USPS wants Windows at windows

The U.S. Postal Service wants to prequalify software companies that could supply a Microsoft Corp. Windows-based program to replace specialized software used at postal retail counters. Preference will be given to commercial mailing software with the greatest flexibility for incorporating USPS business rules, according to postal officials.

The April 7 presolicitation announcement said USPS officials plan to replace the retail point-of-sale software that it has been buying since 1997. Instead, the postal agency wants to buy Windows-based software to run on existing computers.

Under two earlier retail-counter programs — POS One and Integrated Retail Terminal — USPS bought about 78,000 computers from IBM Corp. and NCR Corp. Officials plan to run the new software on the IBM and NCR hardware and other retail computers.

The prequalification solicitation does not include services. USPS officials said they will do any integration work themselves.

Commercial software vendors have until April 19 to respond to the announcement.