Government Technology - June 2008 - (Page GD1)

Thought Leadership Proﬁle | General Dynamics Forty-Year Track Record, Broad Expertise Long experience delivering turnkey wireless systems makes General Dynamics a trusted integration partner for emergency management and public safety agencies. ith all the potential dangers that keep us on alert today, protecting the public has become a complex challenge. To support them in their mission, emergency management and public safety agencies demand better communications and access to evermore comprehensive data. Today these agencies seek solutions that closely integrate radio communication technologies and traditional IT data networks. Traditional proprietary, narrowband land mobile radio (LMR) networks are giving way to standards-based, digital wireless systems that transmit voice, text, graphics and video. Achieving optimal performance from this technology requires far more expertise than a traditional RF system engineer brings to the table. Agencies also require solutions that extend the reach of their networks, so first responders can get the information they need wherever they need it. When multiple agencies and jurisdictions respond in an emergency, they require interoperable communications across a broad geography. They also need networks that provide seamless service whether their mission leads them down city streets, across an industrial campus or deep inside a building. Indoor coverage is getting special attention these days. In some cities, building codes require that new construction incorporate vendor-neutral wireless distribution to support both consumers and first responders. “The in-building requirement was always a secondary addition to a system design. Now it’s considered primary,” said Peter Howard, senior director of engineering and technology services at General Dynamics Wireless Services. Deploying networks to support mission-critical applications, often on a very large scale, requires an experienced provider. A W public safety network must operate securely. And unlike a consumer network, it absolutely must keep functioning in all extremes — through hurricanes, blizzards, floods, power outages or manmade disasters. That means not only building in redundancy, but also working out the low-tech aspects of disaster planning, such as how to transport the fuel to run generators when roads are impassable. And of course, you have to achieve all this within the constraints of a tight agency budget. Often, when agency officials consider these tough requirements, they decide to procure a turnkey solution. Rather than design, build and maintain their own networks, they seek an experienced integrator that can tailor a system to their needs, use commercial off-the-shelf components to construct it, and then operate it under a service agreement. Then, the agency can focus on its core mission, certain that its communications network will support it without fail. Full Spectrum of Services With more than 40 years of experience in the government and commercial arenas, General Dynamics is uniquely poised to meet the evolving needs of federal, state and local emergency management and public safety agencies. As the leading provider of turnkey wireless network deployment services, General Dynamics offers the expertise an agency needs to get its system running on budget and on time. That includes everything from planning, spectrum management and program management to design and engineering, buildout, and operations and maintenance. Based on its broad experience working with commercial wireless carriers, General Dynamics can deliver the best of commercial technologies ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Government Technology - June 2008

Government Technology - June 2008 Contents Point of View The Last Mile Big Picture On the Scene Four Questions For... 3 Technologies That May Change Your Job ...And Your Life Loosening Medicaid's Grip Better Living Through Technology Immersive Itineraries Help Yourself Taking the Bait Shared Connection Up Close Spectrum Products Personal Computing signal:noise Digital Communities Contents Digital Tactics for a U.S. Recession E-Dilemma Stifling Community Innovation Leadership Interview Estonia Becomes E-Stonia If It Were Up to Me …

Government Technology - June 2008

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