SCOPE:
1. The Coast Guard needed to provide a secure method of transmitting data to third party agencies. The third party agencies are Veterans Administration (VA), Treasury, and DMDC have identified Connect Direct and Secure (+) software as a best practice for this activity.

2. This acquisition is not a continuation of a previous effort performed by the proposed contractor, but is directly related to the Purchase of the SSL Certificates and Licenses from VeriSign.

3. Sterling Commerce will install and configure SSL Certificates and Licenses provided by VeriSign via another Purchase.

Note 22. The proposed contract action is for supplies or services for which the Government intends to solicit and negotiate with only one source under the authority of FAR 6.302. Interested persons may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirement or submit proposals. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. However, all proposals received within forty-five days (thirty days if award is issued under an existing basic ordering agreement) after date of publication of this synopsis will be considered by the Government. A determination by the Government not to compete with this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement.