a sole-source purchase order for a requirement for the right to use proprietary software licenses provided by Pacific Applied Technology, Inc. (PAT), in accordance with FAR 13.106-1(b)(1)(i), which authorizes contracting officers to solicit from one source if the contracting officer determines that the circumstances of the contract action deem only one source reasonably available (e.g., urgency, exclusive licensing agreements, brand-name or industrial mobilization). This notice is neither a request for quotes nor an invitation for bids. No formal solicitation package is available. CBP provides interactive interfaces to two other Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Systems: 1) Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) - National Crime Information Center (NCIC); 2) State administered - International Justice & Public Safety Network (Nlets). These interfaces are accomplished using PAT software which is maintained and owned by PAT. PAT provides a "Right to Use" license to utilize the software interface. The PAT software allows for peer-to-peer communications with NCIC and Nlets. Specifically, the PAT software consists of the following interface components: 1) TECS Production Customer Information Control System(s) (CICS) NCIC/Nlets Interface, 2) TECS Production Airport CICS NCIC/Nlets Interface, 3) TECS Production Land Border Primary CICS NCIC/Nlets Interface, 4) PATBATCH (APIS) NCIC/Nlets Interface, 5) PATBATCH (CBP Vetting) NCIC/Nlets Interface, and 6) Vehicle Primary Client (VPC) NCIC/Nlets Interface. The PAT software allows CBP users of TECS and the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) and systems which connect to TECS to run a wide range of NCIC and Nlets queries. The PAT software shall operate on an IBM mainframe and runs under the IBM z/OS operating system. All interfaces utilize the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Pro (TCP/IP) facilities associated with the IBM Communication Server product. The TECS Production CICS NCIC/NLETS Interface, the TECS Production Airport CICS NCIC/Nlets Interface, and the TECS Production Land Border Primary CICS NCIC/Nlets Interface (items 1, 2, and 3 above) require the use of the IBM CICS Data Communications Monitor. The TECS Production CICS NCIC/Nlets Interface and the PATBATCH APIS Interface (items 1 and 4 above) require the use of the CA/DATACOM/DB database product. The IBM mainframe, IBM z/OS operating system, IBM CICS data communications monitor (also referred to as Transaction Server), the IBM Communication Server product and the CA/DATACOM/DB database product are the responsibility of CBP (at CBP expense). CBP uses PAT software on multiple IBM mainframes. The second PATBATCH (CBP Vetting, item 5 above) runs on a different IBM mainframe at the data center than the original APIS PATBATCH. CBP is one of the biggest users of NCIC and Nlets and the PAT software shall keep up with the demand by distributing the workload across multiple mainframes. The PAT software license shall allow for concurrent operation on all IBM mainframes at the CBP data center known as National Data Center 1. PAT is proprietary software and PAT is the only vendor of TECS NCIC/Nlets Interface Software. PAT is the only product that provides this critical function of peer-to-peer communications with NCIC and Nlets with the speed and volume TECS requires for NCIC and Nlets queries without significant downtime. An integral unique feature of the software is the interrelation with the NCIC/Nlets databases. The software allows inquiry/response communication between TECS and important crime information networks. Even though the CBP Passenger Systems Program Directorate has finalized the TECS modernization effort, there is a need to retain the PAT software for a short period of time, allowing CBP's user community to finalize their work.