Commerce plans procurement coaching forum for tech firms

The Commerce Department next week is sponsoring a two-day homeland security technology exposition in an effort to connect owners of small high-tech security companies with federal procurement officers.

The Sept. 18-19 forum follows the deluge of high-tech company offers after last year's terrorist attacks to help the federal government boost homeland security. At the time, most companies called the White House Office of Homeland Security to offer their services, but no one within that office was tasked to consider the usage of security technologies.

"Everyone and their brother wanted to get in to see [Office of Homeland Security Director Tom] Ridge," Phil Bond, Commerce's chief of staff and the head of Technology Administration, said at a news briefing. "So we began talking with the Homeland Security Office about this expo ... and we designed it specifically for procurement officers."

Bond said the focus of the expo is to help companies that do not understand federal contracting rules or have connections with agency procurement officers but want to sell their technology to the government.

In addition, Commerce also hopes to provide the companies with connections to state and local government officials and private-sector companies that might be interested in new security technologies.

"Folks inside the Beltway know how to pursue a sale," Bond said. "This is designed for folks that don't know how to sell here."

He also highlighted several Commerce events scheduled for next week, including a Tuesday release, by Commerce Secretary Donald Evans, of an education and technology report. The report asked 14 visionaries, including Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, about how to use technology in education over the next 20 years.

Also on Tuesday, Commerce officials will meet with consumer groups to discuss the role of rules on "fair use" of copyrighted material and consumer rights in the development of technology to manage digital rights. Bond has convened several forums on the issue and its role in boosting demand for high-speed Internet services.

Within the next several weeks, Bruce Mehlman, Commerce's assistant secretary for technology policy, expects to release a report on the department's analysis of policies needed to spur demand for broadband services. Mehlman said the release may coincide with a meeting of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology on Sept. 30. That group also has been considering barriers to broadband demand.

Lastly, Bond is traveling to China on Sept. 21 for a meeting with the Ministry of Science and Technology there. Bond said the trip is about fulfilling a U.S. pledge to have "regular communication" with China's technology officials.