News Briefs – Monday, April 10, 2006
U.S. military adds connectivity with messaging gateway
The U.S. Army, Air Force and Navy have deployed Bantu’s Inter-Domain Messaging Gateway that lets military personnel communicate across disparate networks, locations and computing platforms. The gateway connects military divisions’ discrete, EIM implementations and networks into single secure system. The Web-based, thin-client application also provides presence management and alerting capabilities and meets the government’s enterprise technology requirements, the company said.
ARINC and Impeva land $20 million U.S. Army contact
ARINC Engineering Services and Impeva Labs have been awarded a five-year, $20 million U.S. Army contract to integrate wireless communications and automatic identification technology to track Department of Defense (DoD) assets. The companies will develop a tracking device that integrates multiple wireless-communications technologies, is mesh-network capable and integrates with the existing DoD fixed-active RFID infrastructure.
The proposed solution includes tags with GPS-position sensing, active alarms and built-in global wireless connectivity to locate and monitor military materials and assets. The companies may also develop an internal container tag, using ultra-wideband technology for wireless visibility of container contents, according to a joint company statement.
First responder gear monitors physiological functions
Thermo-Electron and VivoMetrics announced real-time monitoring capabilities built into first responders’ and hazardous material workers’ gear. The system is worn beneath HAZMAT protective gear and combines the Thermo Matrix CNET mesh network with environmental hazard detection, global positioning and the VivoMetrics LifeShirt 300 system that monitors physiological functions.
The LifeShirt is a chest strap that monitors heart rate, activity, posture and skin temperature in real time. It is integrated with a Thermo-Electron radiation dosimeter, which collects radiation exposure information and a GPS radio uplink that transmits workers’ geographic location. Data is transmitted wirelessly using an ad-hoc self-healing mesh network that uses each responder’s radio as a network node.
Canadian ministry orders two-way radio accessories
Comtrex Communications was awarded a one-year contract to supply two-way radio accessories to the Ontario Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services, which oversees correctional facilities across the province. The ministry may extend the contract by a second year, Comtrex said in a statement.
