BETHLEHEM, Pa.- Padcom, Inc., a leader in wireless connectivity for continuous remote access to critical information, today announced a joint marketing agreement with Tropos Networks, the leading supplier of equipment used to build metro-scale Wi-Fi networks, to provide a metro-scale Wi-Fi and wide area network solution managed by seamless network connectivity. The two companies also announced that they have been awarded sub-contracts through Affiliated Computer Services, Inc., (ACS), a premier provider of business process and information technology outsourcing solutions, to deploy key elements of a wireless data system for The City of Oklahoma City, OK. The system will enable broadband wireless access and seamless roaming between a Tropos Wi-Fi network and a M/A-COM EDACS wide area network.
“Secure access to information in the field is critical to the Oklahoma City Police and Fire Departments,” said Kerry Wagnon, Program Director, Public Safety Capital Project Office. “Meeting the connectivity needs of over 850 vehicles in a 620 square mile jurisdiction requires a wireless infrastructure that addresses speed and coverage while maintaining usability. Our new wireless data system will meet these needs by leveraging a Tropos mesh network to provide high-speed connectivity in our metro area, EDACS to provide a wide area coverage umbrella, and the PadcomR TotalRoamR software to help it all work together by letting officers and firefighters move between networks without losing their connection.”
The Padcom® and Tropos implementations are part of a larger IT refresh for Oklahoma City Public Safety departments, for which ACS is the prime contractor and responsible for all integration and services. The goal is to increase access to information for Police and Fire Departments, providing enhanced mobile functionality for Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD), field reporting, and records management systems. In order to support the need for coverage and throughput, Oklahoma City is migrating from a conventional radio data network to a Tropos mesh network, which will be seamlessly integrated with M/A-COM EDACS using the PadcomR TotalRoamR software to transparently manage movement between the two networks. With this solution, the Oklahoma City Police and Fire Departments will have broadband wireless access throughout the metro area, and enhanced wireless data coverage over approximately 1000 square miles throughout their jurisdiction and beyond.
“ACS is dedicated to meeting the diverse telecom and data needs of public safety agencies across the country. Often, that means choosing the right technology provider for every part of the system,” said Al Landon, Vice President and Chief Information Officer, ACS. “For customers like Oklahoma City, who need a balance of coverage, speed, and integration for multiple data systems, ACS is pleased to integrate leading companies like PadcomR and Tropos whose best-of-breed offerings help build true end-to-end solutions for clients.”
Oklahoma City is implementing Tropos Wi-Fi cells to form a wireless mesh network, dynamically routing traffic along the highest throughput path to a wired gateway, using a combination of city-owned fiber and fixed point-to-point wireless technology for the backhaul connections. Oklahoma City will leverage TotalRoamR Mobile Connectivity Suite(TM) (MCS) software to seamlessly integrate the Tropos network with EDACS, thereby enabling secure, continuous connections for officers and firefighters in the field. Additionally, TotalRoam® will allow agency IT personnel to specify the applications that will be routed through the Tropos network and those that should be sent over EDACS. As mobile workers move between the Tropos Wi-Fi and EDACS networks, TotalRoam® will manage their connections and enable the “push” of information, CAD, to patrol officers and firefighters.
“We believe that the implementation of an integrated solution of Tropos and PadcomR technology by Oklahoma City demonstrates the value of a combined wireless broadband and wide area network system,” said Scott Stone, Chief Executive Officer, Padcom, Inc. “The agreement with Tropos combines two leading-edge technologies and allows both companies to target new customer opportunities that need the benefits of a mesh and wide area network solution with seamless remote access connectivity. Oklahoma City serves as an outstanding example of the benefits of this combined system.”
About ACS
ACS, a Fortune 500 company with more than 43,000 people supporting client operations in nearly 100 countries, provides business process and information technology outsourcing solutions to world-class commercial and government clients. The company’s Class A common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “ACS.” ACS makes technology work. Visit ACS on the Internet at www.acs-inc.com.
About Padcom
Padcom, Inc. is an established leader in providing solutions for optimized, wireless remote access that overcomes the gaps in wireless data communication by seamlessly connecting every enterprise, worker, and device with secure connectivity anywhere they operate. Padcom®'s patented TotalRoam® software and hardware products provide customers with advanced mobile data functionality, such as seamless roaming and persistent network connectivity across dissimilar networks (i.e. IP, non-IP, and wireline), industry-leading mobile data security, and advanced connection management capabilities. Padcom®'s unique depth and breadth of solutions meet critical business needs by helping enterprises protect data, control costs, increase productivity, and Work in Motion. For more information, see www.PadcomUSA.com, call 484-893-6250 or e-mail sales@padcomusa.com.
About Tropos Networks, Inc.
Tropos Networks, Inc. is the leading supplier of systems used to build metro-scale, outdoor Wi-Fi networks. Tropos’ unique Wi-Fi cells, along with the first element manager to control large Wi-Fi networks, enable public agencies and service providers to deliver ubiquitous, city-wide mobile broadband to users in any locale. These carrier-class IP networks are low cost and easy to install and scale. The Tropos cellular mesh architecture and use of optimized open-standard radios dramatically reduce the need for wired backhaul while eliminating expensive proprietary clients and complex software. Using the patented Predictive Wireless Routing Protocol, Tropos solutions deliver maximum bandwidth to the user regardless of conditions, at unprecedented Wi-Fi network scale. Tropos Networks is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. For more information, please visit www.tropos.com, call 408-331-6800 or write to info@tropos.com.