PROPOSERS’ DAY CONFERENCE: DARPA will host a Proposers’ Day Conference in support of BAA 06-29, Dynamic Multi-Terabit Core Optical Networks: Architecture, Protocols, Control and Management (CORONET), on August 8, 2006 at the Dulles Airport Marriott, 45020 Aviation Drive, Dulles, Virginia 20166, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Check-in begins at 7:00 am. The purpose of this conference is to provide information on the CORONET program; promote additional discussion on this topic; address questions from potential proposers; and provide a forum for potential proposers to present their capabilities for teaming opportunities. PROGRAM OBJECTIVE AND DESCRIPTION: The objective of the CORONET program is to develop the architecture, protocols, and control and management software for highly dynamic, multi-terabit global core optical networks with greatly enhanced performance, security and survivability. An important part of the CORONET vision is to enable ultra-fast service set-up/tear-down as well as very fast recovery from multiple network failures. It is envisioned that the majority of traffic on the network will be Internet Protocol (IP), directly over optical Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM), with a substantial amount of wavelength service traffic as well. It is the ultimate goal of this program to transition the CORONET technology, at the end of Phase 2, to commercial telecommunications carriers. It is anticipated that a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for the CORONET program will be released prior to the conference. This BAA will encourage proposals that include (but are not limited to) the following technology areas: Dynamic, Multi-Terabit Optical Network Architecture, IP-over-WDM Network Architecture, Multi-Layer (IP/Optical) Network Optimization, Optical Network Restoration/Protection, Optical Network Protocol Design and Optimization, Optical Network Control and Management, Multi-Layer Control and Management Plane Optimization, High-Availability Software Design, and Emulation/Simulation of Network Data, Control and Management Planes. It is anticipated that the CORONET program will be conducted in two sequential phases. The forthcoming BAA will be open for three (3) years, and is seeking a comprehensive and integrated solution for each of the two sequential phases of the program. A separate selection round will take place for each phase of the program. Proposals addressing only a subset of the topics will be considered non-responsive to the BAA. As such, teaming of proposers to assemble the necessary breadth and depth of expertise and resources will be recommended. Potential proposers are encouraged to use the Proposers' Day Conference to discuss their organization's capabilities and explore teaming arrangements with other conference attendees. In Phase 1 of the CORONET program, the performers will develop the architecture, protocols and algorithms necessary to deliver the program’s network performance objectives. Phase 1 will be conducted over an 18-month period, which will conclude with extensive simulations to verify achievement of the performance objectives. A deliverable at the end of Phase 1 will be a full proposal for Phase 2. In Phase 2, the selected performers will develop the network control and management software and verify its performance to the Government and to commercial telecommunications carriers through appropriate testing. Proposal instructions for each phase are addressed in the Proposer’s Information Pamphlet (PIP), which will be published with the BAA. REGISTRATION INFORMATION Participants must register no later than August 2, 2006, at the following website: https://enstg.com/signup/passthru.cfm?ConferenceCode=COR95006. Directions to the facility and other materials are also available on the website. There is no registration fee for attending this conference. Due to space limitations of the conference facility, attendance will be limited to the first 150 registrants, and no more than 2 representatives per organization. The Proposers’ Day Conference will be unclassified and open to the general public. All attendees will be required to present government issued photo identification upon entry to the event. Additionally, all US Citizens are required to submit a US Citizenship Verification form in order to attend this conference. Non-US citizens are required to submit a DARPA Form 60 “Foreign National Visit Request”. The completed Citizenship Form or DARPA Form 60 must be faxed to (Attention: Pamela Jackson) at 703-696-9781 no later than August 2, 2006. Both documents are available for download at the registration website. Attendance is not required to propose to any associated BAA. Additionally, attendees who would like to present company overviews, discuss their technology expertise, and/or discuss teaming opportunities in scheduled presentations at the conference may request to do so. Presentations may contain 2-4 slides and are limited to five (5) minutes each. Proposers desiring to reserve a time to present at the Proposers’ Day Conference should send an e-mail to
[email protected], Attention: Bob Walter as soon as possible, but no later than August 2, 2006. The number of time slots is limited, and will be assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis. After the conference, there will be an opportunity for 15-minute private meetings with the CORONET DARPA Program Manager, Dr. Adel Saleh. Please send an e-mail to BAA06
[email protected] to schedule an individual session as soon as possible, but no later than the registration cutoff on August 2, 2006. The number of time slots is limited, and will be assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis. All material to be displayed at the conference must be approved in advance by both the organization that funded the research and the DARPA Program Manager. The DARPA Program Manager will screen the proposed material for sensitive, but unclassified material and approve in advance any presentations. It is the presenter’s responsibility to ensure that all material they plan to present at the CORONET Proposers’ Day Conference has been approved by the funding organization in advance. An electronic copy of all material to be presented must be provided to the DARPA Program Manager for review by 5:00 pm EST, August 2, 2006, via e-mail to
[email protected]. There will be no exceptions to this requirement. Inquiries of an administrative nature should be sent to Dan Hinton at
[email protected]. NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE CONTRACTING OFFICER IDENTIFIED BELOW WITH RESPECT TO THIS PROPOSERS’ DAY ANNOUNCEMENT, BUT INSTEAD DIRECT ALL INQUIRIES AS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED HEREIN.