Archive of the Mobile Data Category

Black & Veatch was selected by the state of Oregon to provide architectural and engineering services for the Oregon Wireless Interoperability Network (OWIN) project that is designed to enhance public safety.

“The success of the OWIN project depends on the people with whom we contract and bringing Black & Veatch on board is an important step towards a successful project,” said OWIN Director Lindsay Ball. “We’re encouraged that Black & Veatch managers acknowledge the importance of putting Oregonians back to work.”

The OWIN project consolidates the Department of Oregon State Police, Department of Corrections, Department of Forestry and Department of Transportation radio systems into an up-to-date wireless public safety network. The system will replace outdated and aging infrastructure while complying with new Federal Communications Commission regulations requiring users of wideband radio to convert to narrowband technology before Jan. 1, 2013.

“This project will dramatically increase communications reliability and efficiencies for Oregon’s public safety officers,” said Martin Travers, President of Black & Veatch’s Telecommunications Division. “We have the capability to rapidly deploy engineering, site acquisition and construction experts to meet the challenging project timelines in an environmentally positive manner while accounting for future communications demand growth.”

The OWIN project will ultimately result in providing total communications coverage for public safety officials across the entire state. The network will consist of tower sites, communications buildings and power resources that are strategically located to provide reliable network operation. It is currently projected that the network will be operational by December 31, 2012.

“The initial site development will provide public safety communications network coverage to approximately 80 percent of the state’s total population,” said Paul Miller, Associate Vice President of Black & Veatch Telecommunications. “Black & Veatch’s design approach will optimize the cost, schedule and execution components of the project. OWIN benefits Oregon’s public safety officers as well as residents and visitors they protect and serve through efficient and coordinated communications.”

EF Johnson Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: EFJI) announced today that the Company has received a $1.1 million order from the Wyoming Department of Transportation to provide its award-winning Project 25 compliant two-way radios and accessories. The Company continues its technology innovation by integrating voice and data for use in automatic vehicle location (AVL) and other applications.

“Integrated voice and data in a Project 25 compliant radio provides many advantages for public safety,” said Michael Jalbert, president and chief executive officer of EF Johnson Technologies, Inc. “Dispatchers can incorporate AVL to immediately locate any state trooper’s vehicle and quickly route them to an incident. State troopers can easily access data such as a driver’s records. Search and rescue operations have an important new tool at their disposal. Integrated voice and data transforms our award-winning P25 radios into a proven GPS/AVL solution that can be used anywhere.”

Larry Sheridan, project manager for Wyoming Department of Transportation, said, “The ability to locate our first responders in real time required connecting GPS fleet management solutions from different manufacturers directly to a Project 25 compliant mobile radio. Engineers from EFJohnson Technologies quickly added interoperability with the GPS solutions into the subscriber software. Their responsiveness along with the radio’s demonstrated interoperability showed us that we could add their radios onto our system. These radios are to be used on WyoLink, our 40-site statewide digital trunked Project 25 compliant public safety communications system. EFJohnson radios will be used throughout the state and now make up a substantial portion of our fleet.”

Public safety agencies can significantly improve critical situational awareness and emergency response using Tiburon Inc.’s enhanced suite of software, security and analysis solutions. With this Tiburon solution platform, law enforcement officers, firefighters, first responders and dispatchers can make informed split-second decisions that will better protect the communities they serve and themselves.

Tiburon continues to improve the ability of public safety agencies to automate, communicate and leverage information to optimize dispatch, incident management and reporting, records management and corrections management across operational environments. Specifically, public safety agencies can realize the following:

Innovative new dispatching algorithms offer choices based on geography and resource types in dispatching the appropriate response units thereby optimizing response times and speed.

A brand new graphical user interface offers improved ease of use and a new night mode which improves safety and usability in the field.

Enhanced security features for corrections officers provide inmate separation management and critical alerts.

“From the most demanding conditions to day-to-day operations, public safety agencies require technology that can be relied upon to give them the most accurate picture of their operations,” said Ian Archbell, vice president, marketing and product management of Tiburon. “This latest set of product enhancements from Tiburon gives agencies the ability to make the right decisions the first time regarding how their personnel and other resources are deployed. We see this as a significant advantage for productivity, data accuracy and first responder safety among our clients.”

The upgraded product suite includes CommandCAD 2.5, CAD/2000 7.6, LawRECORDS 7.6 and JailRECORDS 7.6. All are available on July 1, 2009.

Tiburon CommandCAD 2.5 provides expanded features and quicker response times based on historical situational scenarios, including dispatching and incident control for law enforcement, fire protection and emergency medical services in single and multiple jurisdiction environments.

Tiburon CAD/2000 7.6 provides effective response and easy access to critical information, including a snapshot of the number of personnel assigned to an incident and the ability to quickly upgrade or downgrade incident priority.

Tiburon LawRECORDS 7.6 provides enhanced automated reporting for the California electronic citation and arrest reporting system (E-CARS) for required uniform crime reporting (UCR) submission. Arrest/booking numbers are now shared between Tiburon LawRECORDS, MobileREPORTS and JailRECORDS. LawRECORDS and MobileREPORTS 7.6 have an agency configuration option to either push or pull arrest data to or from Tiburon JailRECORDS to reduce duplicative data entry and speed the booking and report writing process. This improves workflow and reduces the time officers spend on data entry.

Tiburon JailRECORDS 7.6 leverages the latest Microsoft technologies to improve safety and reduce liabilities to correction facilities through new inmate separation management features and alerts to corrections officers.

More information on the product benefits is available at www.tiburoninc.com

NICE Systems today announced enhancements to its NICE Inform™ multimedia incident information management solution for public safety and security command and control centers. NICE Systems will demonstrate NICE Inform and other NICE solutions in booth #108 at the upcoming NENA 2009 Conference and Tradeshow, June 6 through June 11, 2009, in Fort Worth, Texas.

The world’s first full-spectrum multimedia incident information management solution, NICE Inform was designed to help public safety and security command and control centers capture, consolidate and manage multimedia incident information, including audio, video, text and data. NICE Inform enables captured 911, emergency and other voice communications to be seamlessly synched with surveillance video and other incident information for more effective and thorough investigations. The newest release of NICE Inform (Version 3) includes the following feature enhancements:

Inform media player:

Attorneys, investigators, and other departments rely on many sources of information and evidence, including voice recordings and video. However, until now, it was difficult for the parties receiving the data to put the pieces together. Voice and video would be packaged, sent and reviewed separately. The new NICE Inform media player makes it possible for comprehensive incident reconstructions, including time-synched voice and video, and a myriad of supporting documentation, to be compiled and shared in an offline, secure and efficient way. Complete reconstructions and other incident-related information can be compiled and disseminated on CDs, DVDs, or by e-mail, and subsequently reviewed or replayed. Recipients get complete and precise reproductions for a 360° view of incidents, with visibility into what people saw, heard and did. Encryption and authentication ensures incident reproductions are secure and tamper proof.

Inform Verify:

NICE Inform already provides sophisticated tools for post incident analysis. Now, with the addition of Inform Verify to the NICE Inform suite, agencies can improve their real-time handling of incidents too. Call-takers benefit from Inform Verify’s instant call replay capabilities – features once only available through separate, standalone systems at additional cost. With Inform Verify, call-takers get instant access to recordings right through their consoles, in order to make informed, split-second decisions and save lives.

NICE Inform Version 3 is already installed at three NICE customer sites: the British Columbia Ambulance Service (BCAS), North Carolina Agricultural and Technical (N.C. A&T) State University, and the City of Westminster (Colorado) Police/Fire Department.

The City of Westminster first implemented NICE Inform in February 2008 and upgraded to NICE Inform Version 3 in April 2009. According to Karin Marquez , the City of Westminster’s Communications Supervisor, the City is already reaping cost savings, space savings, efficiencies and other benefits – using the system to fulfill incident reproduction requests for investigators and internal affairs. Previously, Marquez had to send out audio recordings and paper-based copies of CAD notes containing incident information, which often exceeded 20 pages. Now the Department uses NICE Inform to compile and distribute requested incident information electronically via CDs, providing more thorough documentation to investigators, while saving time, costs and filing space.

“I love the product,” Marquez said. “It has streamlined our processes and given our users more information than ever before. It’s great to be able to add CAD reports along with the audio, and ship the CD to detectives, so they can have everything in one neat package,” she added. “Not having to print the CAD notes has saved us a lot of paper and ink. It’s helped our agency become more environmentally conscious.”

“When we first launched NICE Inform, just over two years ago, it was our mission to help organizations across all of our security sectors improve their ability to capture, manage and make sense of critical multimedia information,” said Chris Wooten, President of NICE’s Security Division in the Americas. “We are very proud of the successful deployments of NICE Inform in all of our key security markets.”

NICE Inform is currently installed at hundreds of NICE customer sites, including some of the world’s largest public safety departments like the NYPD and the FDNY (the New York City Police and Fire Departments), and the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration). It is part of NICE’s comprehensive security suite that encompasses video analytics for proactive detection, to solutions that aid in the successful resolution and investigation of incidents and events. For more information on NICE Inform visit www.nice.com/solutions/public/nice_inform.php or email Welcome@nice.com.

Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES), the global leader in broadband satellite network solutions and services, today announced the availability of a new HughesNet Emergency Business Internet service plan in anticipation of the 2009 hurricane season. The offering is designed to provide robust, expedited broadband Internet connectivity for business and government organizations when a disaster strikes.

The new HughesNet Emergency Business Internet service plan features download speeds of up to 5 Mbps and uploads speeds of up to 1 Mbps, made possible by utilizing Hughes advanced SPACEWAY® 3 Ka-band satellite system, the world’s first with on-board switching and routing. The service plan includes comprehensive 24/7 technical support; next-business day field maintenance; and provides organizations with the flexibility they need in an emergency, requiring only a two-month service commitment that may be extended on a month-to-month basis, depending on need.

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has predicted an active 2009 Atlantic hurricane season (June 1 – Nov. 30) with an initial outlook that calls for a 50 percent probability of a near normal season, and a 25 percent probability of an above normal season. In an announcement made May 21, NOAA forecasters also stated that “there is a 70 percent chance of having nine to 14 named storms, of which four to seven could become hurricanes, including one to three major hurricanes (Category 3, 4 or 5).”

According to Renesys Corp., a firm that tracks Internet connectivity, the outages that followed Hurricane Ike last year caused the widest disruption of U.S. Internet service since the Northeast blackout of 2003. At its peak, Ike took out more than 400 networks for at least an hour each, leaving countless homes, businesses and government offices without connectivity.[1] <#_ftn1>

“Landline connections are not always reliable when hurricanes or other disasters strike, forcing organizations to cease operations until connectivity is restored,” said Mike Cook, senior vice president at Hughes. “This can mean significant loss of revenue for businesses, and disruption of government services, which are needed most in recovery operations. HughesNet Emergency Business Internet quickly restores those vital connections.”

Businesses can order directly from Hughes by calling (877) 337-3880. Government agencies can order via Hughes’ GSA Schedule 70.

To learn more about HughesNet services, visit www. hughesnet.com .

Continuing its commitment of bringing communications, connectivity and the exchange of data between end devices and the enterprise, Tridium announced today the availability of the JACE-202-XPR, a new embedded controller designed for remote monitoring and a wide range of control applications. The JACE-202-XPR combines integrated control, supervision, data logging, alarming scheduling and network management functions, integrated I/O and optional GPRS modem connectivity with Internet connectivity and Web serving capabilities.

The JACE-202-XPR is designed to provide for quick turn installations at low costs and, with a new style that’s ideal for both finished as well as unfinished spaces. The JACE-202-XPR brings the benefits of the NiagaraAX Framework® to new construction, retrofits and new markets such as large scale, high density residential buildings, multi-use residential/commercial villages, or multiple retail/restaurant chain stores. In addition, this controller is ideal for managing and controlling energy applications that allow buildings to become more efficient and reduce energy costs.

The unique packaging of the JACE-202-XPR incorporates a processor board with onboard I/O and universal power supply housed in an easy to mount, easy to access stylized chassis. Great care has been taken in the designing of this unit in order to minimize installation time and cost, ease accessibility to wiring during the installation process, and to protect from the unauthorized access when operational.

“With the addition of the JACE-202-XPR to our portfolio of embedded controllers Tridium continues to provide one of the most comprehensive and cost-effective range of controllers for enabling device communications and connectivity available today,” said Marc Petock, Vice President, Global Marketing and Communications. “The JACE-202-XPR provides a broad array of capabilities and functionality that helps our OEM and System Integrator partners deliver the services their customers want at the same time minimizing expenses”.

The United States Census Bureau renewed its enterprise license agreement (ELA) with ESRI, the world leader in geographic information system (GIS) software. Renewal of the ELA reaffirms the mission-critical role GIS plays in supporting and streamlining the Census Bureau’s operations. The ELA contract provides unlimited deployments of ArcGIS software.

“Just about everything we do in collecting, tabulating, and disseminating statistical data has some core relationship to geography,” says Timothy Trainor, chief, Geography Division, U.S. Census Bureau. “The ELA provides ArcGIS software tools we need to do a variety of tasks well.”

ArcGIS software is currently used throughout the Census Bureau to prepare for and execute the decennial census and other statistical surveys, some of which take place each year. For example, for the decennial census, it is used to delineate hundreds of thousands of manageable assignment areas for enumerators, facilitate data collection and editing in the field, and map statistics. It also supports quality control of all the census data, which is housed in the Master Address File/Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (MAF/TIGER) database. Additionally, GIS supports reapportionment and resource allocation to state, local, and tribal governments.

“The Census Bureau manages an enormous amount of geographic data that is used broadly in the public and private sectors to make decisions that impact the lives of millions,” says ESRI president Jack Dangermond. “We are committed to supporting the important work the bureau does.”

ESRI’s ArcGIS software is an open and interoperable technology platform that provides advanced visualization and cartographic capabilities, spatial analysis, geographic data management, and more. ArcGIS software is a complete system to author, serve, and use geographic information. The technology delivers geographic information to those who need it including analysts, decision makers, field staff, and the public.

For more information about ESRI ELAs for government, call 800-447-9778 or visit www.esri.com/governmentela.

RESTON, VA (April 21, 2009) – Wireless Matrix today announced that the company has executed a contract extension with its satellite service provider, Reston, VA-based SkyTerra (OTCBB: SKYT) for services through 2012.

The agreement provides a seamless migration path that will allow Wireless Matrix to provide their existing satellite data communication services via SkyTerra’s planned next generation satellite network. Wireless Matrix’s satellite customers will continue to receive satellite communication service without interruption. Integrating satellite data services from SkyTerra with cellular data service via its proprietary modems provides a key differentiator for Wireless Matrix’s vehicle management solutions. Using satellite to connect dispatchers with vehicles operating in cellular-poor areas, Wireless Matrix’s solutions increase the effective coverage areas for fleet operations, improve productivity and enhance technician safety.

“This agreement paves the way for Wireless Matrix to extend valuable next generation broadband satellite services to our customers,” said J. Richard Carlson, Wireless Matrix president and CEO. “We are pleased to renew what has been a highly successful relationship with SkyTerra. The new agreement provides business continuity and future capabilities to our satellite and multimode users.”

“This service extension agreement will enable Wireless Matrix to continue to deliver efficient and real-time mobile wireless communications services for its growing roster of enterprise customers,” said Susan Miller, senior vice president of Satellite Services for SkyTerra. “SkyTerra and Wireless Matrix have enjoyed a long and mutually beneficial relationship and we look forward to our continuing association with them as we advance toward our next-generation satellite-terrestrial communications network.”

SkyTerra (formerly Mobile Satellite Ventures) has provided satellite communications service to Wireless Matrix since 1997. The previous agreement between the two companies provided for service through 2009.

San Diego, CARF Neulink, a leading supplier of wireless data transceivers, has broadened its portfolio of wireless data products to include the NL5500.­ The NL5500 Transceiver Series is a price/performance leader in licensed conventional radios in both the VHF and UHF frequency range. The capability for transparent and direct asynchronous communication offers real-time communication. The NL5500 is fully compatible with RF Neulink’s NL6000. It will communicate and coexist with NL6000s, while providing excellent throughput and long range for multiple address systems. The NL5500 Transceiver Series is field configurable as a master station or remote radio. These units can operate as a half-duplex or simplex radios. The simplex mode facilitates peer-to-peer radio communications while using a carrier sense (CSMA) channel collision avoidance technique.

For three decades RF Neulink has been providing wireless data networking solutions with applications in SCADA, telemetry, telecommunications, and water management. RF Neulink a division of RF Industries (NASDAQ RFIL), is a leading supplier of telecommunications and medical cable products through its company divisions. For additional information, call RF Neulink at 858-549-6340, 800-233-1728 or visit www.rfneulink.com

Wall, NJ, April 6, 2008 – BIO-key International, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: BKYI), a leader in finger-based biometric identification and wireless public safety solutions, and its partner, DaProSystems of Roanoke, Virginia, a leading provider of Public Safety Software, announced nine recent mobile data software contract awards from existing DaProSystems customers in Virginia. Using MobileCop®, BIO-key’s wireless query and messaging solution, and DaProSystems’ Mobile FR field reporting tool on laptops in their patrol vehicles, officers can now communicate silently and securely with the dispatch center, query state and federal criminal justice databases, and complete and submit reports on-scene. Immediate access to criminal justice data, such as stolen vehicle reports and outstanding arrest warrants, helps protect officer safety and reduces unsecure radio traffic, and the ability to complete reports in the field improves officer productivity. Under these contracts, a total of 110 patrol units are being equipped with the new software.

The mobile data contracts awards are from the sheriff’s offices in Franklin, Northampton and Patrick Counties, police departments in Blackstone, Bridgewater, Broadway, Grottoes and Timberville, and the James Madison University (JMU) Police. For the Blackstone Police Department, this is the final phase of a department-wide systems modernization program, which also included a new computer-aided dispatch (CAD) and records management system (RMS) from DaProSystems. The JMU Police award also includes PocketCop®, BIO-key’s complementary mobile data solution that runs on BlackBerry smartphones and other handhelds.

The first of the new agencies to deploy mobile data was the Patrick County Sheriff’s Office, which received federal funding through the Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program. “We’re a small county population-wise, but the Sheriff’s Office has primary law enforcement responsibility across almost 500 square miles,” stated Patrick County Sheriff’s Office Captain Ward Stone. “With MobileCop, our deputies and investigators can get the information they need to protect themselves and get their jobs done. We now have the same tools that larger departments have.”

Since there isn’t a dedicated county IT support staff, the Patrick County Sheriff’s Office needed a mobile data system that would run smoothly. “What amazes me about the system is its reliability – it’s truly trouble free,” noted Captain Stone. “I thought a new mobile data system would be an operational nightmare for a small department like ours, but we haven’t had a single problem since the initial start-up. It’s unbelievable! When we did have questions the BIO-key tech support was fabulous.”

These awards bring the total number of Virginia agencies using the DaProSystems/BIO-key mobile data solution to eighteen. “These law enforcement agencies are now able to benefit from the seamless integration of BIO-key and DaProSystems Public Safety Software solutions to improve their officer safety and better serve their communities,” added Ken Souza, Senior Vice President and General Manager of BIO-key’s Law Enforcement Division.

About BIO-key

BIO-key International, Inc., headquartered in Wall, New Jersey, develops and delivers advanced identification solutions and information services to law enforcement departments, public safety agencies, government and private sector customers. BIO-key’s mobile wireless technology provides first responders with critical, reliable, real-time data and images from local, state and national databases. Over 1,000 police departments in North America use BIO-key solutions, making BIO-key the leading supplier of mobile and wireless solutions for law enforcement. BIO-key’s high performance, scalable, cost-effective and easy-to-deploy biometric fingerprint identification technology accurately identifies and authenticates users of wireless and enterprise data to improve security, convenience and privacy and to reduce identity theft. (http://www.bio-key.com)

About DaProSystems

For more than 25 years, DaProSystems has served as a premier provider of software and services for the Public Sector. Every day, more than 150 Public Safety Agencies rely on DaProSystems’ technologies to support their critical operations. DaProSystems offers an integrated array of Public Safety Software products including Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD), Records Management System (RMS), Jail Management System (JMS), Mobile Data Terminals (MDT / MDC), Mobile Field Reporting, Data Sharing, Crime Analysis, Personnel Management, Accident Reporting, Animal Control, Parking/Registration, Gang/Terrorist Reporting, GIS / Mapping, Emergency Notification Systems and Custom Software Solutions. DaProSystems offers turnkey professional services to complement our product offerings including grant-writing, system training, system installation, hardware procurement, network installation, and 24×7x365 technical support services. DaProSystems is an industry leader for powerful yet cost-effective public safety system solutions. (http://www.daprosystems.com)