(Richardson, TX) – The City of Richardson and Cassidian Communications, an EADS North America company, today celebrated the official launch of the City’s new, state-of-the-art P25 communications system. The system is the first fully interoperable, digital, trunked, P25 Land Mobile Radio public safety communications system in North Texas integrating best-in-class network infrastructure and radio components from disparate manufacturers.

By separating and using competitive procurements for the system, radio (subscriber) units and construction, the City and its taxpayers saved a minimum of $5 million, compared to the initially received proposals for an upgrade to a single-vendor system, while the City was also able to deploy the highest-quality communications equipment without exception or compromise.

The APCO (Association of Public Safety Communications Officials) P25 (Project 25) suite of digital radio communications standards was developed in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York, when police and firefighters at the World Trade Center were unable to communicate with one another, resulting in the loss of lives. P25 standards ensure that public safety officials at the federal, state and local level across North America can interoperate effectively with one another, even during a multi-jurisdictional crisis. Richardson’s new COR^P25 system is 100 percent compliant with P25 standards. Having a system that is truly standards-based also allows sourcing from multiple vendors – as opposed to being restricted to the use of one supplier’s proprietary radio equipment.

“As a city known globally for its high-tech entrepreneurship and leadership in government, Richardson is proud to partner with Cassidian Communications in public safety communications innovation,” said Richardson Mayor Bob Townsend. “Our new communications system stands as a model for cities and other governmental entities nationwide. Most importantly, it enhances the effectiveness and safety of our first responders and other city employees in carrying out their jobs, while making our citizens safer and saving our taxpayers a substantial amount of money, which we’ve reinvested in public safety through our call center.”

With the new system, Richardson has a technologically advanced digital system that provides better coverage throughout the city and beyond, greater reliability and significantly more flexibility and scalability than the previous radio system, which was a 19-year-old analog system. The new system is based on advanced IP technology, allowing for easy, problem-free integration into existing data networks and data centers. Richardson’s public safety communications network is now ready to handle more than 7,000 calls in an average day.

Richardson’s new open-standards system features best-in-class components from multiple vendors:

• COR^P25 infrastructure from Cassidian Communications, providing the backbone of the four-site, simulcast, digital radio communications system throughout the City
• Console systems from AVTEC, featuring 25 user licenses, upgraded software and state-of-the-art, digital consoles with multiple interfaces, deployed in the upgraded 911 Communications Center
• 800 portable and mobile (vehicle-mounted) radios from Motorola’s APX line, including radios with state-of-the-art features to ensure first responder safety and effectiveness, such as noise-canceling vocoder software to support signal clarity in harsh communications environments; the radios are also fully compliant with the future Phase II P25 standards
• Tower and shelter equipment from Sabre Industries, including four radio transmitter sites and powerful file servers and back-up power generators at each site; having four simulcast transmitter sites provides significantly enhanced city-wide coverage, including 99 percent coverage for outdoor mobile communications, and 95 percent coverage for at-the-hip indoor radio use
• Recording equipment from Voiceprint to preserve digital records of critical radio traffic
• Fire alerting solution from Zetron allows communication centers to manage the assets of multiple fire stations, dispatching a single piece of firefighting equipment, an entire station, or multiple stations by selecting them from their PC screen

“Richardson is now a leader in the nationwide movement to unbundle the procurement of public safety land mobile radio systems,” said Bob Freinberg, CEO, Cassidian Communications. “We are excited to be part of this great innovation and shift in the industry’s traditional purchasing process. The Richardson success stands as a shining example of how vendors and municipalities can work together for responsible government and the economic benefit of the community. Cassidian is also honored to have the City of Richardson represent our complete public safety solutions portfolio, ranging from 911 call processing and emergency notification to land mobile radio systems.”

The P25 system components are a critical part of the City’s vision moving forward towards P25 and LTE integration, which would combine mission-critical voice communications with high-speed, media-rich data transfers. LTE is the fourth-generation mobile wireless technology favored by public safety officials for a dedicated broadband network. The ultimate integration of the two will enable first responders to send and receive a powerful array of vital information more quickly in emergency situations.

Taking full advantage of the cost savings achieved through sourcing the system components from multiple vendors, Richardson was also able to implement substantial upgrades to its existing 911 Communications Center. Numerous features of the center were replaced or altered to accommodate the new system, and the City also upgraded the center’s radio equipment room and computer-aided dispatch and record management system.

During today’s ceremony, City officials presented a proclamation commemorating the occasion, and Cassidian officials presented a plaque to the City that will be installed in Richardson’s newly upgraded 911 Communications Center. The event also included a live demonstration of the system’s capabilities.

About the City of Richardson
With over 99,200 residents, the City of Richardson is widely recognized for its commitment to excellence, its rich history and its bright future, all of which make Richardson a smart choice for residents and businesses.  Known globally for its high-tech business leadership, the City of Richardson also offers a high quality of life, diverse array of neighborhoods, convenient Metroplex location, multi-modal transportation infrastructure and outstanding City services.  Richardson has been repeatedly recognized as one of the top places to live and work by the national media, and the City remains dedicated to continuous improvement, as well as to the principles of open government and two-way communications with residents.  To learn more, visit www.cor.net.

About Cassidian Communications
As the largest and most trusted source of mission critical communications solutions, Cassidian Communications, an EADS North American company, is leading the way in standards-based NG9-1-1 call center applications, notification solutions and services and P25 land mobile radio systems. Headquartered in Temecula, California. www.CassidianCommunications.com

About EADS North America
EADS North America is the North American operation of EADS, a global leader in aerospace, defense and related services. As a leader in all sectors of defense and homeland security, EADS North America and its parent company, EADS, contribute over $11 billion to the U.S. economy annually and support more than 200,000 American jobs through its network of suppliers and services. Operating in 17 states, EADS North America offers a broad array of advanced solutions to its customers in the commercial, homeland security, aerospace and defense markets.