X -- SPECIAL NOTICE

Notice Date

January 5, 2001

Contracting Office

DOC; Mountain Administrative Support Center; Acquisition Management Division; 325 Broadway MC3; Boulder, CO

ZIP Code

00000

Solicitation Number

FSL

Point of Contact

William B. Bendel at 303-497-6708, Fax: 303-497-6758, bendel@fsl.noaa.gov

E-Mail Address

NOAA; FSL (bendel@fsl.noaa.gov)

Description

The Forecast Systems Laboratory (FSL) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is actively seeking licensees and/or CRADA partners to collaborate on the development and commercialization of the WorldWide Weather Workstation (W4). It is the intent of FSL to collaborate with industry on certain technical aspects of the system, such as data broadcast via satellite and end user requirements analysis. The W4 system is designed to meet the forecast needs of developing nations or for forecast situations where no data access is available, and for users with limited financial resources. The system is designed to use a satellite broadcast to disseminate atmospheric data at continental or regional scales. To reduce hardware costs to the user while providing a high level of system performance, both the server subsystem and the user subsystem will utilize PC Linux platforms. The W4 system will be based on the FSL developments for the AWIPS system that has allowed major improvements in National Weather Service offices throughout the country. W4 will use a series of scales, just as the AWIPS system does, that will allow a display to be compatible with the size and type of weather feature that is being studied. Important workstation features such as roam and zoom, predefined sets of procedures (sets of forecast products designed for a specific type of storm), family graphics, and toggle capabilities for displayed products will all be available. All data can be broadcast using technologies such as VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) systems or other low bandwidth solutions. The Forecast Systems Laboratory has done innovative, groundbreaking work on data compression, particularly using wavelet transform compression that will allow a full set of data to be transmitted over a 128 kbps satellite link. Application of these data compression techniques will be applied both to satellite observations and imagery and gridded Numerical Weather Prediction model data sets. There will be only a very small reduction in data resolution after decompression at the receiver side of the process. The significant improvements in efficiency of transmission will contribute to decreasing the operational costs of using the system. FSL is interested in working with one or more commercial collaborators, under the auspices of the Federal Technology Transfer Act, 15 USC 3710a, to transfer this technology to the private sector. There are many potential areas such as emergency response regions, remote military field sites and branch weather forecasting offices within developing countries that could benefit from this technology. FSL will negotiate royalties and licenses for this technology arising from a CRADA partnership or Memorandum of Agreement. The private company(ies) that would form this partnership with FSL would assist in the research and development of the product and would be responsible for documenting, marketing and maintaining the W4 system networks that would be implemented. A W4 technology information meeting will be held at the AMS Conference and Exhibit in Albuquerque, NM, during the week of January 15, 2001. The time and location for this meeting with be available at the FSL booth (#400) at the conference. Meeting information along with additional technical information will also be published on the W4 web site http://www-id.fsl.noaa.gov. The meeting will include presentations, a demonstration and discussions to provide the specifics on this new technology to be defined within the CRADA or licensing agreement. An additional discussion will be held with all candidate partners on a mutually agreeable date. Partner selection criteria will include technical expertise and experience with similar technologies, experience in marketing, past experience in partnering with a government research organization and the resources and funding available to successfully bring this technology to market. This process could allow for possible selection of more than one partner. Parties interested in participating in this process can contact William B. Bendel at (303) 497-6708, fax: (303) 497-6758, bendel@fsl.noaa.gov or stop by the NOAA FSL booth. This notice is for information purposes only. There will be no contract awarded on the basis of this RFI. There will be no reimbursement for information submitted in response to this RFI.

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010109/XSOL004.HTM (D-005 SN50A248)