Briefingroom on UrgentComm http://blog.urgentcomm.com/briefingroom Tue, 21 Jul 2009 15:42:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 en BLACK & VEATCH TO DESIGN STATE-WIDE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM FOR OREGON http://blog.urgentcomm.com/briefingroom/2009/07/21/black-veatch-to-design-state-wide-public-safety-communications-system-for-oregon/ http://blog.urgentcomm.com/briefingroom/2009/07/21/black-veatch-to-design-state-wide-public-safety-communications-system-for-oregon/#comments Tue, 21 Jul 2009 15:42:45 +0000 Lisa Allegretti http://blog.urgentcomm.com/briefingroom/2009/07/21/black-veatch-to-design-state-wide-public-safety-communications-system-for-oregon/ 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 The system will replace outdated and aging infrastructure while complying with new Federal Communications Commission regulations requiring users of wideband radio to convert to narrowband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.”

]]> http://blog.urgentcomm.com/briefingroom/2009/07/21/black-veatch-to-design-state-wide-public-safety-communications-system-for-oregon/feed/ Sepura’s STP8100 hand-portable: first of its kind http://blog.urgentcomm.com/briefingroom/2009/07/06/sepura%e2%80%99s-stp8100-hand-portable-first-of-its-kind/ http://blog.urgentcomm.com/briefingroom/2009/07/06/sepura%e2%80%99s-stp8100-hand-portable-first-of-its-kind/#comments Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:47:19 +0000 Lisa Allegretti http://blog.urgentcomm.com/briefingroom/2009/07/06/sepura%e2%80%99s-stp8100-hand-portable-first-of-its-kind/ Based on the highly successful STP8000 hand-portable, the STP8100 provides a simplified user interface optimised for fire and rescue, transport, utility and prison service users who frequently just need to adjust volume, send Status Messages and change their Talk Group, but still demand the ruggedness and durability offered by the STP8000.

The STP8100 optionally includes Sepura’s revolutionary new Man Down sensor which triggers an alert when the radio detects ‘non typical’ user movement. Based on solid state ‘motion sensing’ technology, it detects motion in three dimensions alerting colleagues and the control room should the user become incapacitated. This is a crucial new safety feature for all workers operating alone or in hazardous environments.

Like the STP8000, the new STP8100 delivers 1.8W RF power, clear loud audio, a large colour screen that uniquely provides crystal clear visibility in all lighting conditions, combined with unparalleled water and dust resistance; all these features contribute to the delivery of outstanding performance.

Mark Barnby, Product Manager for Sepura, comments: “Sepura’s Man-Down has been extensively field-trialled by a number of fire services in Europe and a major airline. We have listened to the operatives in the transport and utility markets and added functionality to cater for the specific needs of these types of user.”

Mr Barnby continued: “By listening to the needs of our customers, we have once again demonstrated how we successfully tailor our products to meet their needs and the specific requirements of a variety of sectors. The STP8100 combined with its new Man-Down option is a class-leading radio that will undoubtedly suit many users”.

]]> http://blog.urgentcomm.com/briefingroom/2009/07/06/sepura%e2%80%99s-stp8100-hand-portable-first-of-its-kind/feed/ Wyoming Department of Transportation Chooses EF Johnson Technologies, Inc. for Integrated Voice and Data Radio Implementation Across the State http://blog.urgentcomm.com/briefingroom/2009/07/06/wyoming-department-of-transportation-chooses-ef-johnson-technologies-inc-for-integrated-voice-and-data-radio-implementation-across-the-state/ http://blog.urgentcomm.com/briefingroom/2009/07/06/wyoming-department-of-transportation-chooses-ef-johnson-technologies-inc-for-integrated-voice-and-data-radio-implementation-across-the-state/#comments Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:46:54 +0000 Lisa Allegretti http://blog.urgentcomm.com/briefingroom/2009/07/06/wyoming-department-of-transportation-chooses-ef-johnson-technologies-inc-for-integrated-voice-and-data-radio-implementation-across-the-state/ 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.”

]]> http://blog.urgentcomm.com/briefingroom/2009/07/06/wyoming-department-of-transportation-chooses-ef-johnson-technologies-inc-for-integrated-voice-and-data-radio-implementation-across-the-state/feed/ EF Johnson Technologies, Inc. Receives Order for $.85 million for the State of Mississippi Strategic Reserve http://blog.urgentcomm.com/briefingroom/2009/07/01/ef-johnson-technologies-inc-receives-order-for-85-million-for-the-state-of-mississippi-strategic-reserve/ http://blog.urgentcomm.com/briefingroom/2009/07/01/ef-johnson-technologies-inc-receives-order-for-85-million-for-the-state-of-mississippi-strategic-reserve/#comments Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:29:16 +0000 Lisa Allegretti http://blog.urgentcomm.com/briefingroom/2009/07/01/ef-johnson-technologies-inc-receives-order-for-85-million-for-the-state-of-mississippi-strategic-reserve/ EF Johnson Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: EFJI) announced today that the State of Mississippi is purchasing $.85 million of the Company’s award-winning Project 25 compliant two-way radios and accessories, for use in the State’s strategic reserve in times of crisis.


“We are proud to be supplying our Project 25 compliant radios to the State of Mississippi to help their first responders be prepared in the event of natural disasters and other crises,” said Michael Jalbert, president and chief executive officer of EF Johnson Technologies, Inc. “Our radios have performed reliably in natural disasters and in severe environmental conditions. Our multimode radios that are interoperable with SMARTNET®/SmartZone® as well as Project 25 will enable Mississippi’s first responders to better accomplish their missions as their current systems migrate to the industry standard.” The Company worked closely with their dealer Ozborn Communications of Canton, Mississippi to secure the sale, Jalbert added.

]]> http://blog.urgentcomm.com/briefingroom/2009/07/01/ef-johnson-technologies-inc-receives-order-for-85-million-for-the-state-of-mississippi-strategic-reserve/feed/ Tiburon Enhances Situational Awareness and Emergency Response for Public Safety Agencies http://blog.urgentcomm.com/briefingroom/2009/07/01/tiburon-enhances-situational-awareness-and-emergency-response-for-public-safety-agencies/ http://blog.urgentcomm.com/briefingroom/2009/07/01/tiburon-enhances-situational-awareness-and-emergency-response-for-public-safety-agencies/#comments Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:27:19 +0000 Lisa Allegretti http://blog.urgentcomm.com/briefingroom/2009/07/01/tiburon-enhances-situational-awareness-and-emergency-response-for-public-safety-agencies/ 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

]]> http://blog.urgentcomm.com/briefingroom/2009/07/01/tiburon-enhances-situational-awareness-and-emergency-response-for-public-safety-agencies/feed/ APCO seeks comments on revisions to minimum training standards for public safety telecommunicators http://blog.urgentcomm.com/briefingroom/2009/07/01/apco-seeks-comments-on-revisions-to-minimum-training-standards-for-public-safety-telecommunicators/ http://blog.urgentcomm.com/briefingroom/2009/07/01/apco-seeks-comments-on-revisions-to-minimum-training-standards-for-public-safety-telecommunicators/#comments Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:25:31 +0000 Lisa Allegretti http://blog.urgentcomm.com/briefingroom/2009/07/01/apco-seeks-comments-on-revisions-to-minimum-training-standards-for-public-safety-telecommunicators/ The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International today released for comment a standard to identify minimum training requirements for public safety telecommunicators. The revision includes information for those typically charged with receiving, processing, transmitting, and conveying public safety information to dispatchers, law enforcement officers, fire fighters, emergency medical and emergency management personnel. This document seeks to define training in certain knowledge, skills, and abilities to be provided to telecommunicators by the agency, allowing different agencies to comply with the portions of the standard applicable to the functions within their agency.


The revisions were facilitated by APCO International’s Call Center Standards Committee, which is made up of public safety communications subject matter experts from across the U.S. The Georgia Public Safety Training Center compiled the research the committee conducted through regional Occupational Analysis Workshops over the past year to assist with the revisions. The Workshops consisted of consulting multiple panels of professionals representing each position and validation panels of each were conducted to produce job profile charts.


“APCO International is proud of the work of this committee to continually review and update this most important standard for our public safety professionals,” APCO International President Chris Fischer said. “The issue of standardized training for telecommunicators has been the topic of much discussion lately and we are glad to provide this benchmark for the industry through our inclusive and iterative standardization process.”


The draft is available for public review and comment through July 30 at www.apcostandards.org . After all comments are addressed and needed changes made, the final draft will be presented to the APCO International Executive Council for ratification. Following their approval, the final document will be facilitated through APCO International’s American National Standards (ANS) process to become an American National Standards Institute- (ANSI) approved standard. The final standard is tentatively planned to receive approval in December 2009.

]]> http://blog.urgentcomm.com/briefingroom/2009/07/01/apco-seeks-comments-on-revisions-to-minimum-training-standards-for-public-safety-telecommunicators/feed/ ARLINGTON COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS CENTER IMPLEMENTS APCO EMD http://blog.urgentcomm.com/briefingroom/2009/06/30/arlington-county-emergency-communications-center-implements-apco-emd/ http://blog.urgentcomm.com/briefingroom/2009/06/30/arlington-county-emergency-communications-center-implements-apco-emd/#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:29:17 +0000 Lisa Allegretti http://blog.urgentcomm.com/briefingroom/2009/06/30/arlington-county-emergency-communications-center-implements-apco-emd/ Arlington County Emergency Communications Center recently implemented the APCO Institute Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) Program. Arlington County Emergency Communications Center provides 9-1-1 dispatching for Arlington County, Falls Church City, the Pentagon, Fort Myer Army Base and Arlington National Cemetery with a staff of 55 and an annual call volume of over 500,000.

The APCO Institute EMD Program, based on EMD Guidecards and software, is a systematic way to manage emergency medical service (EMS) resources in an organized and effective manner and to provide medical assistance to callers, when needed, until medically trained field response units arrive at the scene.

Arlington County Emergency Communications Center credits two saved lives to the program since its implementation, including one infant.

“The APCO Institute welcomes Arlington County Emergency Communications Center as an EMD User Agency and looks forward to working with their staff to provide EMD services to their area,” APCO Institute Director Julie Troutman said.

]]> http://blog.urgentcomm.com/briefingroom/2009/06/30/arlington-county-emergency-communications-center-implements-apco-emd/feed/ Milton Hydro Teams With Trilliant to Expand Time-of-Use Billing to All Residential Customers With Smart Meters http://blog.urgentcomm.com/briefingroom/2009/06/04/milton-hydro-teams-with-trilliant-to-expand-time-of-use-billing-to-all-residential-customers-with-smart-meters/ http://blog.urgentcomm.com/briefingroom/2009/06/04/milton-hydro-teams-with-trilliant-to-expand-time-of-use-billing-to-all-residential-customers-with-smart-meters/#comments Thu, 04 Jun 2009 16:39:16 +0000 Lisa Allegretti http://blog.urgentcomm.com/briefingroom/2009/06/04/milton-hydro-teams-with-trilliant-to-expand-time-of-use-billing-to-all-residential-customers-with-smart-meters/ MILTON, Ontario and REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – June 4, 2009 – Milton Hydro, a local utility distribution company located in southern Ontario, along with Trilliant Incorporated, the leader in delivering Smart Grid solutions that enhance energy efficiency, utility operations, and renewable resource integration, today announced the expansion of Milton’s existing Smart Grid initiative. Milton, who first delivered Time-of-Use (TOU) billing to its customers in 2005, now provides TOU billing for over 21,000 consumers. The solution is already in full production at Milton, including Trilliant hosted data services and software, and provides for two-way communication capabilities between Milton Hydro and their customers. Furthermore, Milton has successfully completed production testing and enrollment with the province’s centralized Meter Data Management and Repository (MDM/R) system. This system is operated by the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) in its capacity as the Smart Metering Entity.


Milton, part of the Greater Toronto Area, is Canada’s fastest-growing community, and is expected to reach nearly 150,000 residents by 2021. One of the earliest supporters of the government’s smart metering program, Milton Hydro has been using Trilliant technology since 2005 and is currently billing most of their customers on TOU rates. All new residential customers, approximately 2,000 per year, are immediately placed on TOU billing. Trilliant’s SecureMesh™ technology and associated data center applications include the necessary interfaces for integration with the MDM/R. Milton is one of the first utilities in Ontario to support TOU rates through the MDM/R.


The Government of Ontario, Canada, through the “Energy Conservation Responsibility Act in 2006,” has mandated the installation of smart meters in all Ontario businesses and households by 2010. Milton Hydro has completed the installation of smart meters for all their residential customers and all customers shall be on TOU billing by this fall, making Milton the first utility to fully implement Smart Metering and TOU billing.


“Trilliant has been a strategic partner of ours for many years and continues to play a central role in helping us realize our plans to be a leader in the adoption of information technology that benefits our customers,” said Frank Lasowski, President and CEO at Milton Hydro. “In addition, we’ve deployed SkyPilot equipment as part of our smart metering program and Trilliant’s recent acquisition of SkyPilot highlights their commitment to complete Smart Grid solutions. Very simply, Trilliant offers a working solution that meets or exceeds the Advanced Metering Infrastructure specifications and helps Milton Hydro bring new levels of value to our customers.”


“With a vision for the Smart Grid and the widespread implementation of TOU billing, Milton Hydro is creating a blueprint for other utilities to follow,” said Andy White, CEO of Trilliant. “Milton Hydro not only provided its customers with a successful, cost-effective rollout of smart meters and the assurance of continued wise energy management services, but also with a model that provides for easy adoption of new capabilities in the future.”

]]> http://blog.urgentcomm.com/briefingroom/2009/06/04/milton-hydro-teams-with-trilliant-to-expand-time-of-use-billing-to-all-residential-customers-with-smart-meters/feed/ NICE Announces Enhancements to its NICE Inform Multimedia Incident Information Management Solution http://blog.urgentcomm.com/briefingroom/2009/06/04/nice-announces-enhancements-to-its-nice-inform-multimedia-incident-information-management-solution/ http://blog.urgentcomm.com/briefingroom/2009/06/04/nice-announces-enhancements-to-its-nice-inform-multimedia-incident-information-management-solution/#comments Thu, 04 Jun 2009 16:38:41 +0000 Lisa Allegretti http://blog.urgentcomm.com/briefingroom/2009/06/04/nice-announces-enhancements-to-its-nice-inform-multimedia-incident-information-management-solution/ 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.

]]> http://blog.urgentcomm.com/briefingroom/2009/06/04/nice-announces-enhancements-to-its-nice-inform-multimedia-incident-information-management-solution/feed/ SkyCross and Tecom Unveil New WiMAX USB Dongles For VMAX Telecom at Computex Taipei 2009 http://blog.urgentcomm.com/briefingroom/2009/06/03/skycross-and-tecom-unveil-new-wimax-usb-dongles-for-vmax-telecom-at-computex-taipei-2009/ http://blog.urgentcomm.com/briefingroom/2009/06/03/skycross-and-tecom-unveil-new-wimax-usb-dongles-for-vmax-telecom-at-computex-taipei-2009/#comments Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:42:36 +0000 Lisa Allegretti http://blog.urgentcomm.com/briefingroom/2009/06/03/skycross-and-tecom-unveil-new-wimax-usb-dongles-for-vmax-telecom-at-computex-taipei-2009/ SkyCross, a global antenna solutions company, is providing award-winning iMAT® antennas to TECOM Co., Ltd., a leading manufacturer of telecommunications equipment, for its latest WiMAX USB dongles. VMAX, a WiMAX operator and 2.5 GHz license holder in Taiwan, will offer the USB dongles for its trial network in June and its full commercial launch in Q3 of this year.

The WiMAX standard requires MIMO (multiple-input, multiple-output) operation, which typically calls for multiple antennas. However, today’s small mobile devices do not provide the additional space necessary for these antennas to operate without interfering with each other. iMAT solves this challenge by enabling a single antenna element to behave like multiple antennas. Recent field tests confirmed that the antenna is a key component to the overall system throughput, and the iMAT antenna yielded the highest throughput on average compared to PCB antennas, ceramic chip antennas, and others.


“We are very pleased that Tecom selected our antennas for the WiMAX network deployment in Taiwan,” said David Williams, Director at SkyCross. “This win underscores the benefits that iMAT delivers not only to the device, but also to the network. A greater number of efficient, iMAT-equipped devices on a network can improve the capacity and bandwidth of the entire system, enabling operators to optimize network performance without additional infrastructure investments.”

“First impressions are critical in new network deployments, and iMAT antennas proved to be the best solution for our sleek USB dongles,” said Jonah Kao, Senior Director at Tecom. “We selected SkyCross because iMAT uniquely optimizes size, performance, and price.”

These products will be on display June 2-6 in the SkyCross hospitality suite at the Grand Hyatt Taipei and at Tecom booth 731 at the WiMAX Taipei show co-located with Computex. Contact Al Petrick at al.petrick@skycross.com or Luis Tso at chtso@tecom.com.tw to arrange a meeting at the exhibition.

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