Airwave O2 has signed a contract with Motorola to
provide personal digital assistants (PDAs) that can work on the UK
police forces' national Tetra (Terrestrial Trunked Radio)
network.
The agreement is the world’s first commercial contract for Tetra
PDAs, with Motorola providing the first handsets by the end of the
year.
The Airwave network already in place can support small amounts
of data sent by users equipped with existing Tetra devices, but the
PDAs will vastly increase the level of data connectivity for
officers, said the suppliers.
Running a suite of applications developed by O2
Airwave, the PDAs will help deliver critical intelligence to
frontline workers in the police and other emergency services, to
enhance safety and effectiveness, said the pair.
The Motorola MTC100 Tetra PDA will host a number of mobile
applications intended to help police officers spend more time on
visible, active patrol and increase productivity.
Software applications will be developed by O2 Airwave
and will operate through its existing mobile applications gateway,
helping to achieve the aims outlined in the police’s 2002 UK
National Strategy for Mobile Information.
Officers will be able to use the secure Tetra network to access
criminal intelligence databases such as the Police National
Computer and other sources, as well as compiling and submitting
crime reports without having to return to a police station.
Officers will also benefit from rapid information transfer with
the MTC100 through the use of Tetra’s multi-slot packet data
capability.
All the devices come loaded with Windows 2005 Mobile Edition,
and an integrated camera and flash to allow pictures to be taken
and circulated quickly.
Other options include wi-fi radio, Bluetooth short-range
wireless connectivity, and integrated GPS.
The first forces to use the new PDAs have yet to be
announced.
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