The IAOC is pleased to announce that the Internet Society has executed an
RFC Production Center and an RFC Publisher contract with Association
Management Solutions LLC.  The IAOC believes AMS will be able to deliver
consistent, professional, quality, timely, and cost effective services in
fulfilling these responsibilities.

AMS was selected for the RFC Production Center award following a lengthy
process and competition from two other bidders.  

The RFC Production Center RFP with its Statement of Work was developed by
the IAOC using the new RFC Editor Model developed by the IAB
<draft-iab-rfc-editor-model-07.txt> and considered community input
received during the preparation of the Statement of Work and RFI, issued
on 15 December 2008, and the draft RFP, issued on 7 May 2009. The RFC
Production Center RFP was issued on 22 May 2009.

A Bidders Conference was conducted on 3 June at the University of
Southern California's Information Sciences Institute and the transcript
was posted online. Answers to questions at the Bidders Conference and
received by 5 June were likewise posted online on 12 June.

Three bidders submitted proposals on 29 June for the RFC Production
Center opportunity.

The IAOC thoroughly reviewed the competing proposals.  The review
included interviewing all bidders, conducting editing tests, evaluating
editing skills, reviewing responses to written questions, and reviewing
references.

The AMS key personnel gave them the clear edge over the competitive
bidders in the areas of experience, existing relationships with others in
the process and community, demonstrated performance, established formal
and informal communication lines to get the job done, a demonstrated
flexibility and willingness to work with the stream managers, contract
administrators, IETF, IAB, RFC Series Editor, and the community, and a
good understanding of the IETF culture.

We are very pleased to report that Sandy Ginoza and Alice Hagens,
currently with the RFC Editor at USC-ISI, will be joining the staff at AMS
as RFC Production Center Director, and Senior Editor and IT Development
Project Manager, respectively.

The RFC Production Center contract is for a two year period, with an
option for two, two-year renewal terms. 

Also in accordance with the new RFC Editor Model developed by the IAB,
and following input received from an RFI issued in December 2008, the IAOC
decided to sole source instead of doing a competitive bid for the RFC
Publisher and negotiated an agreement with AMS as the IETF Secretariat to
provide the RFC Publisher services.  

The RFC Publisher contract is for a two year period, with an option for
two, two-year renewal terms.  

Both contracts include a provision that allows for the agreement and
Statement of Work to be changed in the event the IAB Model changes.

The contracts will commence on January 1, 2010, following a transition
period that will begin on October 13, 2009.

The IAOC would like to thank the community for its input during this
period.  It influenced and improved the process, the RFI, the RFP, and the
Statements of Work.  Thanks.

Ray Pelletier
IETF Administrative Director