A new tiny recorder called the PQube solves this problem by capturing complete information about every power disturbance. The tough PQube functions like the black box in an airplane, recording the reason for every crash. Government technicians and engineers use PQubes to increase the reliability of airport systems, data centers, sophisticated medical electronics and building automation systems.

Using miniaturized technology, the PQube power monitor is about the size of a large digital camera and costs about the same as a high-end digital camera. The unit replaces older portable instruments the size of a suitcase and cost as much as a small car.

Currently deployed by the FAA, U.S. Navy, NASA, Intel, and hundreds of other organizations, the PQube automatically write reports to pop-in, pop-out digital camera memory cards.  If an Ethernet port is available, the PQubes will even automatically email photographs of every power disturbance to their user.  No software is required – everything is built into the PQube. They even functions as an ultra-accurate ultra-high-resolution energy meter, with a built-in web server. 

A new partnership between Technical Communities, a contract, marketing and sales company focused on the public sector, and Power Standards Lab (PSL), the maker of the PQube monitors, gives government buyers greater access and lower pricing in multiple distribution channels, including www.gsaadvantage.com, www.gsamart.com, and www.testmart.com. PSL products will be offered to eligible organizations under General Services Administration (GSA) Multiple Award Schedules (MAS) managed by Technical Communities using Schedule #GS24F0066M.

“Our new partnership with Technical Communities will make it even easier for government buyers to take full advantage of PQube power monitors,” said Alex McEachern, President of Power Standards Lab. “And we’re proud that all of our instruments, including the PQube, are designed and made here in the USA.”

“Technical Communities is excited to offer the federal government power quality and energy monitoring instrumentation from PSL,” said Peter Ostrow, President and CEO of Technical Communities. “With Technical Communities’ expertise in the federal market, we could help PSL achieve greater reach into government purchasing organizations.”

Technical Communities, Inc.

The rating on the GSA Administrative Report Card is based on the requirement and performance of the contractor in contract compliance, record accuracy, lowest pricing options, and timely delivery.

“Technical Communities is proud to receive an exceptional rating for our service performance in the scientific and test equipment GSA Schedule,” said Peter Ostrow, President and CEO of Technical Communities, Inc. “This rating is a strong proof of our commitment and hard work in optimizing the GSA buying experience for government users, military personnel and federal contractors.”

Technical Communities markets and sells FSC 66 test, measurement, laboratory and scientific equipment under the TestMart and LaboratoryEquipmentMart ecommerce sites and brands. The company regularly sells to more than 1,400+ U.S. government, military and prime federal contractor buying organizations. Technical Communities has a record number of partnerships with 120+ technical companies. In addition to service offerings, the company holds and manages multiple federal, state and local government contracts.

Technical Communities, Inc.

All Technical Communities’ revenue categories achieved record results, including test, laboratory, medical, information technology and direct marketing. This is the eighth of the past nine years where the company showed year over year sales growth.

The privately held company also now has a record number of partnerships with 120+ technical companies. In addition to service offerings, the company holds and manages multiple federal, state and local government contracts. It is owner and operator of industry leading online marketplaces that focus on the U.S. government agencies, military organizations and prime federal contractors. They include ecommerce sites gsamart.com and testmart.com and the govcontractsmagazine.com government-focused content network.

“We are very excited to announce these results for 2011. It was Technical Communities’ focus on our partners’ needs, expertise in reaching government customers and successful management of multiple GSA Schedules that helped us achieve record sales and partnerships,” said Peter Ostrow, Technical Communities, Inc. President and CEO.

Technical Communities continues to add partners, product lines and services that solve problems and focuses on government customers. The company regularly sells to more than 1,400+ U.S. government, military and prime federal contractor buying organizations and has reach into the 1+ million prospects in its proprietary database.

For the fourth year in a row, Technical Communities was named to Inc. Magazine’s list of the fastest growing private companies in America.

Technical Communities, Inc.

Under the agreement, Technical Communities will have exclusive rights to offer Primex Wireless facility monitoring solutions on GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service Worldwide Schedules. The Synchronous Network System (SNS^TM) is a single platform with web-based software that gives facility managers unprecedented capabilities for time synchronization, wireless sensor monitoring, automated emergency light testing, automatic email alerting, and accurate event logging. SNS is one of the first wireless platforms on the market that helps facility managers improve efficiency in clock synchronization, school bell systems, and environmental sensor monitoring by using their existing Wi-Fi networks. Primex Wireless’ solutions maximize the benefits of an organization’s existing IT infrastructure and reduce the need for any additional IT capital expenditures.

“Technical Communities provides proven go-to-market solutions for Primex Wireless to sell into the government market,” said Paul Shekoski, CEO of Primex Family of Companies. “This partnership will enable Primex Wireless to more effectively serve the government market with our SNS compliance management and time synchronization solutions.”

“Technical Communities is excited to offer the federal government cost-effective facility monitoring solutions from Primex Wireless,” said Peter Ostrow, President and CEO of Technical Communities. “We have a total commitment to create the most effective public sector buying and selling opportunities for industry-leading organizations such as Primex Wireless.”

Primex Wireless products will be offered to eligible entities under General Services Administration (GSA) Multiple Award Schedules (MAS) managed by Technical Communities, which will provide Primex Wireless with sales support, demand generation, marketing and reporting services. Primex Wireless products are available for purchase through the GSA’s e-commerce web site, www.gsaadvantage.gov, and the company’s own online marketplaces, www.gsamart.com and www.testmart.com.

Technical Communities, Inc.

The partnership agreement authorizes Technical Communities to distribute Falcon Electric UPSs, frequency converters and AC voltage regulators. Some top products include:

• SSG Series UPS, which features a 0 to 55C operating range, in sizes of 1.5kVA, 2.2kVA and 3kVA, in both tower and rack-mount form factors
• SSG Series UPS, which features a -20C to 65C operating range, in sizes of 1kVA, 1.5kVA, 2kVA, 2.5kVA and 3kVA

 “Our SSG Series UPS has proven to be a very successful product, in terms of sales beating our forecasted demand for several quarters,” said Ron Seredian, Vice President of Marketing at Falcon Electric, Inc. “We are addressing an issue that has become a chronic problem – frequency of battery replacement – by ruggedizing the UPS with components designed for heat.”

An example is the UPS’ battery, which is designed to operate for 4 years at 50C and an astonishing 10-12 years at room temperature. A standard battery – the type virtually all our competitors use – lasts about 6-8 months at 50C.

Falcon Electric products are under General Services Administration (GSA) Multiple Award Schedules (MAS) managed by Technical Communities, which will provide content, transaction, marketing, sales support, and reporting services around them. Technical Communities also will provide presentation and order processing through the GSA’s e-commerce web site, www.gsaadvantage.gov, and the company’s own online marketplaces, www.gsamart.com and www.testmart.com.

Technical Communities, Inc.

The partnership agreement authorizes Technical Communities to distribute and market TEGAM’s test, measurement and calibration instrumentation. Some top products include:
• PM Series 50 GHz Power Sensor Calibration System
• 2300 Series Amplifiers for Arbitrary Waveform Generators
• 4040A PXI Instrumentation Amplifier and Signal Conditioner
• 1750/BAT Portable Microohmmeter that replaces the Keithley 580
• AVM-2000 Isolated Nanovolt Null Meter

TEGAM products are under General Services Administration (GSA) Multiple Award Schedules (MAS) managed by Technical Communities, which will provide content, transaction, marketing, sales support, and reporting services around them. Technical Communities also will provide presentation and order processing through the GSA’s e-commerce web site, www.gsaadvantage.gov, and the company’s own online marketplaces, www.gsamart.com, www.testmart.com, and www.navicpmart.com.

Technical Communities, Inc.

The partnership agreement authorizes Technical Communities to distribute test & measurement cables, RF cables, connectors and adapters from MegaPhase. Some popular product series include:

• SiteLine™ Armored Test SL series cable: Offering GrooveTube® performance, it is a rugged armored cable assembly for on-site field testing using portable network analyzers.
• VNA Test VN series cable: Utilizing GrooveTube® technology, it is a rugged precision test cable to be used on microwave network analyzers and a low cost alternative to OEM test cable.
• RF Orange™ TM series cable: Offering GrooveTube® performance, it is a cost effective solution for test applications including ATE/ATS and BERT/scalar/spectrum.

MegaPhase products are under General Services Administration (GSA) Multiple Award Schedules (MAS) managed by Technical Communities, which will provide content, transaction, marketing, sales support, and reporting services around them. Technical Communities also will provide presentation and order processing through the GSA’s e-commerce web site, www.gsaadvantage.gov, and the company’s own online marketplaces, www.gsamart.com, www.testmart.com, and www.navicpmart.com.

The SAT is the threshold under which the government can use less formal procedures to purchase their goods and services. Typically these purchases are done by issuing a Request for Quotation or RFQ. For those requirements under $25,000, no FedBizOps announcement is required. Agencies can use a local business list. Terms and conditions, evaluations and award are simplified and can even be done orally.

Small business set asides are mandatory for acquisitions under $150,000 (excluding those under $3,000 or on a GSA schedule). Agencies must set these aside unless there are no small businesses that can provide the requirement or perform the service. Agencies in your area will most likely use the small business in their area to fulfill their requirements.

SAT procedures can be used to acquire open market items when the total requirement is under $150, 000. These are items that are not on GSA contract because of trade agreement act restrictions, new items, or pricing issues. When this is the case, again small businesses get preference for providing those items. When the SAT procedures are competed, an agency can include those items on their GSA contract order.

Things to Do Now:

• Make sure you are on the local bidders lists for any federal agency or installation in your area.

• Make sure your business size and NAIC codes are correct in your CCR and ORCA websites (https://www.bpn.gov/ccr/default.aspx; https://orca.bpn.gov)

• Subscribe to GovContracts to receive notices of federal opportunities (http://search.govcontractsmagazine.com/contracts/fbosearch.cfm)

• To expand the government’s ability to access your products without worrying about the new thresholds you can get your items on a GSA Schedule contract.
  - Locate partners now such as Technical Communities who will act for you in the market.
  - Make sure they have full access to the products or services that are in demand for the government markets.

The ideal candidate has a solid background in government contract negotiation and technology licensing to federal, state and local governments. This is a full time regular position with competitive salary, comprehensive benefits package, stock options and a quality work environment.

See full Job Description

The agreement authorizes Technical Communities to distribute Ideal Industries products, including HeatSeeker^TM handheld thermal imager, LanTEK® cable certifier series, FiberTEK® fiber certifier series, SignalTEK^TM cable performance tester series, SecruiTEST^TM CCTV tester series, TightSight^TM clamp meter series, SureTest® circuit analyzer series, OTDR series, circuit tracer series, power analyzer series, and E-Z check receptacle tester series. More product information is available at http://ideal.testmart.com.

“We are excited to work with Technical Communities as a channel partner to better serve our government customers. Their extensive client list and strong technical sales/support capabilities make them a natural fit for our marketing and sales efforts,” said Jason Butchko, VP/GM Networks Division of Ideal Industries, Inc.

“Technical Communities is excited to offer the federal government an even broader array of high quality technical products,” said Peter Ostrow, President and CEO of Technical Communities. “We will continue to optimize the GSA buying and selling experience for organizations such as Ideal Industries.”

Ideal Industries products are under General Services Administration (GSA) Multiple Award Schedules (MAS) managed by Technical Communities, which will provide content, transaction, marketing, sales support, and reporting services around them. Technical Communities also will provide presentation and order processing through the GSA’s e-commerce web site, www.gsaadvantage.gov, and the company’s own online marketplaces, www.gsamart.com, www.testmart.com, and www.navicpmart.com.