LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION BETWEEN CORP JET AND WDB ACR. OPERATIONAL ERROR.

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CORP X WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM SFM TO EHT. AT 16000 OVER MHT; ACR Y WAS SIGHTED BY THE PLT OF X. CORP X WAS ON A HDG OF 280 DEG. ACR Y'S HDG WAS 330 DEG. ACR Y WAS CLBING THROUGH OUR ASSIGNED ALT OF 16000. THE CENTER CTLR DID NOT GIVE US THE ACR AS TFC NOR DID HE GIVE THE ACR US AS TFC. I ESTIMATE THAT ACR Y WAS 500' BELOW US AND 1 MI HORIZ FROM US. I CALLED THE CENTER TO TELL THEM; 'CORP X HAS ACR Y IN SIGHT;' AND AS WE CROSSED IN FRONT OF THE ACR; THE ACR PLT CALLED THE CENTER AND ASKED; 'WHO IS THE TFC XING IN FRONT OF US?' THE CENTER REPLIED; 'CORP X HAS YOU IN SIGHT.' IN MY OPINION; THE CENTER CTLR DID NOT GIVE US PROPER IFR SEP. CTLR DID NOT GIVE EITHER ONE OF US AS TFC; NOR DID HE TELL EITHER ONE OF US TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEP. 1) THIS PROB WAS DISCOVERED BY THE PLT OF CORP X BY VISUAL CONTACT. 2) NO EVASIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN. 3) BOTH ACFT WERE ON IFR FLT PLANS. 4) THE SITUATION OCCURRED BECAUSE OF HUMAN ERROR. 5) I HAVE NO SUGGESTION AS TO HOW TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. NOTE. I WOULD NOT CLASSIFY THIS AS A NEAR MISS; BECAUSE NO EVASIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN. IN MY OPINION; IT WAS AN INCIDENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 94170. PREOCCUPIED WITH ISSUING VFR TFC AND OTHER FUNCTIONS AT A SECTOR WHERE THE RADAR ASSOCIATE FUNCTION IS NO LONGER STAFFED; I FAILED TO OBSERVE THAT THE 2 ABOVE ACFT WERE A FACTOR FOR EACH OTHER. SOME PROB WITH OVERLAP OF DATA BLOCKS. ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO ISSUE ALT SEP AND LAT SEP; BUT ACR Y DID NOT RESPOND. MY ONLY SUGGESTION IS THAT AT A LOW ALT IN PARTICULAR; THE RADAR ASSOCIATE POS SHOULD BE STAFFED.