70--Intent to make a Sole Source Award to Bio Rad Laboratories, Inc. for Unity Real-Time Software

The Department of Veterans Affairs, VISN 18 NCA: 4135 South Power Road, Mesa, AZ 85212, intends to make a sole source award to BioRad Industries, Inc. (Bio-Rad); located at 1000 Alfred Nobel Dr., Hercules, CA 94547, for Unity Real-Time Software for the Amarillo VA Health Care System's (AVAHCS). The Bio-Rad Unity Real-Time software required is as follows: 1. Data management software: " 804 Unity Real Time Packaging " 825i Unity Real Time Remote Installation and Training 2. Connectivity using DI Output: " 858i Connectivity Remote Installation and Training " 857-1 Date Innovations/Dawning Connectivity " 804-U1 Unity Real Time o 5 additional concurrent users o 811-1 Westgard Advisor This software works with the AVAHCS's middleware server to send the already purchased Bio-Rad quality control (QC) material results to the Bio-Rad database where the laboratory results are compared to previous lab results, published ranges, and other labs utilizing the same piece of equipment. Currently, the AVAHCS clinical lab must download all of their monthly data to a CD and mail it to Bio-Rad for analysis. This process is very time consuming and causes an extreme delay in the lab receiving up-to-date results. On average, the lab receives the Bio-Rad analyzed results approximately a month after submitting their data, which is not an effective way to manage the performance of their instruments. The requested software will eliminate the previously stated process and allow the clinical lab to directly upload their results and receive an immediate real-time snap shot of their instrument's performance, enabling instant identification of trends for analyzer error. Since the AVAHCS clinical lab uses QC materials from Bio-Rad, no other software product is able to analyze this material. The QC material and software is proprietary and part of a system. The following authority is being used to purchase the microscope FAR 6.302-1(b)(i).