Handheld and IPWireless Sign Partnership to Serve the Public Safety Sector
11 February 2010
San Francisco, CA, US and Lidköping, Sweden — Handheld Group, supplier of rugged mobile computers, and IPWireless, a leading provider of 3GPP solutions for new applications and markets, today announced a partnership to deliver state-of-the-art products to the fast-growing public safety sector. Under the partnership, Handheld will supply ruggedised products, which fully integrate IPWireless 3GPP mobile broadband technology, for use on public safety and government networks.
The first device developed as a result of the partnership is the Algiz 7, an ultra-rugged, Windows-based 7in widescreen tablet that meets stringent military standards for withstanding humidity, vibration, drops and extreme temperatures. IPWireless will be demonstrating the Algiz 7 at their booth, AV40, at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona from 15-18 February 2010.
The IPWireless end-to-end mobile broadband solution, which includes network infrastructure, chipsets, and end-user devices, is based on 3GPP standards and enables public safety agencies and service providers to deploy a high-performance solution now, and then seamlessly upgrade to LTE when they are ready. IPWireless offers a wide range of end-user devices including a USB modem, USB stick and a PCI Express Mini Card (PEM) that can integrate a variety of devices such as residential home gateways, outdoor CPE, rugged mobile routers for vehicle installation, rugged PDAs, traffic-light controllers and video surveillance cameras for enhanced public safety mobile computing.
"We are very excited about the possibilities in our partnership with IPWireless. Their technical expertise in mobile broadband solutions and our rugged products is truly a perfect match. We will be able to provide end users with completely new and unique featured products. We are the fastest-growing company in the rugged computer industry and this partnership will help us leverage our business even further," said Jerker Hellström, CEO and chairman of the Handheld Group.
"The days of public safety networks being about simple voice are over, with users now expecting access to a comprehensive range of applications regardless of their location," said Malcolm Gordon, COO of IPWireless. "To deliver on this vision requires high bandwidth, reliable connectivity and devices able to survive the rigors of day-to-day usage in challenging environments. By combining Handheld's ruggedised devices and IPWireless mobile broadband technology, this partnership opens up a wide range of possibilities for our customers."
