First Responders Value 802.11 Instant Wireless Communications; Survey Reveals Public Safety Market's Affinity for Multimedia Mobile Broadband Applications.BELMONT, Calif. -- PacketHop(TM), Inc., a leader in mobile mesh networking Mobile mesh networking is a way to implement wireless networks using mesh routing protocols. Mobile Mesh devices have the capability of receiving and routing data. Data packets will be transmitted from device to device using several hops. software for instant wireless group communications, today announced that 96 percent of respondents in a survey of first responders first responder First response personnel Emergency medicine A person employed in the public sector–EMT, fire fighter, police, volunteer EMS–whose duties include provision of immediate medical care in the event of an emergency; FRs have basic emergency felt that it is valuable to have instant mobile broadband Description Mobile Broadband is a type of wireless internet access that differs from Wi-Fi. Mobile Broadband is the name used to describe the 3G services which are made possible by HSDPA and HSUPA, the latest technologies on the W-CDMA evolutionary path. communications whenever and wherever needed. Over 75 percent of police officers, firefighters and emergency personnel also said that they prefer open, wireless broadband High-speed wireless transmission of data. What is "high" speed is always a changing number. Wireless systems are typically slower than land-based, wireline networks. In the past, wireless broadband started at 250 Kbps, whereas land-based broadband was generally considered to start at T1 communications running on 802.11 standards-based mobile devices, like notebook PCs, tablet PCs (1) A tablet computer environment from Microsoft that is based on an enhanced version of Windows XP. Designed to function more like a portable writing tablet than previous tablet-based computers, it includes handwriting recognition as well as the ability to retain handwritten words and PDAs, over proprietary hardware tied to fixed infrastructure. These findings, among others, are the result of a PacketHop survey conducted at the Law Enforcement Information Management (LEIM LEIM Language Environment Input Method ) Section Training Conference and Exhibition from May 23-25 in Greensboro, N.C. "Mesh networking Mesh networking is a way to route data, voice and instructions between nodes. It allows for continuous connections and reconfiguration around broken or blocked paths by “hopping” from node to node until the destination is reached. in various applications is becoming a low-cost alternative for municipalities," said Jeff Vining, vice president of Gartner Research, in a Gartner market research report titled "Mesh Networking Improves First Responder's Efficiency." "Cities and towns should evaluate mesh technologies to enhance data communications data communications, application of telecommunications technology to the problem of transmitting data, especially to, from, or between computers. In popular usage, it is said that data communications make it possible for one computer to "talk" with another. and improve public safety interoperability The capability of two or more hardware devices or two or more software routines to work harmoniously together. For example, in an Ethernet network, display adapters, hubs, switches and routers from different vendors must conform to the Ethernet standard and interoperate with each other. . Behind such deployments are productivity gains, ease of deployment, and the ability to deliver first responder interoperability at a fraction of the cost of a land mobile radio system."(1) Respondents also highly regarded real-time multicast video, global positioning system Global Positioning System: see navigation satellite. Global Positioning System (GPS) Precise satellite-based navigation and location system originally developed for U.S. military use. (GPS) resource tracking, whiteboarding and multimedia instant messaging Exchanging text messages in real time between two or more people logged into a particular instant messaging (IM) service. Instant messaging is more interactive than e-mail because messages are sent immediately, whereas e-mail messages can be queued up in a mail server for seconds or (IM) -- all of which are part of the PacketHop Aware(TM) for public safety situational awareness Situation awareness or situational awareness [1] (SA) is the mental representation and understanding of objects, events, people, system states, interactions, environmental conditions, and other situation-specific factors affecting human performance in application. The Aware server-less application helps first responders to share mission-critical information in order to do their jobs more safely and better serve the public. It will be commercially available in Q3 2005. Real-Time Multicast Video Eighty-one percent of respondents said that it is valuable to view real-time multicast video. Real-time multicast video enables users to efficiently stream live video to all users on the network. During emergencies and everyday situations, first responders can attach a video or still camera to their mobile devices and transmit exactly what they're seeing over the wireless network. Rather than describing what they're seeing via the radio, real-time multicast video enables scene commanders to make critical decisions based on direct observations, not second-hand descriptions. GPS Resource Tracking Seventy percent of respondents strongly felt that it is valuable to know exactly where each first responder is located during an emergency. GPS resource tracking enables users to be located in real-time on a high-resolution map or image that can be simultaneously shared by all users on the network. Scene commanders can more easily position and track first responders at an incident area. Whiteboarding Ninety-two percent of respondents said that it is valuable to share tactical information by "whiteboarding" on a map, video frame or image. Whiteboarding enables users to "mark up" a captured video image, map or photo and simultaneously share it with one or all users on the network. Scene commanders can clearly mark the location of an emergency or suspect, reposition first responders in the field or draw where a perimeter needs to be established -- silently and discreetly. Similar to how a football coach draws up a play on a whiteboard The electronic equivalent of chalk and blackboard, but between remote users. Whiteboard systems allow network participants to simultaneously view one or more users drawing on an on-screen blackboard or running an application. , a scene commander can easily convey tactical information to other first responders at an emergency and collaborate on a course of action. Multimedia Instant Messaging Seventy-three percent of respondents said that it is valuable to significantly reduce voice traffic by utilizing non-voice communications like multimedia instant messaging. The application enables users to communicate not only via text-based instant messages, but to also share files in a variety of formats -- including selected video frames, still digital photographs and diagrams. PacketHop's software also includes "quick phrases" such as "be on look out," which users can customize to match their particular jargon and relieve the burden on voice radio channels. "The results of our LEIM survey reflect the communication needs of law enforcement personnel everywhere," said Michael Howse, president and chief executive officer of PacketHop. "We are utilizing 802.11 technology to enable first responders to create instant, high-bandwidth wireless networks anywhere, anytime, featuring new multimedia applications that focus on real-time group information gathering and sharing. Reliable communications, security and safety are essential for all law enforcement personnel." About PacketHop PacketHop, Inc. develops mobile mesh networking software that enables instant wireless group communications for commercial enterprises, government organizations and consumer markets. PacketHop Communication System software enables 802.11 standards-based devices to create extended Wi-Fi hot-zones on the fly -- known as autonomous mobile mesh networks A communications network in which there are at least two pathways to each node. If one of the paths fails, the other is still available. A "fully meshed" network means that every node has a direct connection to every other node, which is a very elaborate and expensive architecture. -- which can securely operate with or without access points. By making infrastructure completely optional, PacketHop delivers coverage wherever and whenever instant wireless broadband communications are needed -- with greater resiliency, reliability and robustness than any other comparable technology. Along with the company's device agnostic ag·nos·tic n. 1. a. One who believes that it is impossible to know whether there is a God. b. One who is skeptical about the existence of God but does not profess true atheism. 2. mobile mesh networking solution that enables rapid and cost-effective deployments, PacketHop offers the Aware(TM) for Public Safety suite of multimedia applications, including real-time multicast video, resource tracking, instant messaging and whiteboarding. Founded in 2003 and based in Silicon Valley, Calif., PacketHop is funded by venture firms U.S. Venture Partners, Mayfield and ComVentures. For more information on PacketHop, please visit www.packethop.com. PacketHop and Aware are the trademarks of PacketHop, Inc. The names of other companies and their products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. (1) Mesh Networking Improves First Responder's Efficiency, Jeff Vining, vice president of Gartner Research, November 19, 2004. |
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