The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will conduct an open briefing for industry and other interested commercial and non-profit organizations on the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) Data Management and Communications (DMAC) Subsystem on March 12, 2009, 9:00AM - 12:00PM at the NOAA Auditorium and Science Center, 1301 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910.

The session will provide attendees with a detailed progress report on the development of a functional IOOS DMAC subsystem for the United States in a national and regional context including recent and current programs and future plans.

NOAA will also announce at this briefing the anticipated 2009 release of a Request for Information (RFI) to formally seek comments on proposed design, deployment, and level of effort required to implement a national IOOS DMAC subsystem assuming an incremental and evolutionary approach.

The tentative agenda for the plenary session, which is subject to change, includes:

1. Welcome & Introduction - NOAA Acquisition & Grants
* Review purpose/format of brief

2. IOOS Program Briefs

US IOOS - general goals/objectives
* NOAA IOOS Program
* General Overview
* Data Integration Framework - Initial oals/Objectives
* DIF Architecture/Design
* IOOS Regional Progress on DMAC
* DMAC Planning To Date

Federal IOOS Partners
* US Army Corps of Engineers
* US Geological Survey
* US Environmental Protection Agency
* US Navy

3. Closing Presentation/Remarks - NOAA Grants & Acquisition
* Brief on how NOAA Grants/Acquisition Process works, etc
* Discuss RFI
* Includes fielding questions on acquisition process/planning, RFI, etc.

4. Question and Answer Session

Noon Adjourn

Following the plenary session demonstrations, displays and/or additional information on IOOS DMAC featuring NOAA, other Federal IOOS partners and regional IOOS activities will be available.

For more information, go to the NOAA IOOS site at http://ioos.noaa.gov/library/difdmacdocs.html

If you would like to attend the IOOS DMAC Briefing** please contact Mrs. Kristen S. Evangelista ([email protected] or 301-713-0820 x136) AND Joshua S. Helms ([email protected] 301-713-0820 x143) by close of business, February 27, 2009. Please supply your name, title, organization, address, e-mail address and phone number.

** Due to space constraints, firms are requested to limit the number of representatives attending the briefing to two per organization.

Please e-mail questions, if any, to Mrs. Evangelista and Mr. Helms at the contact information provided.

Directions to the IOOS DMAC Briefing can be found at http://www.ready.noaa.gov/ss/directions.html

Public, metered (coins only), parking is available.  See above link for location of garage.