APPLANIX_JA_a_1.pdf

SOLES SOURCE JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL FOR ACQUISITION UNDER THE SIMPLIFIED

ACQUISITION THRESHOLD

1. Contracting Agency and Activity. The Department of the Interior, United States Geological Survey (USGS) Reston Acquisitions Branch, plans to contract on a sole source basis. This document sets forth the justification and approval as required by FAR 13.106-1(b)(1).

2. Nature of Action Being Approved. The USGS - Woods Hole Coastal & Marine Science Center (WHCMSC) has a requirement to continue an extended maintenance agreement (EMA) for integrated data acquisition software and hardware provided by Applanix Corp through their sole U.S. reseller of equipment, Seafloor Systems, Inc. for the period of 09/21/2023 – 09/20/2028.

3. Description of Supplies or Services. The EMA is to upgrade the current operating software, and to provide field support as needed during the fiscal year survey season. Applanix Corp.

releases periodic updates to the software enhancements and new features that address our Center’s operational staff requirement to properly collect remote sensing data (swath bathymetric data) for field geologic studies.

4. Estimated Dollar Value. $87,660.00.

Base Year $17,532.00 9/21/2023 – 9/20/2024 Option Year 1 $17,532.00 9/21/2024– 9/20/2025 Option Year 2 $17,532.00 9/21/2025– 9/20/2026 Option Year 3 $17,532.00 9/21/2026– 9/20/2027 Option Year 4 $17,532.00 9/21/2027– 9/20/2028

5. Statutory Authority. The proposed action may be awarded on a sole source basis in accordance with FAR 13.106-1(b)(1) “Only One Source Reasonable Available.”

6. Rationale Supporting Use of Citation in No. 5. Applanix maintains proprietary rights to the POS MV Wavemaster series software and hardware as well as the POSPac GNSS post-processing software. They do not distribute their products to other vendors, and therefore, the only vendor able to provide maintenance/support on our POS MV Wavemaster software and hardware in the U.S. is Seafloor Systems, Inc.

7. Other Information. The WHCMSC Sea Floor Mapping Group (SFMG) is tasked to collect remote sensing data (swath bathymetric) for field geologic studies. The Applanix data acquisition software and hardware provide a unified software interface to our existing instruments. Yearly EMA renewals allow our group to download updated documentation and software modules, firmware updates for our hardware to ensure proper operation, and give us access to 24/7 technical support. This support is critical for field operations, ensuring that the WHSC SFMG has the latest hardware and software support for our instrumentation that provides critical field data for several funded on-going CMGP field programs. Applanix supplies a single data acquisition program, POSView, which fulfills our need for an interface to collect remote sensing data delivered by the POS MV Wavemaster hardware. WHCMSC currently utilizes this software in field programs, and they are the only manufacturer that supplies software/hardware EMA support for the POSView software needed to operate our motion reference unit supplied by

Applanix, the POS MV Wavemaster, which is critical for collecting accurate data from our swath bathymetric instruments. The POSPac GNSS post-processing software allows members of the

WHCMSC SFMG to refine and correct for any errors encountered during the collection of the raw

POS MV data. The Appia nix positioning and orientation software line is used throughout the USGS to assist in airborne, land and marine surveying/mapping. The navigation algorithm that Appian ix uses is unique and considered proprietary. By changing the software, the associated hardware would have to be change out too due to the proprietary software and programing. A change in software would result in a loss of data continuity. Any data that had been previously collected would have to be run through the new program to ensure that the data is cohesive and interpretable.

8. The Efforts to Identify Additional Sources Including the Market Research Conducted. The

Market research indicates there are several manufacturers of positioning equipment, however none can provide data continuity as noted above.

9. Future Plans to Permit Competition. The USGS - WHSC conducts market research on a regular basis. However, the Applanix software and hardware are proprietary products, and the company retains the rights to distribute the software/hardware and does not plan to add any other resellers besides Sea Floor Systems, Inc. Future requirements will undergo market research and be competed to the maximum extent practical.

10. Recommendation Program Office

Based on the above, I recommend this acquisition be conducted on a sole source basis and certify that the above statements are true and correct.

Associate Director

11. Certifications from the Contracting Officer

a. Prices will be determined fair and reasonable by comparing prices paid on previous orders.

b. This justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) considers employee signatures to be Personal Protected Information, and therefore all employee signatures have been redacted. By posting this document, the Contracting Officer attests all appropriate signatures have been obtained.