Description: This is a REQUEST FOR INFORMATION. Reference SSA-OTHER-0199 when responding to this announcement. The Social Security Administration is seeking vendors capable of providing a Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) software product that supports screen refacing (SR). Screen refacing is a programming technique where a graphical user interface (GUI) is created “on the fly� from character based block-oriented presentation data streams. SSA intends to use screen refacing software to rapidly develop and deploy an environment that augments the agency’s character-based terminal emulation (3270 / 5250) screens with a standardized GUI. The minimum FUNCTIONAL CAPABILITIES are as follows: A) Support Microsoft Windows standard GUI presentation controls (as implemented by comctl32.dll). These include, but are not limited to: Button, Combo Box, Drag List Box, Edit, Flat Scroll Bar, Header, List Box, List-View, Progress Bar, Property Sheets, Rich Edit, Scroll Bars, ToolTip, Trackbar, Tree-View, Up-Down; B) Support compound controls made up of the preceding elements. The controls must be capable of being processed by SSA’s assistive technology (AT) products - see “Accessibility Requirements� (below); C)Be non-invasive – requiring no changes to SSA mainframe systems or network infrastructure; D) Include an integrated development environment (IDE) that supports the rapid development, testing, and deployment of the refaced screens to SSA’s production environment; E) Be capable of presenting both GUI and character-based interfaces to users—based on individual user preference—when deployed in SSA’s production environment; F) Provide the ability for users to toggle within the same terminal session, from GUI to "green screen" (& vice versa) and retain user entered information. To support this, the GUI screens presented by the SR software must interoperate with the existing z/OS Customer Information Control System (CICS) and IBM iSeries (AS/400) application systems’ 3270 and 5250 presentations – not replace them. All interaction with the online applications must be through the character-based screens using IBM Personal Communications (PCOMM) terminal emulation software; G) Enable the refaced screens to coexist (and not conflict) with SSA’s custom-developed applications that directly interact with PCOMM to “scrape� and “stuff� screens. These applications use the Extended High Level Language Application Programming Interface (EHLLAPI or Windows HLLAPI) or Host Access Class Library (HACL) to interact with PCOMM. SSA must retain the functionality of hundreds of SSA-developed PCOMM macros or scripts when implementing the SR software product. The minimum SOFTWARE TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS are as follows for the IDE of the vendors software solution: must be able to A) Execute on Microsoft Windows XP Professional or higher; B) Integrate with the MKS Source Integrity Enterprise version control tool; C)Facilitate the creation of GUI screens by: i) Importing Basic Mapping Service (BMS) source files to create initial GUI screen definitions; ii)Importing Data Description Specification (DDS) source files to create initial AS/400 screen definitions; iii)Identifying screen definition changes when importing updated BMS and/or DDS source files by providing alerts to SSA’s change notification process when imported maps have changed. The SR execution or run-time environment of the vendor’s SR software solution must: D) 1) Treat each 3270 / 5250 screen as a separate, discreet event. At SSA the sequence of screen presentation (screen flow) is defined in the underlying business applications. These paths are not static but are dynamically determined by information entered on previous screens i.e., the CICS next screen is determined from data in the current screen. The SR software must not depend on predefined screen flows to function properly; 2) Properly process attribute bytes, including conditionally protected fields, field colors, conditionally hidden fields, and extended attribute bytes (EAB); 3)Differentiate between transactions that have same screen names but different screen formats; 4)Automatically switch focus to the terminal emulator character-based screen if for any reason the SR software cannot fully determine the GUI screen equivalent. The SR software must switch focus to the terminal emulator character-based presentation for screens if: i) The SR software encounters a non-defined screen; ii) The SR software encounters a screen that is in conflict with the format that the SR software expects; E) The generated GUI screens of the vendor’s SR software solution must: 1) Be testable with Mercury Interactive testing products; 2) Be testable with assistive technology (see “Accessibility Requirements�) (below); F) The SR software and the generated GUI screen definitions of the vendor’s SR software solution must: 1) Be distributable with HP OpenView Radia, 2)Be distributable with Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS). G) The vendor’s SR software solution must support the loading of screen definitions across a LAN or WAN and must support the caching of screen definitions on the workstation. H) The vendor’s SR software solution must operate within SSA’s computing environment: 1)Microsoft Windows XP Professional or higher; 2) IBM z/OS mainframes; 3) IBM CICS transaction processing; 4) IBM OS/400 mid-range computers; 5) SNA/LLC mainframe (3270) network environment (current environment); 6)TCP/IP mainframe (tn3270) network environment (future environment); 7)OS/400 (5250)—TCP/IP tn5250 network environment; 8) IBM Personal Communications for Windows Version 5.8. The minimum SYSTEM SUPPORT REQUIREMENTS are as follows: SSA will require vendor support for the A) installation; B) maintenance; C) training of developers in the use of the SR IDE; D) development consulting services; E) technical support; and F) support for SSA assistive technology (see “Accessibility Requirements). The minimum ACCESSIBILITY REQUIREMENTS are as follows: A) shall meet the applicable accessibility standards required in Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended 29 U.S.C. § 794 (d); and B) shall have the ability to be processed by SSA’s assistive technology (AT) products. Information on the accessibility standards prescribed by law is available at the official website: http://www.section508.gov. Information on by SSA’s Assistive Technology (AT) products, including JAWS, MAGic, and Dragon Naturally Speaking, can be found at http://www.ssa.gov/oag/acq/oagacq_508.htm. NOTE: Interested vendors must provide verifiable proof in sufficient detail to demonstrate their ability to meet accessibility requirements. SSA does perform rigorous testing for Section 508 compliance. Vendors are required to submit prototypical screens containing all GUI presentation controls that must pass SSA compliance testing. Additionally, if JAWS scripts are required for accessibility and usability, the creation and maintenance of the scripts are the responsibility of the vendor. NO FORMAL SOLICITATION IS BEING ISSUED AT THIS TIME. Vendors that believe they can offer a technically compliant product are invited to submit information concerning their products capabilities. Detailed responses to each of the above requirements, with substantiating documentation, are required. The responses must clearly state how their product provides the ability to meet each of the above requirements. Simple marketing information or incomplete responses will not be considered. Reference to vendor web sites is not considered a valid response. Vendors responding should indicate whether their products are available on any established contractual vehicle (FSS, GWAC, etc). Pricing data may be submitted, including that for the initial software as well as for annual maintenance. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation of data received. No contract award will be made on the basis of responses received; however, this information may be used in SSA’s assessment of capable sources. The government does not intend to pay for information provided. No faxed responses. ELECTRONIC RESPONSES ONLY PLEASE. NOTE: There is a size limit for e-mail: No submission shall be greater than 5MB. MS Word 2002 is the standard word processing software.

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