TeleCommunication Systems and University of Maryland Collaborate on Innovative Next Generation 9-1-1 Applications
Maryland Information and Network Dynamics Lab Offers Environment for Creating and Evaluating NENA i3-Compliant Emergency Services
ANNAPOLIS, MD, Aug 08, 2011 — TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. (TCS) (NASDAQ: TSYS), a world leader in highly reliable and secure mobile communication technology, and the Maryland Information and Network Dynamics (MIND) Lab at the University of Maryland, today announced a joint effort to harness technology innovation and academic expertise to build new public safety applications. The two organizations will work together to explore Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) NENA (National Emergency Number Association) i3-compliant technologies for enhancing emergency switching to Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs), that with suitable cultivation in an academic setting, will become one of the future standards for emergency services applications.
“Applications such as texting to 9-1-1 and delivering images during a 9-1-1 call are in various phases of development throughout the country,” said Thomas Ginter, vice president of 9-1-1 product management for TCS. “They represent just the beginning of the types of applications we can develop for NG9-1-1 based on the enormous advances being made in networking capability. Nurturing these capabilities in the academic environment will help ensure widespread commercial adoption in the not too distant future. TCS looks forward to collaborating with the University of Maryland MIND Lab to hasten the process.”
The MIND Lab is an environment where technology visionaries can develop new and innovative public safety applications. The inventor and leading provider of wireless E9-1-1, TCS will support this effort by sharing its real-world experience in the current E9-1-1 environment and established expertise in the NENA i3 standards architecture. TCS benefits from this relationship by having an advanced demonstration environment with a highly trained and creative staff for testing and evaluating applications.
Together TCS and the University of Maryland’s MIND Lab can create applications that have a greater likelihood of success. An example of such an application is the MIND Lab’s M-Urgency alert tool, which can allow a student on Maryland’s campus to be connected to the campus police, and show a real-time video taken by the caller’s smartphone camera. Making this work in the general public safety systems will require support from TCS as it involves standards development, industry relations and contacts, and an understanding of the current E9-1-1 networks. Further, if this application is needed urgently for future public safety organizations, TCS will be in a position, by virtue of its proven work with the MIND Lab, to begin immediate deployment.
“This collaboration offers the best of both worlds where a leading emergency communications company like TCS can leverage the creativity and innovations of highly trained academics, and a University lab like ours can get the benefits of the company’s real-world experience,” said Dr. Ashok Agrawala, Director of the MIND Lab. “Together we will create proof-of-concept emergency services applications that will eventually become commercially adopted to help protect and save lives.”
About the MIND Lab
MIND Lab is an initiative of the University of Maryland which collaborates with private industry and government agencies to foster new, large-scale computer science projects in the areas of wireless networking, information services, context-aware applications, networking infrastructure and information assurance and security. For more information visit: http://www.mindlab.umd.edu/index.shtml
About TeleCommunication Systems, Inc.
TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. (TCS) (NASDAQ: TSYS) is a world leader in highly reliable and secure mobile communication technology. TCS infrastructure forms the foundation for market leading solutions in E9-1-1, text messaging, commercial location and deployable wireless communications. TCS is at the forefront of new mobile cloud computing services providing wireless applications for navigation, hyper-local search, asset tracking, social applications and telematics. Millions of consumers around the world use TCS wireless apps as a fundamental part of their daily lives. Government agencies utilize TCS’ cyber security expertise, professional services, and highly secure deployable satellite solutions for mission-critical communications. Headquartered in Annapolis, MD, TCS maintains technical, service and sales offices around the world. To learn more about emerging and innovative wireless technologies, visit www.telecomsys.com.
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