TeleCommunication Systems Leads USA’s Text-to-911 Rollout

ANNAPOLIS, Md., May 15, 2015 – TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. (TCS) (NASDAQ: TSYS), a world leader in secure and highly reliable wireless communication technology, today announced that it now supports more than 500 public safety answering points (PSAPs) with production service in 33 states. TCS continues to lead the deployment of text-to-911 service in the United States.

TCS simplifies deployment for PSAPs interested in receiving text-to-911 messages by leading interoperability work with legacy providers, text service providers that use proprietary protocols, and next generation providers that use the standards-based Message Session Relay Protocol (MSRP).

News Facts:

• The top four carriers, accounting for nearly 90 percent of all wireless subscribers in the United States, today support the ability to deliver SMS messages to any PSAP that has indicated its ability to receive such messages.
• States or regions with at least one TCS deployment of text-to-911 in production include Alabama, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Montana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Nevada, Oklahoma, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Washington D.C., and West Virginia. TCS is working with more than 300 additional PSAPs to implement text-to-911.
• TCS was the first to deploy text-to-911 to PSAPs via all three methods of TTY, Direct IP using secure web protocols, and next generation MSRP.
• Since October 2012, TCS customers have, on a nationwide basis, delivered text-to-911 messages to receiving PSAPs or otherwise delivered bounce-back messages. If a PSAP is not yet capable of receiving text-to-911, the carriers using the TCS solution all deliver a “bounce-back” message, informing the sender to place a voice call to 9-1-1.
• On May 15, 2014, TCS participated in the first “Interoperable” text-to-911 production deployment, successfully connecting wireless carriers, text service providers and emergency communications centers.
• As of the beginning of May 2015, due to the aggressive enablement of PSAPs by TCS, the percent of delivered texts to 911 has increased by 70% over 2014 rates, which in turn was 35% higher than 2013 delivery rates.

TCS Safety & Security Group Senior Vice President Lynne Seitz stated: “As a U.S. leader in SMS and a global leader in location technology, TCS is fully committed to supporting Public Safety with the ability to send text messages to 9-1-1 as the first step in delivering the value of user-generated data – text, pictures, and video – during an emergency situation. In addition, our SMS9-1-1 and Next Generation solutions provide multimedia capabilities beyond text as the evolution to next generation 9-1-1 continues.”

Since deploying the first U.S. wireless E9-1-1 solution in 1998, TCS has been leading public safety solutions for wireless Enhanced 9-1-1 (E9-1-1), NG9-1-1 and E1-1-2. TCS supports about half of all U.S. wireless E9-1-1 calls, serving more than 140 million wireless and IP-enabled devices. TCS achieved its eleventh consecutive year of TL 9000 certification in November 2014 and offers the only TL 9000-certified network operations center (NOC) for wireless and VoIP E9-1-1 services in the United States.  TCS is leading the enablement of text-to 9-1-1, and TCS leads the nation in emergency services IP network (ESInet) deployments. Its E9-1-1 and NG9-1-1 solutions ensure that a subscriber’s emergency call routes to the appropriate PSAP and automatically pinpoints the caller’s location information. For more information visit: TCS Public Safety.

About TeleCommunication Systems, Inc.
TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. (TCS), headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland, is a world leader in secure and highly reliable wireless communications. Our patented solutions, global presence, operational support and engineering talent enable 9-1-1, commercial location-based services and deployable wireless infrastructure; cybersecurity; defense and aerospace components; and applications for mobile location-based services and messaging. Our principal customers are wireless network operators, defense and public safety government agencies, and Fortune 150 enterprises requiring high reliability and security. Learn more at www.telecomsys.com.