<nettime> 'Open Source Solutions'

[t byfield <tbyfield@panix.com>]

[afaict, this is a research company 'vaguely hinting' that
 it has 'connections' with the military/intelligence crowd,
 but it reads like someone spiked their punch with Special
 B(uzzword). this is one of the weidest fusions of pompous
 'intelligence' rigmarole, new-media lingo, and mixed meta-
 phors i've ever seen; and how it panders to the overblown
 anxieties of the global business class, which for all its
 tie-loosening-in-the-slanting-rays-of-a-redeye-taking-off-
 at-dusk pretentions seems to be scared witless these days.
 i especially like the part about how they offer proxy ser-
 vices for those too discreet to subscribe to a listserver
 under their own name. heh: their web site's broken--maybe
 their mailing list software is too. --tb]


FAIRFAX, Va., Jan. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- The burgeoning open
source intelligence world -- a community made up of former
intelligence agents, military and law enforcement
intelligence analysts, market research specialists, business
intelligence analysts, private investigators and information
search & retrieval professionals -- all took a step forward
today. OPEN SOURCE SOLUTIONS Inc. (OSS) unveiled the
beginning of the "virtual intelligence community," a global
information-sharing environment. This new environment will
allow: (1) online access to the wide variety of private
sector offerings in the information industry through a
single vertical portal or "one stop shop" intelligence mall;
and (2) the exchange and archiving of member-provided
content and insights from the global intelligence and
information professionals communities. 

OSS, via its Web site, has for seven years been the
world's sole source provider of content about the emerging
discipline of open source intelligence. As of today,
http://www.oss.net opens its second phase of global service.
The four major areas of the site are:

* Open Source Marketplace(TM), provides no cost access to
"best in class" international offerings of source content,
software processing, and services. Links can be easily added
at the suggestion of visitors to expand the global link
service based on the experience of veteran practitioners. A
related proxy service is offered for those who do not wish
to subscribe or purchase anything directly.

* Information Arbitrage(TM), is a service through which
leaders, flag officers, law enforcement executives, and all
their supporting mid-level managers and action officers can
purchase a wide variety of tailored intelligence products,
including customer-focused daily and weekly intelligence
analyses. Recent issues have varied as widely as Caspian Sea
oil production, kidnappings world-wide, complex peacekeeping
operation and disaster relief conditions, Russian nuclear
activities, and Y2K. Each report is developed in close
consultation with the client. Risk analysis, competitor or
competitive intelligence and customer needs assessment are
all offered. This section of the Web site also includes free
distance-learning packages and related professional
references.

* MindLink(TM) allows members to join discussion lists
business intelligence, military intelligence, law
enforcement intelligence, and other intelligence topics.
Members can request the creation of new discussion groups,
including private groups for specific national or
professional groups where members must be qualified, on any
topic related to the "sources & methods" of the
international intelligence and information professional.
The existing lists can be joined through the Web site or
through direct email to <business-request@oss.net>,
<military-request@oss.net>, and <police-request@oss.net>.
The list moderators are Mr. Jan Herring, father of business
intelligence in the United States; Mr. Robert Steele,
international expert for open source intelligence in the
service of government; and Mr. Frans Mulschlegel, head of
the open source intelligence bureau of EUROPOL. MindLink
also provides access to over 5,000 pages of material from
over 500 international authorities, and two publications, a
monthly OSS NOTICES and, eventually, a quarterly Global
Intelligence Journal, as well as an information "bank" for
member-provided content with several access control options.
In combination with OSS's series of annual conferences in
the Pacific, Europe and the United States, MindLink serves
as the "community center" for intelligence and information
professionals world-wide who recognize that relationships --
knowing one another -- are often as important as access any
single sources, software, or service.

* Convenience Center, a gateway through which business and
other travelers can readily access a range of trip planning
information sources, including traveler's advisories and per
diem rates in cities worldwide, as well as free information
sources pertinent to the three major open source
intelligence communities: business, military, and law
enforcement.


OSS Inc., founded in 1992, is the founder and leader of the
emerging marketplace for comprehensive business and open
source intelligence. Open source intelligence, unlike the
vast range of excellent offerings from the existing
information and research industry, integrates the proven
process of national intelligence (requirements definition,
collection management, source validation, multi-source
fusion, compelling concise presentation) with an unsurpassed
knowledge of online, offline, and human sources world-wide.
This unique process adds human value at several points not
now offered by traditional information services, and
leverages a global network of human experts who are
integrated on a "just enough, just in time" basis to create
affordable yet responsive and deeply insightful intelligence
support for business managers, military commanders and their
staffs, law enforcement authorities, and other international
personalities.

SOURCE Open Source Solutions, Inc.

Web Site: http://www.oss.net
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