The provincial government's media monitoring service is about to get an upgrade. According to documents posted on BC Bid today, the finance ministry has contracted with Aktiv Software Corp. to build upon Today's News Online's "existing performance measurement and analysis tools, including category assignment, tone designation, report mechanism and graphics package." In practice, that means news collected by the services will soon feature information about how many people might have read, listened to or seen those stories and where they live. So, for example, an article published by The Times Colonist would include the newspaper's readership numbers. The value of the contact isn't expected to exceed $55,400. The following is a complete copy of the notice of intent.

Notice of Intent
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Public Affairs Bureau

Issued March 10, 2008

Solicitation # 1994
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Today's News Online - Information Systems Upgrade

Notice is hereby given by the Public Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Finance of its intent to contract with the Aktiv Software Corporation to upgrade the current Today's News Online application and build upon existing performance measurement and analysis tools, including category assignment, tone designation, report mechanism and graphics package.

The value of these services will not exceed the amount of $55,400 and is expected to cover the period March 17th, 2008 to August 31st, 2008. The contract and the financial obligations of the Province pursuant to this contract are subject to:
1) there being sufficient funds available in an appropriation, as defined in the Financial Administration Act, to enable the Province in any fiscal year or part thereof when the payment of money by the Province to the Contractor falls due under the Contract entered into pursuant to this Notice of Intent to make that payment; and
2) Treasury Board, as defined in the Financial Administration Act, not having controlled or limited expenditure under any appropriation referred to in subsection a) of this section.

The Public Affairs Bureau has chosen not to call for vendor proposals for the following reasons:

* Aktiv Software Corporation has extensive knowledge of the Today's News Online application.
* A significant investment of resources would be required to bring another contractor up to speed on the application in order to provide the same level of service.
* The Public Affairs Bureau does not feel that an investment of additional resources is warranted given that Aktiv Software has provided excellent service to date and is available to perform the services required.

Vendors who wish to object to this decision, should contact Scott Ryckman, Manager, Today's News Online, Public Affairs Bureau, by facsimile at (250) 356-5901, on or before 2:00 PM Pacific Time, March 14th, 2008. Specific reasons for their objection should be provided. If justified, the Public Affairs Bureau will convene a meeting of the Public Affairs Bureau representatives and the vendors to receive vendor representations concerning this contract.

Vendor ability to offer products and services resulting in the same or better solutions at a lower cost in the same timeframe will be the criterion with regard to the consideration of vendor objections.

Closes: March 14th, 2008 at 2:00 PM Pacific Time

For more information contact:
Scott Ryckman, Manager, Today's News Online