ANNAPOLIS, Md., Aug. 4, 2015 -- TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. (TCS) (NASDAQ: TSYS), a world leader in secure and highly reliable wireless communication technology, today announced that it has been awarded a contract extension through January 2021 by the state of Tennessee to provide Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) management and integration services. With the Tennessee deployment, TCS is the first company in the nation to build an NG9-1-1 solution using the state's existing Internet Protocol (IP) network so as to enable seamless interoperability with various vendors' products and services. TCS' professional services allow Tennessee to continue using its current IP infrastructure while implementing NG9-1-1 services that will offer citizens the ability to communicate with emergency dispatchers via voice, data, video, images and text messages.
News Facts:
- TCS is providing the state of Tennessee a suite of products and services that enable it to achieve the goal of a statewide i3 NG9-1-1 solution. The National Emergency Number Association (NENA) i3 specification supports open interfaces, uses the modern IP network, and is technology neutral, based on commercial off-the-shelf components, which enhance flexibility and drive down costs.
- As part of its $20 million contract with the state of Tennessee, TCS is renewing all the existing services initially contracted in 2011, as well as providing a cloud-based statewide GIS database management system through January 2021.
- TCS provides Automatic Location Identification (ALI), future location validation, and data delivery services, Network Operations Center (NOC) functions, and project and process management.
- TCS infrastructure forms the foundation for market-leading solutions in E9-1-1, text messaging, commercial location and deployable wireless communications.
Tennessee Emergency Communications Board Executive Director Curtis Sutton said: "As Tennesseans become increasingly mobile, it is important that our emergency 9-1-1 services are up to task in successfully handling incoming calls – whether from a landline, VoIP or wireless device. Since forging a relationship with TCS in 2011, we have been pleased with the innovative Next Generation 9-1-1 solutions and services that the company has provided us, and are now looking forward to providing even more next-generation public safety solutions designed to enable PSAPs to handle 9-1-1 calls from our residents in the most effective way possible."
TCS Safety and Security Group Senior Vice President Lynne Seitz said: "Tennessee Emergency Communications is among the first to realize the many benefits that NG9-1-1 solutions offer, by enabling their emergency responders to quickly and efficiently respond to 9-1-1 calls. TCS' contract with Tennessee reinforces the value that we have provided the state since our relationship began in 2011. We are pleased to continue this momentum in deploying the latest 9-1-1 technologies for the state of Tennessee and its residents, and furthering our position as the leader in large-scale statewide NG9-1-1 deployments."
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 11th consecutive year of TL 9000 certification in November 2014 and is the only non-carrier TL 9000-certified organization that supports E9-1-1 services. 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.
