Space Launch News
SpaceX Docks with Space Station in one of the First Commercial Launches
http://professional.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304840904577426042171703270.html?mod=WSJPRO_hpp_LEFTTopStories
100 YEAR STARSHIP™ STUDY
BACKGROUND
Throughout history technical challenges have inspired generations to achieve scientific breakthroughs of lasting impact. Nearly fifty years ago, for instance, the race to the moon sparked global excitement surrounding space exploration that persists to this day. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has initiated a study to inspire the first steps in the next era of space exploration—a journey between the stars.1 Neither the vagaries of the modern fiscal cycle, nor net-present-value calculations over reasonably foreseeable futures, have lent themselves to the kinds of century-long patronage and persistence needed to definitively transform mankind into a space-faring species.
The 100 Year Starship™ Study is a project seeded by DARPA to develop a viable and sustainable model for persistent, long-term, private-sector investment into the myriad of disciplines needed to make long-distance space travel practicable and feasible. The genesis of this study is to foster a rebirth of a sense of wonder among students, academia, industry, researchers and the general population to consider “why not” and to encourage them to tackle whole new classes of research and development related to all the issues surrounding long duration, long distance spaceflight. DARPA contends that the useful, unanticipated consequences of such research will have benefit to the Department of Defense and to NASA, and well as the private and commercial sector.
This endeavor will require an understanding of questions such as: how do organizations evolve and maintain focus and momentum for 100 years or more; what models have supported long term technology development; what resources and financial structures have initiated and sustained prior settlements of “new worlds?”
DARPA is supported in this effort by NASA Ames Research Center, who will act as the execution agent on DARPA’s behalf.
DESCRIPTION
We are seeking ideas for an organization, business model and approach appropriate for a self-sustaining investment vehicle. The respondent must focus on flexible yet robust mechanisms by which an endowment can be created and sustained, wholly devoid of government subsidy or control, and by which worthwhile undertakings—in the sciences, engineering, humanities, or the arts—may be awarded in pursuit of the vision of interstellar flight. Several attributes are of interest, specifically:
1 For more information, see prior press releases at http://www.darpa.mil/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=1799 and http://go.usa.gov/bqB, as well as the study website at http://www.100yearstarshipstudy.com.
• Long-term survivability over a century-long time horizon;
• Self-governance, independent of government participation or oversight;
• Self-sustainment, independent of government funding; and
• Relevance to the goal of moving humanity toward the goal of interstellar travel, including related technological, biological, social, economic, and other issues.
Respondents are requested to provide a description of a proposed organization and approach for the establishment and operation of the 100 Year Starship™ research entity. Responses should describe the:
• Organizational structure;
• Governance mechanism;
• Investment strategy and criteria; and
• Business model for long-term self-sustainment,
as needed to meet the objectives and attributes described above.
DARPA anticipates issuing an appropriate contract instrument for initial start-up and early operating expenses for the organization not to exceed several hundred thousand dollars. This RFI is intended to solicit ideas and information on structure and approach, and identify parties qualified and interested in furthering the 100 Year Starship™ effort. DARPA may draw upon the responses to this RFI in formulating the structure and content of a subsequent Broad Area Announcement (BAA) or Request for Proposals (RFP). In providing a response to this RFI, respondents should consider that a future BAA or RFP will likely ask for details on:
• Methods for inspiring new generations of researchers,
• Methods for obtaining initial and sustaining funding,
• Branding and messaging for the long term research strategy,
• Approach to an ongoing relationship to government research,
• Proposed Handling of Intellectual property of researchers and future products,
• Methods to incentivize researchers,
• Specific types and domains of future research.
PURPOSE OF RFI
The information obtained will be used for planning and acquisition strategy development. We will use the information obtained as a result of this RFI on a non-attribution basis. Providing data and information that is limited or restricted for use by the Government for that purpose would be of very little value and the inclusion of such restricted/limited data/information is discouraged.
Regretfully we will be unable to respond to each individual submission, but will provide an update to development and acquisition plans. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this RFI or to otherwise pay for the information solicited. As stipulated in FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not considered offers, shall not be used as a
proposal, and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. To the full extent that it is protected pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act and other laws and regulations, information identified by a respondent as "Proprietary or Confidential" will be kept confidential.
INFORMATION FOR RESPONDENTS
Responses may be a maximum of five (5) letter-size pages, with minimum 12-point font and 1-inch margins. All responses should include the responding organization’s name, an individual point of contact, physical address, e-mail address, and phone number.
Please submit all responses as a single file in Adobe PDF electronic format to [email protected] by 12:00pm (noon) Eastern Time, Friday, June 3, 2011.
Regretfully, we are unable to answer questions about this RFI. Furthermore, no telephone inquiries will be accepted.
Respondents are reminded that the evaluation process does not involve the procedures set forth in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) nor the NASA FAR or DFARS supplement since this announcement will not result in the award of a contract, grant, or cooperative agreement.
Compliance with U.S. Laws, Regulations, and Policies: Submissions must comply with all applicable U.S. laws, regulations and policies.
Use of Government Resources: If a submission is reliant on Government furnished equipment, facilities or services, such conditions should be documented in the response.
"100 Year Starship" and "100YSS" are property of the United States, trademark applications pending at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
100 YEAR STARSHIP™ STUDY
BACKGROUND
Throughout history technical challenges have inspired generations to achieve scientific breakthroughs of lasting impact. Nearly fifty years ago, for instance, the race to the moon sparked global excitement surrounding space exploration that persists to this day. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has initiated a study to inspire the first steps in the next era of space exploration—a journey between the stars.1 Neither the vagaries of the modern fiscal cycle, nor net-present-value calculations over reasonably foreseeable futures, have lent themselves to the kinds of century-long patronage and persistence needed to definitively transform mankind into a space-faring species.
The 100 Year Starship™ Study is a project seeded by DARPA to develop a viable and sustainable model for persistent, long-term, private-sector investment into the myriad of disciplines needed to make long-distance space travel practicable and feasible. The genesis of this study is to foster a rebirth of a sense of wonder among students, academia, industry, researchers and the general population to consider “why not” and to encourage them to tackle whole new classes of research and development related to all the issues surrounding long duration, long distance spaceflight. DARPA contends that the useful, unanticipated consequences of such research will have benefit to the Department of Defense and to NASA, and well as the private and commercial sector.
This endeavor will require an understanding of questions such as: how do organizations evolve and maintain focus and momentum for 100 years or more; what models have supported long term technology development; what resources and financial structures have initiated and sustained prior settlements of “new worlds?”
DARPA is supported in this effort by NASA Ames Research Center, who will act as the execution agent on DARPA’s behalf.
DESCRIPTION
We are seeking ideas for an organization, business model and approach appropriate for a self-sustaining investment vehicle. The respondent must focus on flexible yet robust mechanisms by which an endowment can be created and sustained, wholly devoid of government subsidy or control, and by which worthwhile undertakings—in the sciences, engineering, humanities, or the arts—may be awarded in pursuit of the vision of interstellar flight. Several attributes are of interest, specifically:
1 For more information, see prior press releases at http://www.darpa.mil/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=1799 and http://go.usa.gov/bqB, as well as the study website at http://www.100yearstarshipstudy.com.
• Long-term survivability over a century-long time horizon;
• Self-governance, independent of government participation or oversight;
• Self-sustainment, independent of government funding; and
• Relevance to the goal of moving humanity toward the goal of interstellar travel, including related technological, biological, social, economic, and other issues.
Respondents are requested to provide a description of a proposed organization and approach for the establishment and operation of the 100 Year Starship™ research entity. Responses should describe the:
• Organizational structure;
• Governance mechanism;
• Investment strategy and criteria; and
• Business model for long-term self-sustainment,
as needed to meet the objectives and attributes described above.
DARPA anticipates issuing an appropriate contract instrument for initial start-up and early operating expenses for the organization not to exceed several hundred thousand dollars. This RFI is intended to solicit ideas and information on structure and approach, and identify parties qualified and interested in furthering the 100 Year Starship™ effort. DARPA may draw upon the responses to this RFI in formulating the structure and content of a subsequent Broad Area Announcement (BAA) or Request for Proposals (RFP). In providing a response to this RFI, respondents should consider that a future BAA or RFP will likely ask for details on:
• Methods for inspiring new generations of researchers,
• Methods for obtaining initial and sustaining funding,
• Branding and messaging for the long term research strategy,
• Approach to an ongoing relationship to government research,
• Proposed Handling of Intellectual property of researchers and future products,
• Methods to incentivize researchers,
• Specific types and domains of future research.
PURPOSE OF RFI
The information obtained will be used for planning and acquisition strategy development. We will use the information obtained as a result of this RFI on a non-attribution basis. Providing data and information that is limited or restricted for use by the Government for that purpose would be of very little value and the inclusion of such restricted/limited data/information is discouraged.
Regretfully we will be unable to respond to each individual submission, but will provide an update to development and acquisition plans. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this RFI or to otherwise pay for the information solicited. As stipulated in FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not considered offers, shall not be used as a
proposal, and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. To the full extent that it is protected pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act and other laws and regulations, information identified by a respondent as "Proprietary or Confidential" will be kept confidential.
INFORMATION FOR RESPONDENTS
Responses may be a maximum of five (5) letter-size pages, with minimum 12-point font and 1-inch margins. All responses should include the responding organization’s name, an individual point of contact, physical address, e-mail address, and phone number.
Please submit all responses as a single file in Adobe PDF electronic format to [email protected] by 12:00pm (noon) Eastern Time, Friday, June 3, 2011.
Regretfully, we are unable to answer questions about this RFI. Furthermore, no telephone inquiries will be accepted.
Respondents are reminded that the evaluation process does not involve the procedures set forth in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) nor the NASA FAR or DFARS supplement since this announcement will not result in the award of a contract, grant, or cooperative agreement.
Compliance with U.S. Laws, Regulations, and Policies: Submissions must comply with all applicable U.S. laws, regulations and policies.
Use of Government Resources: If a submission is reliant on Government furnished equipment, facilities or services, such conditions should be documented in the response.
"100 Year Starship" and "100YSS" are property of the United States, trademark applications pending at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Virtual Portal Systems, Inc.
Virtual Portal Systems, Inc. is the educational cloud linked to mobile devices with tablets that will teach aerospace in five continents.
Cloud Based Educational Plan
Virtual Portal Systems, Inc.
Universal Interfaces for Training and Education
Seed Round Business Plan
July 2011
Contents
I. The VPS Vision
II. Overview of the VPS Business
III. The Need: A New Medium for Technical Education
IV. Virtual Portals for Training and Education
V. The Evolving Technical Education Market
VI. Selling Portals for Training and Education
VII. Managing the Portal Business
VIII. Developing and Growing the Portal Business
IX. Appendices
I. The VPS Vision
Virtual Portal Systems, Inc. (VPS) is a new company created to provide cloud-supported
training and educational applications for all forms of institutions and clients worldwide.
By integrating rapidly maturing web technologies such as cloud computing, browserindependent
web applications, and worldwide web access via portable computing
devices, VPS is creating products such as Learning Portals for virtual learning
environments and Engineering Portals for collaborative engineering design projects.
The objective is simple: replace the limited confines of the traditional classroom by
providing the richness of a world of resources, on demand, while maintaining the focus
and personal attention given within the traditional classroom environment. Because of
the critical need for improving scientific education and training worldwide, VPS will
start out by developing Portals addressing this audience.
VPS Portals will be universally accessible from any internet device and provide a new
medium for education and training. They will accomplish this by seamlessly
integrating an infinitude of educational resources, experts, and all forms of software
tools within personally customized virtual classrooms for students, professionals, and
fellow educators. Literally by touching the screen of their portal device (Tablet, PC,
Smart Phone, etc.), users will enter a portal into their virtual classroom teeming with
activities focused on the curriculum content and on providing the user with a broad
range of content delivery options. These will range from traditional lectures supported
by automated note-taking tools to immersive learning interfaces that thrust the user into
real-world projects with collaborating professionals and seamlessly integrated
professional tools.
VPS Portals will provide a 21st century vision of education to the world: universal
accessibility to all levels of education in technical sciences, supported by the leading
professionals and educators in their fields, without the need to physically be present
somewhere.
II. Overview of the VPS Business
This section provides a brief summary of how the VPS vision will be achieved.
Virtual Portal Systems, Inc. is founded by David M. Russell, Ph.D., a professional educator and leading
developer of advanced scientific and engineering software products. David designed and led the
development of many software products, including MathView Professional, HiQ, and GENSAT,
scientific and engineering products that inspired the design and creation of many well-known products
used in the scientific and engineering world today. David will start out as the Chief Operating Officer
and Chief Technical Officer of VPS. As the company grows, he will step aside from the business
development activities and concentrate on evolving the VPS product family.
The VPS Portal is David's vision, but it was inspired by Dr. Marshall Kaplan's idea of using Tablet
computers for training space professionals. Marshall H Kaplan, Ph.D. is one of the top space scientists
in the U.S. and he will provide VPS its first customers for VPS Portals. He has headed Launchspace
Training, the leading training company for space professionals, for the past 40 years. Dr. Kaplan will
direct the use of VPS Learning Portals for Launchspace training courses while VPS develops its
business over the next few years. He will also serve VPS as its acting CEO during its formative years
to solidify its business leadership. Subsequent to obtaining its initial seed funding, Dr. Kaplan will
assist Dr. Russell in recruiting executive leadership for the company.
Besides Dr. Kaplan, David's efforts in building VPS will be supported early by many other top
professionals in technical education and software development, such as Dr. Andri Gretarsson, physics
professor at Embry-Ridde Aeronautical University and Andre Rosa, an experienced developer of stateof-
the-art software products with intuitive interfaces. While engaging these highly talented experts and
building the business, David will also be actively recruiting a company CFO and the marketing and
sales professionals needed to successfully launch the business. The fact that VPS will obtain early
revenue from its initial customers should be very attractive to experienced start-up business executives.
The struggle for the U.S. and other first-world countries to maintain their lead in technical education is
becoming well documented. The changes in how our society's youth interact with one another have
been fueled by evolving communications and information-based technologies: cell phones, web-based
chat rooms, social networking tools, and advanced search capabilities are driving the need to evolve
this generation beyond the traditional classroom paradigm. The students of today and the teachers in
the near tomorrow must evolve the teaching and learning paradigm into one that inherently uses these
technologies to improve the educational environment. Why? Not only because technology is an
integral part of the lives of our youth, but because the infinite resources of the worldwide web and the
advanced capabilities of its supporting technologies empower us to greatly improve the educational
process. How these improvements can be achieved is the subject of the next section of this plan.
The first generation of portals will be built to primarily support the training of space professionals
around the world. This is a highly specialized niche market that will serve as an excellent testbed for
refining the development of VPS Portals. These “Space Portals” will incorporate many of the Portal
“Wish List” elements in a glamorous, but real-world, practical market which should greatly facilitate
obtaining media and critical attention for our Portal technologies. The Space Portal market contains the
perfect combination of leading experts (available initially through Launchspace), previously developed
course materials (supporting the traditional educational paradigm), a wealth of advanced tools
supporting the analysis and design of space hardware, software, and space missions, and a large enough
pool of highly qualified users to utilize and refine the many unique aspects of a Learning Portal.
The universal aspect of providing VPS Portals on any computer, anywhere, to any user, is greatly
facilitated by the rapidly evolving mobile computing devices incorporating access to the internet. Cell
phones, smart phones, smart readers, hand-held and net-book computers (especially Tablets and Tablet
PCs), and personal computers are all merging into universal devices with a common interface. This
interface will be that of the web browser: an intuitive graphical interface whose virtual design reflects
the specific requirements of the user's web application. The supporting computing background will be
the “cloud”: the vast network of server computers that support the use of the internet. Now is the time
to begin integrating these advanced technologies with a new vision for how to educate and train our
current and future scientists and engineers. Now is the time for the U.S. to use its technological
capabilities to improve the education of its scientists and engineers, not after the rest of the world
catches up with us. Now is the time - it is almost too late!
The development of the first generation of VPS Portals will require only two million dollars over the
first year of business. A significant portion of this expense may be offset by early revenues from the
space industry, thanks to our partnership with Launchspace Training. Clearly, VPS will be a marketdriven
company. Once the Learning Portal technology has been validated, new customers demanding
support for their training programs will emerge rather quickly, and not in just the engineering markets.
Remember, these products will be getting worldwide exposure via the internet and VPS will need to be
poised to evolve its products and develop its rapidly growing customer base around the world.
Although its early business assumptions can only point to the highly successful dot-coms (the Googles
and Amazons of the world) in their larger commercial domains for comparable business models, even a
conservative business model for VPS must incorporate an exploding growth potential, otherwise
market demand may excede VPS' ability to support its success. This business plan will conservatively
estimate rapid growth only after its second year and initially will only use the engineering training
customer base for its clients to estimate VPS revenues. Once the VPS educational paradigm has been
validated, worldwide demand may exist for new Portals possessing even more advanced features. Such
growth expectations will be carefully moderated by using the initial growth projections of the
supporting technologies along with an inertial lag assumption in adopting new technologies. That is,
the growth of the Learning and Engineering Portal markets will accommodate the inertial market
resistance traditionally associated with adopting new technologies, in spite of the ubiquity of the Portal
idea and the rapidly assimilated use of such technologies by many of its users.
In spite of such conservative assumptions, VPS projects a net profit within its second year of operations
and anticipates achieving several million dollars of revenue in its third year. Because of its early stage
of development, more precise estimates cannot be made at this time, but they will continue to be
improved as we develop and demonstrate the Portal technologies to prospective clients and investors
over the next few months.
VPS is currently pursuing an initial seed funding round of $250,000 to build and demonstrate its 1st
generation Portal prototype and to also support the development of a “zeroth generation” version of the
Portal for its early Launchspace customers. The prototype Portal, to be completed in four months (post
financing), will then be used to raise approximately two to five million dollars, depending on the
market demand generated by the Portal. Full development of the the first generation VPS Portal and
support of its first year customers is currently expected to require two million dollars. Since we are
primarily a market-driven company, the projection of additional R&D costs and marketing and sales
expenditures will be based on market requirements. Possible scenarios are summarized in section VI.
Universal Interfaces for Training and Education
Seed Round Business Plan
July 2011
Contents
I. The VPS Vision
II. Overview of the VPS Business
III. The Need: A New Medium for Technical Education
IV. Virtual Portals for Training and Education
V. The Evolving Technical Education Market
VI. Selling Portals for Training and Education
VII. Managing the Portal Business
VIII. Developing and Growing the Portal Business
IX. Appendices
I. The VPS Vision
Virtual Portal Systems, Inc. (VPS) is a new company created to provide cloud-supported
training and educational applications for all forms of institutions and clients worldwide.
By integrating rapidly maturing web technologies such as cloud computing, browserindependent
web applications, and worldwide web access via portable computing
devices, VPS is creating products such as Learning Portals for virtual learning
environments and Engineering Portals for collaborative engineering design projects.
The objective is simple: replace the limited confines of the traditional classroom by
providing the richness of a world of resources, on demand, while maintaining the focus
and personal attention given within the traditional classroom environment. Because of
the critical need for improving scientific education and training worldwide, VPS will
start out by developing Portals addressing this audience.
VPS Portals will be universally accessible from any internet device and provide a new
medium for education and training. They will accomplish this by seamlessly
integrating an infinitude of educational resources, experts, and all forms of software
tools within personally customized virtual classrooms for students, professionals, and
fellow educators. Literally by touching the screen of their portal device (Tablet, PC,
Smart Phone, etc.), users will enter a portal into their virtual classroom teeming with
activities focused on the curriculum content and on providing the user with a broad
range of content delivery options. These will range from traditional lectures supported
by automated note-taking tools to immersive learning interfaces that thrust the user into
real-world projects with collaborating professionals and seamlessly integrated
professional tools.
VPS Portals will provide a 21st century vision of education to the world: universal
accessibility to all levels of education in technical sciences, supported by the leading
professionals and educators in their fields, without the need to physically be present
somewhere.
II. Overview of the VPS Business
This section provides a brief summary of how the VPS vision will be achieved.
Virtual Portal Systems, Inc. is founded by David M. Russell, Ph.D., a professional educator and leading
developer of advanced scientific and engineering software products. David designed and led the
development of many software products, including MathView Professional, HiQ, and GENSAT,
scientific and engineering products that inspired the design and creation of many well-known products
used in the scientific and engineering world today. David will start out as the Chief Operating Officer
and Chief Technical Officer of VPS. As the company grows, he will step aside from the business
development activities and concentrate on evolving the VPS product family.
The VPS Portal is David's vision, but it was inspired by Dr. Marshall Kaplan's idea of using Tablet
computers for training space professionals. Marshall H Kaplan, Ph.D. is one of the top space scientists
in the U.S. and he will provide VPS its first customers for VPS Portals. He has headed Launchspace
Training, the leading training company for space professionals, for the past 40 years. Dr. Kaplan will
direct the use of VPS Learning Portals for Launchspace training courses while VPS develops its
business over the next few years. He will also serve VPS as its acting CEO during its formative years
to solidify its business leadership. Subsequent to obtaining its initial seed funding, Dr. Kaplan will
assist Dr. Russell in recruiting executive leadership for the company.
Besides Dr. Kaplan, David's efforts in building VPS will be supported early by many other top
professionals in technical education and software development, such as Dr. Andri Gretarsson, physics
professor at Embry-Ridde Aeronautical University and Andre Rosa, an experienced developer of stateof-
the-art software products with intuitive interfaces. While engaging these highly talented experts and
building the business, David will also be actively recruiting a company CFO and the marketing and
sales professionals needed to successfully launch the business. The fact that VPS will obtain early
revenue from its initial customers should be very attractive to experienced start-up business executives.
The struggle for the U.S. and other first-world countries to maintain their lead in technical education is
becoming well documented. The changes in how our society's youth interact with one another have
been fueled by evolving communications and information-based technologies: cell phones, web-based
chat rooms, social networking tools, and advanced search capabilities are driving the need to evolve
this generation beyond the traditional classroom paradigm. The students of today and the teachers in
the near tomorrow must evolve the teaching and learning paradigm into one that inherently uses these
technologies to improve the educational environment. Why? Not only because technology is an
integral part of the lives of our youth, but because the infinite resources of the worldwide web and the
advanced capabilities of its supporting technologies empower us to greatly improve the educational
process. How these improvements can be achieved is the subject of the next section of this plan.
The first generation of portals will be built to primarily support the training of space professionals
around the world. This is a highly specialized niche market that will serve as an excellent testbed for
refining the development of VPS Portals. These “Space Portals” will incorporate many of the Portal
“Wish List” elements in a glamorous, but real-world, practical market which should greatly facilitate
obtaining media and critical attention for our Portal technologies. The Space Portal market contains the
perfect combination of leading experts (available initially through Launchspace), previously developed
course materials (supporting the traditional educational paradigm), a wealth of advanced tools
supporting the analysis and design of space hardware, software, and space missions, and a large enough
pool of highly qualified users to utilize and refine the many unique aspects of a Learning Portal.
The universal aspect of providing VPS Portals on any computer, anywhere, to any user, is greatly
facilitated by the rapidly evolving mobile computing devices incorporating access to the internet. Cell
phones, smart phones, smart readers, hand-held and net-book computers (especially Tablets and Tablet
PCs), and personal computers are all merging into universal devices with a common interface. This
interface will be that of the web browser: an intuitive graphical interface whose virtual design reflects
the specific requirements of the user's web application. The supporting computing background will be
the “cloud”: the vast network of server computers that support the use of the internet. Now is the time
to begin integrating these advanced technologies with a new vision for how to educate and train our
current and future scientists and engineers. Now is the time for the U.S. to use its technological
capabilities to improve the education of its scientists and engineers, not after the rest of the world
catches up with us. Now is the time - it is almost too late!
The development of the first generation of VPS Portals will require only two million dollars over the
first year of business. A significant portion of this expense may be offset by early revenues from the
space industry, thanks to our partnership with Launchspace Training. Clearly, VPS will be a marketdriven
company. Once the Learning Portal technology has been validated, new customers demanding
support for their training programs will emerge rather quickly, and not in just the engineering markets.
Remember, these products will be getting worldwide exposure via the internet and VPS will need to be
poised to evolve its products and develop its rapidly growing customer base around the world.
Although its early business assumptions can only point to the highly successful dot-coms (the Googles
and Amazons of the world) in their larger commercial domains for comparable business models, even a
conservative business model for VPS must incorporate an exploding growth potential, otherwise
market demand may excede VPS' ability to support its success. This business plan will conservatively
estimate rapid growth only after its second year and initially will only use the engineering training
customer base for its clients to estimate VPS revenues. Once the VPS educational paradigm has been
validated, worldwide demand may exist for new Portals possessing even more advanced features. Such
growth expectations will be carefully moderated by using the initial growth projections of the
supporting technologies along with an inertial lag assumption in adopting new technologies. That is,
the growth of the Learning and Engineering Portal markets will accommodate the inertial market
resistance traditionally associated with adopting new technologies, in spite of the ubiquity of the Portal
idea and the rapidly assimilated use of such technologies by many of its users.
In spite of such conservative assumptions, VPS projects a net profit within its second year of operations
and anticipates achieving several million dollars of revenue in its third year. Because of its early stage
of development, more precise estimates cannot be made at this time, but they will continue to be
improved as we develop and demonstrate the Portal technologies to prospective clients and investors
over the next few months.
VPS is currently pursuing an initial seed funding round of $250,000 to build and demonstrate its 1st
generation Portal prototype and to also support the development of a “zeroth generation” version of the
Portal for its early Launchspace customers. The prototype Portal, to be completed in four months (post
financing), will then be used to raise approximately two to five million dollars, depending on the
market demand generated by the Portal. Full development of the the first generation VPS Portal and
support of its first year customers is currently expected to require two million dollars. Since we are
primarily a market-driven company, the projection of additional R&D costs and marketing and sales
expenditures will be based on market requirements. Possible scenarios are summarized in section VI.
