You are in:
- Back Issues » 2007 » April
Closing address from Tim O'Connor
Tim O'Connor, BAPCO's 2006/07 president reflects back over the last 12 months in his closing address...
Major mobile and wireless network business announcements expected
Transforming local government
The Wireless Event, 23-24 May 2007, Olympia, London, now in its fifth year, is about delivering effective enterprise applications using wireless networks and mobile devices.
Metropolitan Police Service Signs Framework Agreements With ICT Development Services Suppliers
The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) is now able to procure Information, Communications and Technology (ICT) development services more competitively through the signing of framework agreements between the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) and 17 service suppliers.
Airwave sold to Macquarie
Telefónica has agreed the sale of 100 per cent of Airwave to Macquarie, for a value of £1.9 billion.
Blue Light Service Goes Green
Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service (GFRS) has increased its use and investment in satellite technology with the installation of a satellite trailer from Primetech (UK) Ltd. This adds to the existing Command Unit installation, and gives GFRS greater flexibility in deploying their satellite connectivity. The unit is based around a small box-type trailer which had previously been used for Community Fire Safety work. The trailer had become surplus to CFS requirements, and made an ideal platform for a mobile unit. GFRS also had a spare, dormant satellite system that had been installed on their Command Unit but had been removed two years previously and kept in storage.
Verint enters public safety market
Verint Systems Inc., a provider of analytic software-based solutions for security and business intelligence, has announced its debut into the EMEA public safety markets with its Audiolog™ Interaction Recording Solution at this year’s BAPCO exhibition.
Contract award to develop FSEC national training programme for Fire & Rescue Service
18 April 2007- Training4GIS, the training and consultancy division of The GeoInformation Group™, announced today its success in winning a major central government contract to create a bespoke training programme to assist Britain’s Fire and Rescue Services (FRS) to take full advantage of the Fire Service Emergency Cover (FSEC) Toolkit.
Wigan Borough Council consolidates policy management across entire local authority
Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council (Wigan Council) has announced it is to manage all of its workplace policies and internal communications activity with the NETconsent Enterprise Policy Management suite. The decision follows a successful project to automate the distribution and staff approval processes for its Acceptable Internet Usage policy using the WEBconsent module within the NETconsent suite.
Research commissioned to assess benefits of technology for improving emergency planning
New research, to find out how interactive technology can improve emergency briefings is currently being carried out by a team of experts from Leeds University because existing research into atypical incidents (such as the 7/7 bombings) has shown that the dissemination of operational information can be a major challenge.
Derby City Council to improve efficiency of shared services for over a quarter of a million citizens
Derby City Council has appointed communications integrator Affiniti to help deliver more efficient and improved services to citizens by installing a new network across its four main sites in the city centre.
Keeping air passengers safe
Air traffic controllers have been given a new set of tools by ATDI Ltd, Europe’s leading radio planning and modelling company, to simplify the task of keeping passengers safe.
New Vandal-resistant Touch Screens from 3M
16 April 2007 – 3M, the diversified technology company, today announced the launch of new ToughTouch capacitive touch screens for self-service kiosks and ATM applications. The MicroTouch ToughTouch II Capacitive Touch Screens from 3M excel in these demanding environments offering superior wear resistance, enhanced light transmission and added impact resistance.
SafeBoot joins HP’s ProtectTools security suite to encrypt, protect laptops and data
FL-SafeBoot, has announced that SafeBoot mobile data security technology is now included on business class (b) and professional class (p) feature packages of HP business notebooks and tablet PCs.
The Mobile Data Association's Public Sector Survey
"A Comprehensive Report on Mobile and Flexible Working in Local Government "
Zetron Releases VoIP Radio Dispatch System
Zetron, Inc., has announced the release of its new Voice-over-IP (VoIP) Radio Dispatch System, Version 1.5. The VoIP Radio Dispatch System (VoIP RDS) is built on the Session Initiated Protocol (SIP) – a widely accepted open standard that ties together VoIP with underlying protocol standards such as UDP and TCP/IP. This allows users to share a common voice communications IP network with SIP-based telephony and full-featured radio dispatch. Zetron’s end-to-end, pure IP, radio dispatching system was first deployed as a custom solution at Puget Sound Energy and is now shipping as a standard product release.
Zetron’s Acom Advanced Communications System adopted by British Airways
Zetron has been awarded a contract to support the expansion of British Airways’ system from 39 to 82 operator positions.
IPTV System from Optibase Helps Humberside Police Fight Crime
Optibase, Ltd. has confirmed that Humberside Police has upgraded its current IPTV system with Optibase’s carrier-grade, MPEG-4 H.264 solution. Together with local UK partner, Cotswold Communications, Optibase’s delivered a system that includes MediaGateway encoding platforms, which will be streaming feeds coming from the police helicopter to multiple PC clients across the force’s network.
New FireWire 2 External Storage Caddy Transfers Data at 800Mbps
Dynamode have launched FireCaddy - a new EzeStor Network Attached Storage (NAS) Caddy that allows any SATA or e-SATA hard disk to be used as external storage. The Caddy has a FireWire 2 interface (backward compatible to FireWire 1) that allows a maximum data transfer speed of an astonishing 800Mbps, perfect for large data files such as those used in heavy graphics applications, real time video editing, server backup or simply backing up mixed media data. The FireCaddy allows anyone to acquire additional storage on their network for around £75 plus the cost of the drive. Available in a stylish aluminium housing with a built-in HDU fan, the FireCaddy has its own ARM processor, a second external E-SATA interface to allow an additional drive to be connected and it also has a USB 2.0 port with a data transfer rate of 480Mbps. The FireCaddy comes with all necessary cables – FireWire, e-SATA and USB.
Skills for Justice CEO secures top post at City & Guilds
Dick Winterton, Chief Executive of Skills for Justice, announced his recent appointment as the as the new Managing Director of City & Guilds Awards, its awarding body arm. Dick will be leaving his current position as Chief Executive of Skills for Justice at the end of July. Dick said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed building Skills for Justice, and working closely with partners in the Justice sector. I will be leaving many friends, but not going too far. I very much hope to be able to help the Justice sector, and Skills for Justice, from my new position.”
93% OF UK BUSINESSES THINK SECURITY IS NOT KEEPING UP WITH VOIP AND IM TECHNOLOGY
A survey by Infosecurity Europe of 291 companies has found that 93% of companies believe that instant messaging (IM) and Voice over IP (VoIP) usage is moving faster than corresponding security. Further to this, according to interviews Infosecurity Europe conducted with a panel of 20 Chief Security Officers (CSOs) of large enterprises, IM is now prevalent in organisations with large volumes of financial transactions being carried out over IM in some organisations. Another concern was that as IM allows encrypted data traffic it could be an undetectable source of data leakage. The view on VoIP is that although there has been some adoption, it is not yet a widely deployed technology in corporates although it was being used a lot by travelling executives and the story is very different in the SME area where many have rushed to take the opportunity to reduce costs. There are similar security issues relating to VoIP regarding encrypted traffic and also the potential for SPIM to clog VoIP communications and cause similar problems to those caused by SPAM in email.
Mott MacDonald acquires leading technology consultant Schema
Mott MacDonald has acquired Schema, a leading UK based independent management consultancy advising the technology, media and telecommunications industries. Based in the UK, Schema has built its success by providing high quality, business, marketing and technical support to a range of clients including telecoms operators and service providers, vendors, broadcasters, content providers, government bodies, regulators and the finance community.
Chronos extends its GPS Product Range
Chronos Technology has announced the UK and Scandinavian launch of a new low cost, high performance OEM surface mount GPS receiver module, the CW20, from its US based partner Navsync.
Pageone Connect Is Shortlisted For The Business Continuity Awards ‘Most Innovative Product Of The Year’
PageOne has confirmed that PageOne Connect has been selected as a finalist for the ‘Most Innovative Product of the Year’ category in this year’s Business Continuity Awards.
Resounding Success for Business Continuity Expo
The Business Continuity Expo and Conference held in March, finished on a resounding high, according to the organizers, with both visitors and exhibitors vowing to return again next year, due to the volume of business that was done over the two day period. Around 2,500 top level executives and business continuity specialists visited the event from every business sector from local government to the forces, pharmaceutical to finance, telecoms to aerospace.
Contract Signed for FiReControl Project
Following the announcement last month that EADS had been awarded preferrred bidder status for the FiReControl project, earlier this week (4 April) the contract was signed.
CODENOMICON DEFENDS AGAINST NETWORK DATA STORAGE THREATS
Codenomicon Ltd., a provider of state-of-the-art security and robustness solutions, has launched DEFENSICS Filesystems & Storage solution for securing the networked storage systems.
Did you know...?
In continuing with our series of ‘Did You Know...’ articles from last year, we revisit the theme with a new selection of articles, prepared by Murray Barker, project manager, Nice Systems, covering a variety of aspects of recording solutions. This month we begin with the thought that specifying user needs alongside technical requirements delivers a better audio recording system.
Keeping a head in technology
Head camera pilot in progress
Devon and Cornwall Constabulary is currently participating in a six-month pilot during which they will be assessing the latest technology available to the police service, the ‘Head Camera’. The pilot is due to be completed as we go to press (end of March 2007) and will incorporate a comprehensive trial and evaluation. The aim of the pilot is to evaluate the technology, assess how it can be used in wider policing areas and establish the evidential impact.
OpenHand – the world @ your fingertips
Iconic Group introduces OpenHand a very real competitor to both Blackberry and Microsoft. OpenHand provides the ability to check, create and modify business email, calendar, contact and public folders and files from a mobile phone.
BAPCO 2007 will see launch of the latest version of DS2000
BAPCO 2007 will see the public launch of the latest version of the DS2000 Integrated Communication Control System. This new version includes significant user interface and system management enhancements which have been designed in collaboration with the DS2000 customer base. During the event, SunGard will also be demonstrating a Contact Centre based telephone call queuing solution which is now available as an upgrade package for any DS2000 system to enhance call taking and public caller perception for non-emergency call handling scenarios.
New version of Secude secure notebook
Secude has launched secure notebook 8.0 - the next generation of its popular notebook encryption solution.
Full power for mobile use – compact R&S; MR3000P tactical handheld radio
In any kind of mission scenario, a jam-resistant, tap-proof radio link is as important as lightweight equipment. Rohde & Schwarz has therefore expanded its R&S; M3TR family of tactical radios by adding a small and light handheld radio. Despite its compact size, the R&S; MR3000P has all the features required of a tactical radio by offering reliable connections, even in topographically difficult terrain, and by allowing flexible integration into tactical networks. The R&S; MR3000P covers a frequency range from 25 MHz to 144 MHz.
The mobile control
The mobile desktop
Continuing with our series of features on mobile data, this month we take a closer look at the impact that the technology is having on the control room environment, drawing on the expertise of a number of suppliers currently providing applications to the public safety sector across the UK...
Bigger than you think
ntl:Telewest Business, part of the Virgin Media Group, marked the first anniversary of its merger with the unveiling of its integrated network.
The network has been launched as part of the cable firm's 'Bigger Than You Think' campaign, which demonstrates the increased scale, scope and capability of the network since the merger of ntl and Telewest in March 2006. The BAPCO Journal discusses what this actually means for the emergency services and public safety sector across the UK with David Astley, Head of Health and Emergency Services, ntl:Telewest…
Testing technology in motion across the board
The ever increasing levels of IT equipment being used in vehicles, be they police, fire, ambulance or indeed belonging to any CCA responder, it is perhaps even more important to ensure that the systems don’t conflict with one another, hence the purpose of the Automotive & Equipment Section (AES) of the NPIA. Explaining just how important a role the AES plays, Jim Mathieson, Head of AES speaks to The BAPCO Journal...
Editor's Letter
Momentum is certainly building as the doors to BAPCO 2007 are only a few days away from opening, and what an event this year promises to be.
Airwave steps up to the mark
With just two weeks to go before the Irish peace talks were due to take place at the Fairmont Hotel in St. Andrews, Gordon Hunter, Airwave Systems Manager with Fife Constabulary, phoned Tony Stamper, his O2 Airwave Account Manager.
The purpose of the call was to secure better Airwave service coverage within the hotel during the four days of the talks, which were to be attended by the British and Irish Prime Ministers and senior political figures from both sides of the sectarian divide…
BAPCO - Business Plan for period 1 April - 31 December 2007
BAPCO is a dynamic organisation promoting, for all public safety/civil protection services, the development and use of integrated information and communications technology (ICT) solutions for the benefit and safety of the public and users.
BAPCO AGM - Resolution to amend constitution
BRITISH ASSOCIATION OF PUBLIC-SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS OFFICERS
New Beginnings!
So it’s EADS! The long awaited decision on who will provide the critical infrastructure for the DCLG FiReControl project has now been announced. I congratulate them for their success and wish them all the best throughout the life of the project. This is a major announcement within a programme that is seen by many as pivotal to defining the shape and feel of the entire UK emergency services. The adoption of regional control centres will bring about significant changes in the modus operandi of the English Fire Service and it surely will not be long before others follow suit. I look forward to following the progress of this project and its impact on our emergency services over the next few years.
Reflection to move forward
My year as BAPCO President is drawing to a close. It has been a tremendous privilege to represent BAPCO not only in the UK but across the world. I have attended Conferences and Exhibitions in the USA, Canada and Australia meeting colleagues of those countries working in all three emergency services. In common with the UK these men and women are committed to giving the best possible service and their dedication is always apparent. Some of the experiences are harrowing and perhaps Katrina expresses how special and vocational Emergency Service Personnel are in extreme and dangerous situations. On the last afternoon of our Conference you will hear Capt Stephen Gordon of the 911 centre for the New Orleans Police Department describe survival in the days following Katrina involving not only the public but Emergency Service Personnel trying to restore normality. I urge you to attend this and all the presentations.
MOBILE CCTV NETWORK TO TACKLE ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR IN GLASGOW
Essential Viewing provides ‘brains’ behind innovative public safety project
Glasgow company Essential Viewing are providing the technology behind an innovative community safety scheme which will distribute video from nearly 400 CCTV cameras in the city to hand held devices.
The New World Of Collaboration Technology
An emerging generation of technology has the power to deliver the higher standards and levels of collaboration that public safety and security now demand, Alastair Ritchie of Intergraph, explains to The BAPCO Journal...
Formation of dPMR MoU Group
A group of mobile radio manufacturers, including Kenwood Corporation, Fylde Micro, CTE International, CML Microcircuits and Icom Incorporated are pleased to announce the creation of a Memorandum of Understanding group to support and promote dPMR narrowband FDMA technology.
Sepura claims new world speed record for TETRA terminals
Sepura TETRA technology provided successful radio communications during the high speed rail world record achieved by the French TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) on 3rd April 2007.
Britons too quick to dial 999
Huge proportion of Britons don't know what constitutes an emergency
Half of Britons do not know local non-emergency number
An estimated 80 per cent of 999 calls are regarded by police as non-emergencies
Ambient Recording Solutions Provided To Gloucestershire Police
Activa Solutions is to provide Gloucestershire Constabulary with an intelligent solution to support them in capturing information within their Force Control Room.
Ordnance Survey helps Southern Water prepare for its most detailed geographic data
Southern Water is now set to use OS MasterMap data following a company-wide upgrade of its location data and geographical information system (GIS).
O2 AIRWAVE SIGNS ITS FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONTRACT
UK emergency service communications provider to supply consultancy service to Siemens in Norway
Technology on view for Tomorrow's World
At the end of April the public safety community will be converging in London to visit the annual BAPCO conference and exhibition. Highlighting why all civil contingency responders should make the effort to attend, we complete our series of features on the event with an exclusive preview of what the exhibition will have on offer...
MPA APPOINTS NEW METROPOLITAN POLICE COMMANDERS
The Metropolitan Police Authority has appointed three new commanders to the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), equivalent to assistant chief constables in other forces.
Northgate receives international certification for excellence in service delivery
Northgate Information Solutions announces that it has been certified for excellence in delivery of ICT managed services by the British Standards Institution (BSI).
Los Angeles Deploys Motorola's MOTOMESH T Network for Public Safety and Wireless Connectivity
On March 16th, 2007, Motorola, Inc (NYSE: MOT) joined Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Chief of Police William Bratton to unveil a municipal wireless network and video surveillance system in the city’s Jordan Downs public housing complex. The wireless network is a part of a project designed to help curb criminal activity and provide a safe environment for residents in one of the city’s most notorious high-crime public housing areas. The system also eventually will expand to supply public wireless broadband access to residents and schools in the area.
New Director of Government for Microsoft
(March 2007) After four years at Microsoft, and two years as Head of Regional and Local Government at Microsoft, Nigel Bates is leaving Microsoft this month to work with one of Microsoft’s partners. Nigel will remain closely involved with local government in his new role and it will allow him to avoid the current long commute between his home and our Reading offices.
IBM and Cisco Team to Offer Crisis Management Services
(March 20, 2007) IBM and Cisco have announced they will partner to provide emergency crisis response capabilities for the first time as an end-to-end managed service. The new IBM Crisis Management Services for Crisis Response service combines advanced communications, collaboration and coordination technologies, satellite and wireless capabilities and broad experience from both companies to help businesses, governments and first responder organizations prepare, respond and rapidly recover from disruptive events and challenging environments.
25% of English Fire and Rescue Services implement mobile fire safety system
25% of English Fire and Rescue Services implement mobile fire safety system
Sepura radios approved by the Chinese Ministry of Public Security
Sepura TETRA radios in 350MHz have received official endorsement from the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) of China. The achievement of this milestone is significant as it will allow the procurement and use of Sepura products in the frequency band that will become the standard for the Chinese police.
Summit Success
Skills Summit 2007 took place on 7 March at the Hilton Hotel, Coventry, and was judged to be a great success by everyone who attended.
Secude and Siemens forge partnership
SECUDE and Siemens forging a strong global partnership creating leading end to end technology for Identity & Access Management with emphasis on SAP integration.
ACPO-APA Exhibition Registration Open! FREE to All Ranks and Colleagues
Visitor registration for the International Policing Exhibition in Manchester from 20-21 June has officially opened on-line at www.acpo-apa.co.uk.
Cambridgeshire Constabulary Goes Live on NSPIS Custody and Case Preparation Systems in Collaboration
SunGard has announced that the Cambridgeshire Constabulary has gone live on NSPIS Custody and Case Preparation systems, which are supplied by SunGard Vivista and managed by the Police Information Technology Organisation (PITO). The systems help reduce the administrative burden on the police by linking to other systems and preventing double keying.
Mason network study underpins greater collaboration within the East Midlands policing region
Mason Communication’s recent Network Connectivity Design Study underpins greater collaborative working between the police forces in the East Midlands region, including Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire forces.
HOLMES 2 System gets New Upgrade
Police forces across the UK will see improvements to the way vital information is handled in major crime investigations, as a result of the latest upgrade of the HOLMES 2 computer system.
Harris Corporation and BAE Systems Launch Advanced Highband Networking
Harris Corporation (NYSE: HRS), an international communications and information
George Osborne Commitment To Open Source Software Welcomed
Graham Taylor, Director of OpenForum Europe (OFE) welcomed Shadow Chancellor George Osborne's commitment, on behalf of the Conservative Party, to investigating open source software for use within Government. Mr Taylor said: “The issues that George Osborne highlights such as the increased cost through lack of choice which leaves users locked into expensive proprietary systems, the lack of compatibility between rival systems, and the huge potential that open source software offers for innovative and collaborative working within society, are subjects that we have been trying to discuss with Government for some time and there has been an unwillingness to engage. To see top-level politicians genuinely examining the cost and other benefits of open source in the UK, as we have seen in Europe for some time, is very welcome”.
Northgate secures two-year extension to national enforcement programme
Northgate Information Solutions has announced that the 42 police forces currently using the national police enforcement solution for Penalty Notices for Disorder will continue to do so for a further two years.
Northgate and Initiate join forces to provide new solution for police intelligence
Northgate Information Solutions and Initiate Systems, Inc. have announced the signing of a new agreement which will allow police forces and criminal justice agencies to improve public safety by combining all the intelligence used to prevent and solve crime - simply, accurately and automatically.
Government signs new software deal with SAP
OGCbuying.solutions, trading arm of the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) has signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with one of the world's leading business software providers, SAP. This new agreement will offer all public sector organisations preferential pricing arrangements on SAP software and services.
European ICT market growing steadily
The market for information technology and telecommunications (ICT) in the EU will increase in 2007 by 2.9 percent to 668 billion Euro. “The European ICT industry continues to grow steadily, with IT services, software applications and broadband data services as the main drivers”, commented EITO Chair Bruno Lamborghini on the basis of the latest study of the European Information Technology Observatory - EITO, presented today in Brussels. In 2008 the European ICT market should again grow by around 2.9 percent, to 687 billion Euro.
The power of two
Benefits are already flowing from O2 Airwave’s successful acquisition last year of Decision Focus – the provider of TETRA network management solutions and business process improvement consultancy. Both companies have rolled up their sleeves and have set about proving just why the deal was such good news for the two parties and their customers. In the words of founding partner of Decision Focus Martin Thomas, “it’s a case of showing that two plus two equals five”.
OGC Launches New Procurement Capability Reviews
The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) has confirmed that the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) will be the pilot department for its new Procurement Capability Reviews.
New Fire Safety System rolled out across South West Fire and Rescue Services
Innogistic has won a regional framework contract to provide a fire safety software solution to the Fire and Rescue Services in the South West England.
EP staff call for common technology
A common technology standard across command rooms and increased training on interactive technologies could lead to major benefits for Emergency Planning Units, according to new market research.
Humanitarian mission in the Philippines
At the beginning of December 2006, typhoon Durian swept through the Philippines with speeds of up to 230 km/h, hitting the region of Bicol particularly. On the isolated island of Catanduanes, the entire communications system broke down. Contact to the disaster area via mobile radio or landline network was cut off, making it impossible to coordinate the necessary relief efforts. The Philippine National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) called on Rohde & Schwarz (Philippines) Inc. to provide an emergency HF communications system. Within only three days, Rohde & Schwarz installed a stable HF voice and data connection between the disaster area and Manila free of charge.
Sea of Change project reaches completion
On Thursday 22 March, at Greenock Fire Station Strathclyde, Peter Dymond, Chief Coastguard, officially closed the Sea of Change Project. The Sea of Change Project was officially launched in 2003 by the then Secretary of State, Department for Transport, Alistair Darling. The Project was set up and funded by the MCA (Maritime and Coastguard Agency) in a partnership with the Chief Fire Officers' Association to establish a Maritime Incident Response Group (MIRG) which would, for the first time in the UK, provide specialised fire and rescue teams for dealing with firefighting, chemical hazards and industrial accident incidents at sea.
Extending Applications to the Front Line – A day seminar
South West & South Wales and South East & London Regions of BAPCO hosted a regional seminar on March 7th. Pete Prater reports...
Report from the NW and North Wales Region
22 members and 9 visitors from HM Coastguard were privileged to hear two most informative presentations from Detective Superintendents Mike Gradwell and Steve Brunskill of the Lancashire Constabulary on the Morecambe Bay Cockling Bay Tragedy. Somewhat poignantly the event - which was held at the Liverpool Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre, Crosby - took place exactly three years from the date the incident was first reported on 6 February 2004. Mike dealt with the actual investigation and Steve covered the daunting task of identifying the victims.
EADS to provide England’s Fire and Rescue Services with new networked control capability
Fire Minister Angela Smith today (March 7th) announced that the contract to supply the infrastructure for the national network of nine regional control centres for the Fire and Rescue Service will be awarded to EADS Defence and Security Systems. The contract is worth £200 million over eight years.
EADS to provide England’s Fire and Rescue Services with new networked control capability
Fire Minister Angela Smith today (March 7th) announced that the contract to supply the infrastructure for the national network of nine regional control centres for the Fire and Rescue Service will be awarded to EADS Defence and Security Systems. The contract is worth £200 million over eight years.