Mary Rose Roberts
Mary Rose Roberts is the associate editor of Urgent Communications, formerly Mobile Radio Technology magazine. She can be reached at maryrose.roberts@penton.com
ASHBURN, Va. – January 12, 2009 – The U.S. Army has awarded Telos® Corporation a contract to provide the biometrics services, supplies, and related hardware and software required to assist the Biometrics Task Force, an Army executive agency, as it seeks to develop an enterprise-wide biometrics infrastructure for the DoD.
The Biometrics Operations and Support Services Unrestricted (BOSS-U) contract, a new award worth as much as $497 million, will run for a three-year base period with two, one-year option periods. The multiple-award, indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quality (IDIQ) contract has a total of 12 prime contractors that will compete for task orders for both general support and targeted tasks.
The Biometrics Task Force leads DoD activities to program, integrate, and synchronize biometric technologies and capabilities and to operate and maintain the department’s authoritative biometric database in support of the National Security Strategy.
“This contract signifies an important win for Telos because it will give us the opportunity to demonstrate new capabilities that can be fielded in support of the premier organization dedicated to protecting the nation through the employment of biometrics,” said Robert Brandewie, Senior Vice President of Identity and Security Solutions for Telos. “We plan to draw on the capabilities for infrastructure development demonstrated under the Air Force’s NETCENTS contract vehicle, under which Telos is a prime contractor, as we bring cutting-edge solutions to our DoD customers under this contract.”
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/.
NEW YORK, NY, Jan 12, 2009 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX News Network) —
The Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) has selected IBM (NYSE: IBM) to build a state-of-the-art system for collecting and sharing data in real-time that potentially can prevent fires and protect firefighters and other first responders when a fire occurs.
FDNY’s new Coordinated Building Inspection and Data Analysis System (CBIDAS) will use business intelligence technologies, including predictive modeling and advanced data analytics, to anticipate fire exposures, analyze possible impacts, and improve processes that can minimize risks, such as collecting and disseminating data on building inspection, permits and violations.
“This technology will allow us to shift to a risk-based inspection system that will prevent fires and improve public safety,” said Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta. “Combining different existing databases, and linking them with those of other city agencies such as the Department of Buildings, will dramatically improve the information available to our firefighters and result in a smarter, more productive inspection program.”
“The FDNY’s strategic shift to a ’smarter’ risk-based inspections and using technology to improve data sharing directly supports its mission to advance public safety through the timely delivery of fire prevention, investigation and education services,” said Charles L. Prow, Government Managing Partner, IBM Global Business Services. “IBM is pleased to apply our expertise to this lifesaving work.”
An important element of the project will be enabling better communication, information sharing and coordination of fire inspection and site/building structure information within FDNY bureaus, and between FDNY bureaus and other city agencies such as Department of Buildings, Department of City Planning, and Department of Environmental Protection, and contractors.
The transformational FDNY initiative also will enhance fire prevention capabilities through:
A single, unified view of a property; Improved resource deployment and utilization for inspections; Expanded management analysis and preparedness planning; A risk-based inspection system for field inspections.
In August 2007, two firefighters lost their lives in a fire at the former Deutsche Bank building in New York City, which had been scheduled for demolition. Investigators attributed the loss of life to a lack of timely information available to responding firefighters. Mayor Michael Bloomberg launched an initiative to prevent similar events from happening in the future.
The goal of the CBIDAS is to ensure that firefighters and other first responders have timely access to the information they need for effective fire suppression and for maximum public and personnel safety when a fire occurs.
With the completion of the project, FDNY will also move from a strictly cyclical, schedule-based inspection process to a risk-based assessment methodology.
For more information on IBM visit www.ibm.com.
Press Contacts Frank Gribbon Deputy Commissioner, FDNY gribbof@fdny.nyc.gov 718.999.2025 Lia P. Davis IBM Media Relations, Government lia.p.davis@us.ibm.com 202.285.5333
GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Open Range Communications, a wireless broadband services provider to rural America, today announced an investment of $100 million from One Equity Partners (OEP), the private equity arm of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM). In March 2008, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Utilities Program (RDUP) approved a $267 million Broadband Access Loan for Open Range, with the prerequisite that private financing also be secured. The OEP investment satisfies the RDUP’s loan terms, making the funds available to Open Range.
Open Range’s Broadband Rollout
The funding enables Open Range to launch affordable high-speed broadband Internet and voice services to more than six million citizens in 546 underserved and rural communities, using WiMAX technology, within five years. Open Range will lease mobile satellite spectrum from Globalstar, Inc. (NASDAQ: GSAT) under Ancillary Terrestrial Component (ATC) authority granted by the Federal Communications Commission in October 2008.
“The timing of our initiative couldn’t be better,” said Bill Beans, Jr., Chairman, CEO and Founder of Open Range. “The success of this financing is a testament to the powerful opportunity offered by the promise of WiMAX technology, the strength of my team and our resolve to execute on the plan for wireless broadband in rural America. We consider this a brilliant achievement in what is clearly one of the most challenging financing markets in recent history. The Open Range project demonstrates the forethought and vision of our partners at One Equity Partners and the USDA’s Rural Development team.”
“Open Range’s approach to rural broadband deployment is both innovative and strategic. We believe that delivering broadband Internet access to underserved communities meets a critical need at a critical time in the United States,” said David Walsh, Managing Director of One Equity Partners. “We are thrilled to be partnering with Bill and his team.”
No Manual Required
Open Range’s services require no home installation, no awkward and unsightly rooftop antennae, no technicians and simple plug-in hardware setup to initiate service. Customers simply connect an Open Range Simply Easier(sm) device to a desktop or laptop computer for instant, portable, dependable and low-cost access to the Internet. In most communities network equipment will be located on existing towers.
Open Range’s WiMAX service also lends itself to a variety of innovative public safety and commercial applications, including municipal traffic control and automatic meter reading.
Partners on the Range
In late 2007, Open Range signed an agreement with Globalstar, Inc. allowing it to deploy wireless broadband service in rural communities using Globalstar’s Ancillary Terrestrial Component (ATC) authority. The agreement contemplates using the Globalstar spectrum to offer dual mode wireless broadband services to more than 500 communities that do not have adequate access to broadband voice and Internet services.
RBC Daniels, a division of RBC Capital Markets Corporation, served as financial advisor to Open Range in the arrangement of its funding and the formation of its spectrum partnership with Globalstar. Specializing in financial services to the cable, telecommunications, media and technology industries worldwide, RBC Daniels assists clients with mergers and acquisitions, public and private equity and debt financings, and financial advisory engagements.
About One Equity Partners
Established in 2001, One Equity Partners manages $8 billion of investments and commitments for JPMorgan Chase & Co. in direct private equity transactions. Partnering with management, One Equity Partners invests in transactions that initiate strategic and operational changes in businesses to create long-term value. One Equity Partners’ investment professionals are located across North America, Europe and Asia, with offices in New York, Chicago, Menlo Park, Frankfurt and Hong Kong. In recent years, One Equity Partners has invested approximately $3.5 billion to acquire over thirty companies in a variety of industries including defense, chemicals, healthcare, technology and manufacturing. Visit www.oneequity.com for more information.
About Open Range
Open Range is a broadband wireless provider using WiMAX technology to deliver wireless broadband to un-served and underserved rural American communities. Open Range plans to deliver portable and eventually mobile voice and Internet services to customers within its robust WiMAX footprint. Within the next five years, Open Range intends to serve 546 communities, making its services initially available to approximately six million people. Open Range’s wireless broadband network solution will connect customers through licensed spectrum, enabling communities to improve safety, economic growth, education, and quality of life and to remain competitive in the age of constant communications. For more information, visit www.openrangecomm.com.
MILWAUKEE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–RedPrairie Corporation, a leading consumer-driven optimization company, has announced its Warehouse Management (WMS), Workforce Management (WFM) and Collaboration Portal solutions will support the Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) around the globe. A leading source of quality merchandise and services for U.S. military families, AAFES will deploy RedPrairie throughout its worldwide distribution network, with immediate plans to implement each system in two continental U.S. facilities.
RedPrairie’s solutions will manage AAFES’s large variety of products, ranging from food and beverage, to hazardous materials, to retail goods. In addition, the RedPrairie WMS will ship to a wide variety of store formats, including quasi-mobile installations, as well as permanent stores in several countries. The goal of the entire process is to improve efficiency within the supply chain by reducing lost inventory, optimizing labor, reducing safety stock, and lowering transportation costs.
“RedPrairie has always worked with a wide variety of products from company to company,” says RedPrairie CEO Mike Mayoras, “AAFES is an amalgamation of all those industries: food and beverage, retail, automotive, and much more. We’re proud to not only serve each of these verticals, but our men and women in uniform as well.”
About Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES)
The Army & Air Force Exchange Service is a joint command and is directed by a Board of Directors which is responsible to the Secretaries of the Army and the Air Force through the Service Chiefs of Staff. AAFES has the dual mission of providing authorized patrons with articles of merchandise and services and generating non-appropriated fund earnings as a supplemental source of funding for military Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) programs. To find out more about AAFES’ history and mission or to view recent press releases please visit our Web site at http://www.aafes.com/pa/default.asp.
ABOUT REDPRAIRIE CORPORATION
RedPrairie is a world leading consumer driven optimization company. Built on an advanced Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) developed over the past 15 years, the RedPrairie integrated suite of solutions offers on-demand capabilities to over 32,000 sites worldwide for many of the world’s largest companies.
RedPrairie’s E2e™ solutions synchronize people and products throughout the customer buying cycle to ensure goods reach the right place at the right time. At the point of sale, this means consumers have access to desired products and that the store is staffed with the right people to help them make their purchases. In the production cycle, it means suppliers and manufacturers time and synchronize shipments and production based on demand signals from the retailer. And in the back room of the store, it means having the least amount of inventory, solving the “last yard” problem of the retail supply chain.
With 20 global service sites and standard service methods that have been validated over the last 30 years, RedPrairie provides unparalleled service and support. For additional information, call 1.877.733.7724, or access www.RedPrairie.com.
RedPrairie is a registered trademark of RedPrairie Corporation.
MCLEAN, Va.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Alion Science and Technology, an employee-owned technology solutions provider, has been awarded a Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) task order with a value of $21.8 million to support the agency’s mission of safeguarding the United States and its allies from weapons of mass destruction.
Alion and its partners will examine nuclear detection technologies that can lead to more robust capabilities in that area. Alion’s experts will formulate work plans, monitor research and assess progress and provide a performance assessment of “game-changing” technologies with high-risk, high-reward profiles.
This follow-on task order comes from the Indefinite-Delivery/Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) DTRA Arms Control contract that Alion was awarded in February 2002.
“The Alion team will play a vital role in assisting the government in the identification and transition of critical technologies in support of defense against weapons of mass destruction,” said Sue Archer, Alion Senior Vice President and Manager of the Operational Solutions Group. “Our work will help DTRA with formulating long-range research projects and uncovering those with the greatest potential benefits to reduce the threats posed by nuclear weapons.”
Alion’s partners are the University of Michigan, Kansas State University, Radiation Monitoring Devices, Proportional Technology Inc., Orbis Inc. and AUSGAR Inc. The period of performance runs through December 17, 2011.
About Alion Science and Technology
Alion Science and Technology is an employee-owned technology solutions company delivering technical expertise and operational support to the Department of Defense, civilian government agencies and commercial customers. Building on 70 years of R&D and engineering expertise, Alion brings innovation and insight to multiple business areas: naval architecture & marine engineering; defense operations; systems engineering; modeling & simulation; information management & technology; chemical, biological, nuclear & environmental sciences; wireless spectrum engineering; and industrial technology. Based in McLean, Virginia, Alion employee-owners are located at major offices, customer sites and laboratories worldwide. For more information, call 877.771.6252 or visit Alion online at www.alionscience.com.
This press release contains information about management’s view of Alion’s future expectations, plans and prospects that constitute forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of risk factors and uncertainties discussed in documents periodically filed by Alion with the SEC. Due to such uncertainties and risks, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.
SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today the Bay Area Council sent the following letter to the Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police of the Bay Area’s largest law enforcement agencies:
Re: Call for “Law Enforcement Mutual Aid” for Oakland
Dear Chief of Police/Sheriff:
This week, we had a tremendous demonstration of why having 9 separate counties and 101 cities in the Bay Area can hamper our region’s ability to respond to a serious crisis. Despite the heroic efforts of the Oakland Police Department, on Wednesday night, a peaceful protest regarding the tragic death of Oscar Grant at the Fruitvale BART station in Oakland got seriously out of hand, resulting in injury, destruction and an atmosphere of fear in Oakland and across our entire region. Oakland’s Police Department is already shorthanded and needed help protecting both the rights of the protestors and the innocent bystanders and business, from splinter groups bent on violence.
Next week the situation threatens to spiral desperately out of control. There are nationwide plans for protests in Oakland in the coming days, meaning we will face much bigger groups, which will attract professional anarchists and protestors. We have seen before the amount of pain and damage these people can cause in cities like Seattle. Oakland and the Bay Area’s residents and businesses cannot afford this kind of mayhem, especially at a time of national hope and change.
The Bay Area Council, and the region’s businesses that we represent, call for immediate activation of the California Office of Emergency Services “Law Enforcement Mutual Aid” for Region II. We specifically call on the Chiefs of Police of region’s nine biggest cities – San Jose, San Francisco, Fremont, Santa Rosa, Hayward, Sunnyvale, Concord, Vallejo and Daly City, and Oakland’s neighbors Berkeley and San Leandro – plus the Sheriffs of the surrounding counties – Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, San Mateo and San Francisco – to aid the Oakland Police Department, however possible. Others in the Bay Area that can help, should. Finally, we ask Governor Schwarzenegger to bring in state resources such as the Highway Patrol.
We cannot let jurisdictional lines interfere with an orderly management of these protests. If the situation gets out of hand, it will be an event that will harm Oakland in immeasurable ways.
None of this should be interpreted as interference of people’s right to protest. Public dissent is critical to a well-operating democracy. We just do not want the sincere, well-intended concerns of local protestors to be overwhelmed by violent outside forces that have different axes to grind than local protestors.
At a time of need, we cannot let Oakland stand on its own. This is a moment for our entire region to stand together.
Sincerely,
Jim Wunderman
President and CEO
CC: Theresa Becker, Chief, Golden Gate Division, California Highway Patrol
Henry Renteria, Director, Governor’s Office of Emergency Services
Charlene B. Thornton, Special Agent in Charge, San Francisco Division, FBI
The Honorable Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor, State of California
The Honorable Dianne Feinstein, Senator, State of California
The Honorable Barbara Boxer, Senator, State of California
About the Bay Area Council
The Bay Area Council is a business-sponsored, public-policy advocacy organization for the nine-county Bay Area. The Council proactively advocates for a strong economy, a vital business environment, and a better quality of life for everyone who lives here. Founded in 1945, as a way for the region’s business community and like-minded individuals to concentrate and coordinate their efforts, the Bay Area Council is widely respected by elected officials, policy makers and other civic leaders as the voice of Bay Area business. Today, approximately 275 of the largest employers in the region support the Bay Area Council and offer their CEO or top executive as a member. Our members employ more than 4.43 million workers and have revenues of $1.94 trillion, worldwide.
VERNON HILLS, Ill.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–CDW Government, Inc. (CDW-G), a wholly owned subsidiary of CDW Corporation and leading source of Information Technology (IT) solutions to governments and educators, today announced that it outfitted the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) with fully ruggedized mobile technology. CDW-G equipped 300 department land and water vehicles with Panasonic Toughbook CF-30 notebooks, enabling officers in four of ODNR’s divisions – forestry, parks and recreation, watercraft and wildlife – to immediately access critical data in the field, improving internal communications and public safety.
The ODNR owns and manages more than 590,000 acres of land and 120,000 acres of inland waters throughout Ohio. This vast geographical area of responsibility called for a mobile technology solution that would enable anytime, anywhere communication between officers in the field and headquarters dispatch in all weather conditions, as well as access to sophisticated software applications providing law enforcement, topographical and global positioning satellite (GPS) data. The department’s previous technology solution was outdated and not robust enough to meet officers’ needs in the field and, as a result, officers routinely relied on dispatch for information, overtaxing the lean staff.
Working with CDW-G, ODNR selected the Panasonic Toughbook CF-30, which is rain-, spill-, dust- and vibration-resistant and enables rapid, real-time wireless communication. Its optimized display allows officers to access information in even the harshest lighting conditions. “We were able to test drive a variety of ruggedized mobile computing solutions, exposing the technology to the elements our officers face on a daily basis,” said Dean Bolton, telecommunications manager at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. “From sub-zero temperatures to extreme heat conditions to the rigors of off-road driving, day in and day out, the Toughbooks provide our officers with near-instant communication and back-end system efficiency that allows us to better protect our citizens along with our rivers, lakes, forest and wildlife. Our ability to enter data directly into the Toughbooks instead of running information via radio to dispatch has improved operational efficiency for ODNR.”
Understanding that the ODNR needed a solid mounting solution that could withstand the daily rigors of driving in varying highway and off-road situations, CDW-G called on its partner LEDCO, a leading provider of rugged computer mounting systems to law enforcement, public safety and emergency fleets. CDW-G and LEDCO identified the optimal mounting solution to ensure that the Toughbooks remained safe, secure and easily accessible within the vehicles at all times. Additionally, the ability to remove the Toughbooks from the docking stations with ease further strengthens the officers’ mobility out in the field.
“State and local government agencies need enhanced situational awareness to work effectively and respond rapidly to incidents in the field,” said Jim Grass, CDW-G senior director of state and local government sales. “Mobile technology solutions like the Panasonic Toughbook enable the anytime, anywhere information access that is essential to citizen safety and employee productivity in today’s increasingly mobile, paperless society.”
About CDW-G
A wholly owned subsidiary of CDW Corporation, ranked No. 34 on Forbes’ list of America’s Largest Private Companies, CDW Government, Inc. (CDW-G) is a leading provider of technology solutions for federal, state and local government agencies, as well as educational institutions at all levels. The company features dedicated account managers who help customers choose the right technology products and services to meet their needs. The company’s technology specialists and engineers offer expertise in designing customized solutions, while its advanced technology engineers can assist customers with the implementation and long-term management of those solutions. Areas of focus include notebooks, desktops, printers, servers and storage, unified communications, security, wireless, power and cooling, networking, software licensing and mobility solutions.
For more information about CDW-G product offerings, procurement options, service and solutions, call 1.800.808.4239, email cdwgsales@cdwg.com or visit the CDW-G Web site at CDWG.com.
Chicago, IL - January 5, 2009 - PCTEL, Inc. (NASDAQ: PCTI), a leader in propagation and optimization solutions for the wireless industry, announced today that it has acquired Wi-Sys Communications Inc., an Ottawa, Canada based company that specializes in GPS antenna and receiver technology. In 2008 Wi-Sys’ proprietary products and technology generated approximately $2.2 million in revenue. PCTEL will pay $2.1 million for Wi-Sys and will fully integrate the Wi-Sys operations into its Antenna Products Group (APG).
“This acquisition is consistent with our focus on high-value antennas for the Enterprise,” said Marty Singer, PCTEL’s Chairman and CEO. “GPS has been a strong product line for us over the past several years and we have been exploring ways to bring more focus to our efforts in this area. Many of the exciting, new precision GPS antenna applications, such as agriculture, military, and network timing, are in the early phases of deployment and growth. We believe that PCTEL is well positioned to participate in the industry’s development,” added Singer.
Wi-Sys is known for high quality, low noise and low current products that serve the diversified professional GPS market. The company’s core products include a family of magnetic and fixed mount GPS antennas, OEM antennas and integrated GPS receiver-antennas to address GPS requirements at all levels of integration in military, public safety, marine and commercial applications. These products are used in covert antenna applications, commercial vehicle tracking systems and in precision agriculture systems, where they are used for precision spraying and steering systems to minimize chemical costs and enhance agricultural yield.
Wi-Sys’ product line includes antennas for GPS L1/L2 and for Iridium® and GlobalStar® satellite communications systems. With this acquisition, PCTEL will extend its product offering and technology base of GPS antenna-receivers. The Wi-Sys product line will also be sold through PCTEL’s existing distribution channels.
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