Innovative voice, data and video technology improves the safety of emergency services personnel dealing with large-scale natural disasters and everyday emergencies in Australia

Melbourne, Australia – March 15, 2009 – Motorola Australia is previewing its next-generation digital radio communications solutions at this week’s APCO Australasia conference, the largest emergency services and public safety learning and networking event in Australia and Asia Pacific.

Among the highlights on display are Motorola’s dynamic, multi-band Project 25 (P25) “Phase 2 ready” radio systems that combine voice and data functionality to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of public safety and emergency response agencies. The technology also allows emergency services personnel in both rural and metro areas to communicate with each other when operating over multiple frequencies, one of the issues highlighted by recent events in Australia.

As the Premium Platinum Sponsor of APCO Australasia, Motorola considers the event as one of the most important opportunities on the public safety and security calendar. Its global Chief Technology Officer, Dr. David Borth, will be delivering the keynote address at the conference on next-generation public safety communications, and the opportunities they present for Australia’s public safety organisations.

In addition, two of Motorola Australia’s high-profile public safety customers – Victoria’s Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority (ESTA) and the Western Australia Police – will speak about their experience over many years delivering customised communications solutions for their agencies, including managed services and mobile data, and the outcomes they achieved.

“Reliable communication is one of the fundamental requirements for effective, multi-agency emergency services, as witnessed during the major natural disasters of recent years in Australia,” says Dr. Michael N’Guyen, general manager, Government, Motorola Australia. “The safety of on-duty emergency services personnel largely depends on reliable access to detailed, up-to-the-minute information.”

“With today’s technology, we not only have the ability to send vital information to officers out in the field, but also to monitor their health and performance while on active duty. For example, the Zephyr application for Motorola digital radio devices can be used to remotely monitor the heart rates of fire fighters in action, alerting team leaders to emergencies before they happen,” added N’Guyen.

Solutions in practice
Motorola’s N’Guyen stresses that it is a continuous education process to ensure that emergency services agencies are aware of the solutions available to them. “The most important distinction we need to make is the difference between private and public networks for mission-critical communications. APCO P25 sets the standard in high-availability communications, which simply don’t apply to public, consumer-grade services.”

Motorola invests heavily in research and development to find solutions that become second nature to the men and women working in extreme and dangerous situations. These radio systems support multiple access technologies including conventional, trunking and data, while being upgradeable to Phase 2 of the APCO P25 standard. This flexibility enables the deployment of seamless state-wide networks that allow users to focus on the mission and not the technology.

“We’re constantly finding new ways to improve functionality and add value to our customers’ solutions, so applications like heart rate monitors, voice and video analysis, and even ‘basic’ features like text messaging and internet access can make – and are making – a big difference in practice,” N’Guyen added.

Visit Motorola at stand 21-28 at APCO Australasia at the Melbourne Conference Exhibition Centre.

About Motorola
Motorola is known around the world for innovation in communications and is focused on advancing the way the world connects. From broadband communications infrastructure, enterprise mobility and public safety solutions to high-definition video and mobile devices, Motorola is leading the next wave of innovations that enable people, enterprises and governments to be more connected and more mobile. Motorola (NYSE: MOT) had sales of US $22 billion in 2009. For more information, please visit www.motorola.com.