Archive for December 15th, 2008

ASHBURN, Va.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The United States Army Information Technology Agency (USAITA) has awarded Telos® Corporation a task order to provide Defense Message System (DMS) support at the Pentagon Telecommunications Center (PTC). The one-year contract has a potential value of $13 million and has one option year.

Awarded from the NETCENTS contract vehicle, Telos will assist the PTC with integrating, operating and maintaining a single, integrated Defense Message System at three security levels. The PTC is the Army’s nerve center in the Pentagon for operating and managing the critical IT infrastructure related to messaging.

Under the contract, Telos will operate and maintain the DMS, providing 24×7x365 customer service support for facilities in the National Capitol region and beyond. The scope of the work includes all functions, services and tasks associated with the management and operation of DMS at the PTC. These services support the PTC for all command and control messaging systems and associated infrastructure and interfaces located in the Pentagon and alternate locations.

“The single, integrated DMS securely sends and tracks official communications for command and control electronic messaging, transmits messages from one organization to another, provides orders or direction to the receiving organization, and transmits officially recognized intelligence information,” said Frank Whitehead, senior vice president and general manager, Telos Secure Solutions Division. “We are pleased to continue to ensure secure and reliable messaging in support of the Pentagon Telecommunications Center’s operations.”

Telos has provided support to PTC for the last six years. Telos’ partners for the base year services in this contract include Data Systems Analysts, Inc. (DSA), ICE Communications, and Web Business Solutions. The contract also includes some optional tasking, which Telos has teamed with Northrop Grumman, Technique Solutions, and UHD to provide.

Telos serves as a prime contractor on the five-year, $9 billion Network Centric Solutions (NETCENTS) contract vehicle. NETCENTS is an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract that provides the Air Force, the Department of Defense and other federal agencies with a single vehicle through which to buy network-centric information technologies, networking equipment, and services, as well as voice, video and data communications hardware and software and telephony solutions from preferred contractors. NETCENTS provides a proven competitive edge for the federal government by reducing the time-to-market for critical networking and communications equipment and services.

About Telos Corporation

Telos Corporation has provided innovative IT solutions and services to the federal government for more than 30 years, focusing since 1989 on secure enterprise solutions. Telos solutions ensure that the government’s most security-conscious organizations comply with demanding federal and DoD information security mandates. Offerings include Xacta IA Manager for enterprise IT security management, enterprise security consulting services, secure networks, secure enterprise messaging, and secure identity management solutions. Solutions are represented to the federal government on Telos’ GSA schedule. For more information, visit http://www.telos.com/.

OXNARD, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–CalAmp Corp. (Nasdaq:CAMP), a leading provider of wireless products, services and solutions, today announced that it has been awarded a subcontract by Ansaldo STS (STS.MI) to supply a mobile data communications network for a 1,300 kilometer private railway system in Australia. CalAmp’s subcontract is initially valued at approximately $2.5 million, with the work expected to extend through mid-2010.

The mining company that operates the private railway is currently in the process of implementing a next-generation driverless train system used to haul iron ore from remote mining locations in northwestern Australia. As part of this upgrade, CalAmp will supply its Dataradio G3 450MHz platform that operates at data rates up to 64 Kbps on private, licensed radio channels. Internet Protocol connectivity is provided for use over secure, encrypted long-range wireless links. The system will initially include 55 base stations and support approximately 120 mobile units. The mobile units will primarily be installed on locomotives and will be the communications link that enables the railroad dispatch center to remotely access information about the driverless trains, issue train orders and track the fleet. Because the trains are driverless, this expandable communications link is critical to the success of the system. CalAmp will also provide on-going maintenance and support services.

“We are pleased to be selected to upgrade the mobile data communications network for this next generation driverless train system,” commented Michael Burdiek, CalAmp’s Chief Operating Officer. “CalAmp and the train operator have a long-standing relationship, with CalAmp having deployed the current railway communications system that has been in operation for over 12 years. Our platform provides increased data speed and reliable operations under rugged environmental conditions, while controlling infrastructure costs. We look forward to a continued productive and mutually beneficial relationship with both Ansaldo and the train operator, as well as other potential customers in the mining and transportation sectors.”

About CalAmp Corp.

CalAmp provides wireless communications solutions that enable anytime/anywhere access to critical data and content. The Company serves customers in the public safety, industrial monitoring and controls, mobile resource management, and direct broadcast satellite markets. The Company’s products are marketed under the CalAmp, Dataradio, SmartLink, Aercept, LandCell and Omega trade names. For more information, please visit www.calamp.com.

JUNO BEACH, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Town of Juno Beach, Florida and Tropos® Networks, the market leader in wireless IP broadband mesh networks, today announced that Juno Beach’s wireless broadband network is being used today by both police officers to improve public safety, as well as for cost-effective Internet access services for the community.

“Our initial goal in deploying the network was to provide our mobile police officers with real-time access to information as they patrolled the community, helping make them more efficient,” said Jim Lyons, Mayor of Juno Beach.

Public Safety

The Tropos solution has greatly improved the overall effectiveness of police officers, enabling them to connect to the network from laptops in their patrol cars, providing them with real time access to key databases, and enabling download of photos, filing of reports and access to the same applications as at the precinct. “The ability for police officers to spend more time patrolling in the community while maintaining access to critical data has significantly improved their efficiency, and overall safety of the community,” said Police Chief Dennis Weiner.

Community Access

Juno Beach has 3,500 year-round residents and this number grows to over 7,000 during winter months. Previously, winter residents who wanted access during these months did not have the flexibility of obtaining broadband Internet service for just the time they were there. To address this concern, the city now offers wireless Internet access that can be purchased for just a few months of the year or as an annual subscription. This provides residents with mobile Internet access around town and a less expensive alternative to year-round cable or DSL services.

The network now blankets the 2.4 square miles of the city, covering both business and residential areas of the city. GTS designed and provided installation and configuration services for the network. Additional applications planned for deployment early next year that will further improve public safety are centralized traffic light monitoring for red light and speeding violations, and computer aided dispatch and records management. Several applications being evaluated include in-police car access to the live video feeds from the security cameras around town; real-time automated license plate reading; and a security alarm monitoring service offered to residents and businesses.

“Juno Beach’s use of the Tropos wireless network is another strong example of how a city benefits from owning and operating a wireless broadband IP network that helps them more efficiently operate many different municipal services,” said Tom Ayers, President and CEO of Tropos Networks. “Like Juno Beach, we see many customers using Tropos as a foundation for creating communities that are safer and smarter to help improve the quality of life.”

About Tropos Networks, Inc.

Tropos® Networks is the worldwide market leader in wireless IP broadband mesh networks that enable customers to own and control a smart, affordable, IP foundation for deploying high-value applications that improve the efficiencies of mobile workers, reduce operational costs and contribute towards the building of greener communities. Common applications over Tropos networks include mobile public safety (police, fire and EMS), utility automation, intelligent transportation systems and video surveillance. The patented Tropos MetroMesh™ system delivers the ultimate reliability, scalability, and security and is installed in over 30 countries. Founded in 2001, Tropos Networks is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. For more information, please visit www.tropos.com, call 408-331-6800 or write to info@tropos.com. Tropos is a registered trademark and MetroMesh is a trademark of Tropos Networks, Inc.

BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Yankee Group today unveiled its top 10 predictions for 2009, projecting that the economy will drive profound changes to forever alter the communications marketplace. The report, “It’s the Economy, Stupid: Yankee Group’s 2009 Predictions,” discusses the effect of tightening budgets on consumers, enterprises and network builders, and predicts these groups will modify spending and consumption habits in critical ways that will ultimately outlive the current economic conditions. Yankee Group views the momentum toward Anywhere—or ubiquitous connectivity—as irreversible and predicts the financial crisis will evolve the trend, not bring it to an end.

“In this global economic crisis, necessity will force adaptation. The communications sector is notoriously slow to change and will have to redefine its spending and consumption models in order to survive,” said Zeus Kerravala, Yankee Group senior vice president of research, and report co-author. “Hold on to your seats: 2009 will be a year to remember.”

Following is a sampling of the predictions. To read a complimentary copy of the full report, visit www.yankeegroup.com.

Anywhere Consumer Predictions

Premium brands will lose market share. Consumers will never quit the mobile habit, but they will demand better value from their services, which will drive short-term experimentation and change long-term brand loyalty.

Cord-cutters will emerge from the economic mist. Large numbers of consumers will cut the broadband cord for good in favor of wireless. Consumer fixed-to-mobile substitution will accelerate, driven by a value imperative and a change in consumer habits.

Anywhere Enterprise Predictions

Wired switch port sales will decline for the first time in history. Wireless LAN will transform from being an augmentation to the wired network to being the primary means of deployment. This will cause a slowdown, and ultimately a decline, in wired network switch port sales by the end of 2009.

Desktop virtualization will replace PC replacement. Mass workforce consolidations, especially in the financial services market, will force enterprises to look for ways to provision vast amounts of desktops to absorbed workforces in a fast, cheap and secure manner. 2009 will be the year that enterprises move away from the pilot and evaluation stages and finally take the desktop virtualization plunge.

Anywhere Network Predictions

Two of the eight global network equipment manufacturers will be forced out of major markets. Spurred by market consolidation and tighter capex budgets, two giants among Alcatel-Lucent, Cisco, Ericsson, Huawei, Juniper, Motorola, Nokia Siemens Networks and Nortel will be forced to exit major service provider business lines and/or significantly reorganize and scale down.

Subsidies on smart phones will strangle operator profits. The current two-year service contract requirement for devices such as the Apple iPhone and the BlackBerry Storm are out of sync with shorter innovation, refresh and consumer demand cycles. Operator profitability on these devices will suffer as a result.

About Yankee Group

The people of Yankee Group are the global connectivity experts™—the leading source of insight and counsel trusted by builders, operators and users of connectivity solutions for nearly 40 years. We are uniquely focused on the evolution of Anywhere, and chart the pace of technology change and its effect on networks, consumers and enterprises. Headquartered in Boston, Yankee Group has a global presence including operations in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Asia-Pacific. For more information, visit http://www.yankeegroup.com/