Southern Linc is preparing to use Catalyst IntelliLink(tm) Interworking solutions to help their customers connect Land Mobile radio users to users on the Southern Linc Mission Critical Push to talk service called CriticalLink . Check out the promotional brochure they created to help sell their service.
Reaching as many public safety professionals and mission critical communicators with our message of standards compliant LMR LTE Interworking was a key theme in October as Catalyst supported three regional events.
First up was Doral, Florida with the L3Harris Mission Critical Alliance team who invited us to join them in a customer event, showing the Miami-Dade system (LMR system with the most PTTs in the nation) and other regional customers, both public safety and professional communications. Catalyst was there showing ICE(tm) our transportable incident command and digital repeater solution. This unit will support the new L3Harris XL-200M P25 multiband radio, and Catalyst is the first company to demonstrate advanced control of this new mobile radio.
Next up was picturesque New England village Stowe Vermont and the Atlantic Chapter of APCO Conference. Here’s what the demonstration “booth” looked like, as we were demonstrating live, over LTE and LMR, Interworking between a portable LMR subscriber unit and a Sonim smartphone with a Mission Critical Push to Talk App.
And right after that was Roanoke Virginia and the Virginia APCO Conference. Once again we demonstrated LMR LTE Interworking, and we were joined by Catalyst Dealer Star City.
We like being busy!!
Thanks for joining us at IWCE in Las Vegas, if you were there. If not, here’s what we looked like:
Advanced control and integration of L3Harris’ multiband, multifunction P25 radio on display at IWCE 2021
Catalyst Communications Technologies, a leader in Dispatch, Interoperability, Interworking and Incident Command solutions to the mission critical marketplace, announced today that it has implemented the control protocol for the new L3Harris Technologies XL-200M P25 mobile radio. Catalyst is the first company aside from L3Harris to develop advanced control of this radio, continuing a wide ranging technology and marketing partnership between the companies.
The L3Harris XL-200M is unique in the marketplace due to its wide variety of network and communications capabilities. The XL-200M is a multiband radio supporting VHF, UHF, 700/800 and 900 MHz bands, and includes built-in Wi-Fi®, Bluetooth® and GPS. The radio features an intuitive interface and high-visibility color display, allowing users to stay more focused on the job, and its optional LTE capabilities provides an on-the-go communications hub, providing hotspot capabilities that allow you to stay connected to an LMR or LTE network.
With advanced control of this radio from Catalyst, dispatchers using Catalyst’s Propulsion dispatch console can change channels and talk groups, display, declare and clear emergency indications, display unit ID’s and aliases, and execute other control functions. The advanced interface provides a wealth of real-time operational data that is available for display to dispatchers as well as programming information that facilitates system administration and maintenance. The XL-200M is the latest addition to Catalyst’s Dispatch Radio Control over IP solutions, including new configurations of ICE™ – Incident Commander Element – which provides transportable incident command and digital vehicular repeater solutions to the mission critical marketplace.
In making the announcement, Robin Grier, president of Catalyst Communications Technologies, said “Our long partnership with L3Harris continues to provide public safety with benefits and new capabilities that help first responders accomplish their mission, and our recent collaboration with L3Harris on the XL-200M is more evidence of this alliance. We continue to work closely with L3Harris to provide their customers, and ours, with communications solutions that solve real world challenges.”
Echoing Mr. Grier, L3Harris spokesperson James Potter, Director, Mission Critical Alliance, said “Catalyst joining the Mission Critical Alliance and integrating with the XL-200M is yet another example of how members can focus on what they do best and collaborate across the Alliance to enhance their offerings and drive innovation.”
Catalyst is the first company other than L3Harris to demonstrate advanced control of new multiband, multimode radio
Catalyst will demonstrate some of the most advanced technology in support of Public Safety Communications available anywhere when first responders, dispatchers, and other public safety professionals descend on Las Vegas for IWCE 2021 this week. Go Kits, ICE™, the L3Harris XL-200M integration, Interloc™ Location Services now with LTE Smartphone tracking, IntelliLink™ Interworking and other innovations from the leader in Dispatch, Interoperability, Interworking and Incident Command for the critical communications marketplace will be on display.
L3Harris XL-200M mobile radio integration -Dispatch, Interoperability, Interworking and Incident Command
The L3Harris XL-200M is unique in the marketplace due to its wide variety of network and communications capabilities. The XL-200M is a multiband radio supporting VHF, UHF, 700/800 and 900 MHz bands, and includes built-in Wi-Fi®, Bluetooth® and GPS. The radio features an intuitive interface and high-visibility color display, allowing users to stay more focused on the job, and its optional LTE capabilities provide an on-the-go communications hub, providing hotspot capabilities that allow you to stay connected to an LMR or LTE network.
With advanced control of this radio from Catalyst, dispatchers using Catalyst’s Propulsion dispatch console can change channels and talk groups, display, declare and clear emergency indications, display unit ID’s and aliases, and execute other control functions. The advanced interface provides a wealth of real-time operational data that is available for display to dispatchers as well as programming information that facilitates system administration and maintenance.
The XL-200M is the latest addition to Catalyst’s Dispatch Radio Control over IP solutions, including new configurations of ICE™ – Incident Commander Element – which provides transportable incident command and digital vehicular repeater solutions to the mission critical marketplace. ICE™ packages two to four mobile radios, Radio Control Software, Dispatch Software, and Interoperability Software into a single unit.
ICE™ is receiving strong market acceptance. When Firefighters enter a burning building, they often choose “direct mode,” as in-building coverage may be limited. However, these communications have traditionally not been routed back to the Dispatcher, hampering coordination. ICE™ relays the in-building direct mode communications back to the Dispatcher and provides a number of valuable ancillary capabilities including Incident Command, recorded audio conversations, and on-scene logging of unit IDs and Emergency messages.
LMR LTE INTERWORKING-technology to support Mission Critical Push to Talk Applications on Smartphones
Among the leading technology on display is Catalyst’s IntelliLink™ Interworking, now deployed in field trials and providing communications between portable radio users and smartphones with standards-compliant Mission Critical Push to Talk applications. This advanced Interworking solution maps multiple talk groups on LTE Networks and LMR Networks to each other and provides advanced communications capabilities, including a public safety grade dispatch console that displays unit ID, Emergency Indication, and Location for both LMR and LTE subscribers; capabilities that are not available in voice only Radio over IP (RoIP) solutions.
Competing RoIP solutions typically only provide a basic analog interface between LMR radios and LTE Networks, with some fundamental shortcomings such as not being able to detect whether the attached donor radio is turned on and operating. In contrast, the Catalyst IntelliLink™ Interworking solution interfaces with a wide variety of standards-based as well as proprietary LMR radio systems, providing advanced control of these networks through Catalyst’s Radio Control over Internet Protocol technology. Depending on the radio, IntelliLink™ Interworking monitors the radio status and, if busy, can store the audio until the radio channel is free, key up the radio automatically and transmit the call, so that no syllables or words are lost during the communications. Catalyst technology also records all the communications including meta data like Unit ID from both LMR and LTE networks for later playback and review. Catalyst LMR radio interfaces include P25 CSSI/ISSI, P25 DFSI, DMR AIS, as well as intelligent interfaces to radios such as L3Harris and Kenwood. Catalyst can, of course, also provide legacy Tone and DC control solutions common to older radio systems.
Research and development of the IntelliLink™ Interworking suite of capabilities was initially funded through a contract with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate. More recently, however, Catalyst was awarded a three-million-dollar grant to commercialize this technology from the Department of Commerce (DOC) Public Safety Communications Research Division (PSCR), a Division of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
Location Aware from LTE Devices: InterLoc™ support for Smartphones with 3GPP Compliant Mission Critical Push to Talk Applications
Also at IWCE 2021 is the announcement that InterLoc™, Catalyst’s location services for mission critical radio networks, now acquires and presents the GPS location of individuals with MCPTT applications on Smartphones connected to these LTE networks. Maps display and differentiate between various LMR and LTE users with distinctive graphics The InterLoc™ system from Catalyst is unique because it does not require expensive map licensing or cellular data charges for LMR devices, making the system very cost-effective compared to typical AVL solutions. InterLoc™ is seamlessly integrated with Catalyst’s Dispatch and Interoperability solutions, and Dispatchers can initiate text and voice communications to individual users directly from the map. Maps can display subscriber status (such as Emergency), and Dispatchers can center the map on any resource with the click of a mouse. Multiple maps, and multiple types of maps, can be simultaneously displayed, and a robust tool-kit provides map customizations that help Dispatchers to better manage critical communications resources.
Innovations in Hardware Platforms – Catalyst Go Kits
Dispatchers sometimes need to move from their primary Dispatch facilities and continue critical Dispatch operations. Some typical scenarios are:
Catalyst is demonstrating our Go Kits, a transportable Dispatch solution that’s part of the Catalyst Dispatch Solutions family. Go Kits augment your existing Catalyst Dispatch System with a low cost, easily deployed backup for emergencies when Dispatchers need to relocate.
Go Kits include computer hardware, accessories for a fully functional dispatch position, and a hardened enclosure. Propulsion™ Dispatch Software can be optionally added as can Cradlepoint Wireless Wide Area Network devices. Transmitting over LTE, Go Kits can be located anywhere in LTE cellular coverage and can connect to Catalyst Gateways through a variety of backhaul solutions.
Catalyst Executives making an impact at IWCE
Also at IWCE, Catalyst introduces its newest member of the Executive Team James Teel, Vice President of Business Development. James brings extensive experience leading communications technology business development and product management organizations in the public safety marketplace. Prior to Catalyst, James spent more than 14 years at L3Harris (formerly Harris) and was instrumental in positioning the company as an early market leader in the emerging FirstNet/Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network. Speaking about James, Robin Grier said “James has been an A List business manager his entire career and we’re excited to have him on our team. Catalyst has significant opportunities to grow as the mission critical marketplace embraces LTE technologies and James’ skills and experiences will be instrumental as we roll out our LMR/LTE Intellilink™ Interworking solutions.”
And, speaking of Robin Grier, he’ll be presenting at IWCE as part of the Project 25 Interest Group (PTIG) presentation “Harmony for Future for PTT Services? P25 and LTE”. Robin’s talk will focus on LMR LTE Interworking, and attendees can attend this presentation Wednesday, September 29 from 4:30pm – 5:45pm.
Robin Grier, president of Catalyst Communications Technologies, announced that James Teel has joined Catalyst as Vice President of Business Development. In this role, James is charged with leading the effort to continue Catalyst’s growth, including new initiatives to deploy Catalyst’s LMR/LTE interworking solutions.
James brings extensive experience leading communications technology business development and product management organizations in the public safety marketplace. Prior to Catalyst, James spent more than 14 years at L3Harris (formerly Harris) and was instrumental in positioning the company as an early market leader in the emerging FirstNet/Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network. He led development of market entry and early adoption strategies for l3Harris’ broadband portfolio, strategic relationships within the industry, as well as driving L3Harris’ business strategy internally across multiple line organizations and business divisions.
Speaking about James, Robin Grier said “James has been an A List business manager his entire career and we’re excited to have him on our team. Catalyst has significant opportunities to grow as the mission critical marketplace embraces LTE technologies and James’ skills and experiences will be instrumental as we roll out our LMR/LTE Intellilink™ Interworking solutions. These solutions will require close coordination with FirstNet™ and the FirstNet™ network provider AT&T, as well as other Mission Critical Push-to-Talk (MCPTT) systems, and James can help us across all our business lines, including our core Dispatch, Interoperability and Incident command solutions.”
More details about James Teel can be viewed at his LinkedIn profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-teel-54a19a1/
Catalyst President Robin Grier, in association with the Project 25 Interest Group (PTIG), will present as part of the session Harmony for PTT Services? P25 and LTE on Wednesday, September 29 from 4:30pm – 5:45pm. He’ll join Stephen Nichols (Executive Director, Project 25 Technology Interest Group), Andy Davis (Senior Resource Manager, Motorola Solutions), Jeremy Elder (Director Integrated Platforms, L3Harris) and Cindy Cast (Radio Systems Manager in the Information Technology Service Department, Radio Communication Services Division of Miami-Dade County, Miami Dade County).
Robin will focus on the work Catalyst has accomplished to develop a standards compliant LMR LTE Interworking solution as part of our Department of Homeland Security and Department of Commerce research, development and commercialization efforts, and the need for standards compliant solutions, including Project 25, as some proprietary solutions have made inroads into the public safety marketplace.
For anyone attending IWCE, you can obtain a free pass to the Exhibits. Go to this link:
https://l.feathr.co/IWCE-2021/Catalyst-Communications-Technologies-Inc-y
to register for your FREE PASS. This code CATALYST is valid for:
Free Exhibit Hall pass
Or 20% off conference passes*
*Not valid for the ETA training courses & tests. Non-transferrable. Cannot be applied to previously paid registrations. Discount expires on September 24, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
The following is a PRESS RELEASE announced by L3Harris at this week’s APCO 2021 Conference and Trade Show. Catalyst is proud to be associated with this important group of innovative companies serving Public Safety.
Highlights:
SAN ANTONIO, TX, Aug. 15, 2021 [APCO 2021] — L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) announced today that Catalyst Communications Technologies, Inc., Intrado Corporation, Mutualink, Inc. and Unication USA, Inc. have joined its Mission Critical Alliance (MCA). The MCA is a strategic partner program for technology providers with a common goal of advancing the capabilities, compatibility and security of mission critical communications solutions.
“The addition of these organizations to the MCA will further expand the growing interoperable ecosystem for Command and Control operations,” said Nino DiCosmo, President, Public Safety and Professional Communications, L3Harris. “At this time of important change in the public safety communications technology market, L3Harris and our MCA members remain steadfast in our commitment to providing solutions that are compatible, secure and complete.”
L3Harris Public Safety and Professional Communications is a leading supplier of communications systems and equipment for public safety, federal, utility, commercial and transportation markets. The business has more than 80 years of experience in public safety and professional communications and supports more than 500 systems around the world. For more details on the MCA, including a full list of members, visit: https://www.l3harris.com/all-capabilities/mission-critical-alliance.
About L3Harris Technologies
L3Harris Technologies is an agile global aerospace and defense technology innovator, delivering end-to-end solutions that meet customers’ mission-critical needs. The company provides advanced defense and commercial technologies across air, land, sea, space and cyber domains. L3Harris has approximately $18 billion in annual revenue and 47,000 employees, with customers in more than 100 countries. L3Harris.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that reflect management’s current expectations, assumptions and estimates of future performance and economic conditions. Such statements are made in reliance upon the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results and future trends to differ materially from those matters expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. Statements about system capabilities are forward-looking and involve risks and uncertainties. L3Harris disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
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Achievements in support of Public Safety Radio Communications Demonstrated at the Catalyst Booth # 1409
APCO 2021, San Antonio, Texas – August 15, 2021
Catalyst once again will demonstrate some of the most advanced technology in support of Public Safety Communications available anywhere when first responders, dispatchers, and other public safety professionals descend on San Antonio for APCO 2021 this week.
Among the leading technology on display is Catalyst’s IntelliLink™ Interworking, now deployed in field trials and providing communications between portable radio users and smartphones with standards-compliant Mission Critical Push to Talk applications. This advanced Interworking solution maps multiple talk groups on LTE Networks and LMR Networks to each other and provides advanced communications capabilities, including a public safety caliber dispatch console that displays unit ID, Emergency Indication, and Location for both LMR and LTE subscribers; capabilities that are not available in voice only RoIP solutions.
Competing RoIP solutions typically only provide a basic analog interface between LMR radios and LTE Networks that cannot even detect whether the attached donor radio is turned on and operating. In contrast, the Catalyst IntelliLink™ Interworking solution interfaces with a wide variety of standards-based as well as proprietary LMR radio systems, providing advanced control of these networks through Catalyst’s Radio Control over Internet Protocol technology. Catalyst technology is even aware of the Radio Status of many of these networks and, if busy, IntelliLink™ Interworking can store the audio until the radio channel is free, key up the radio automatically and transmit the call, so that no syllables or words are lost during the communications. Catalyst technology also records all the communications including meta data like Unit ID from both LMR and LTE networks for later playback and review. Catalyst LMR radio interfaces include P25 CSSI/ISSI, P25 DFSI, DMR AIS, as well as intelligent interfaces to radios such as L3Harris and Kenwood. Catalyst can, of course, also provide legacy Tone and DC control solutions common to older radio systems.
Research and development of the IntelliLink™ Interworking suite of capabilities was initially funded through a contract with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate. More recently, however, Catalyst was awarded a three million dollar grant to commercialize this technology from the Department of Commerce (DOC) Public Safety Communications Research Division (PSCR), a Division of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
Location Aware from LTE Devices: InterLoc™ support for Smartphones with 3GPP Compliant Mission Critical Push to Talk Applications
New for APCO 2021 is the announcement that InterLoc™, Catalyst’s location services for mission critical radio networks, now acquires and presents the GPS location of individuals with MCPTT applications on Smartphones connected to these LTE networks. Maps display and differentiate between various LMR and LTE users with distinctive graphics The InterLoc™ system from Catalyst is unique because it does not require expensive map licensing or cellular data charges for LMR devices, making the system very cost-effective compared to typical AVL solutions. InterLoc™ is seamlessly integrated with Catalyst’s Dispatch and Interoperability solutions, and Dispatchers can initiate text and voice communications to individual users directly from the map. Maps can display subscriber status (such as Emergency), and Dispatchers can center the map on any resource with the click of a mouse. Multiple maps, and multiple types of maps, can be simultaneously displayed, and a robust tool-kit provides map customizations that help Dispatchers to better manage critical communications resources.
ICE™ – Catalyst’s Transportable Incident Command solution to support the new L3Harris XL-200M mobile radio
At APCO Catalyst will also demonstrate its Incident Commander Element – ICE™, a transportable radio communications solution that packages two to four mobile radios, Radio Control Software, Dispatch Software, and Interoperability Software into a single unit. What’s new is the launching of support for and integration with the L3Harris XL-200M mobile radio. On the APCO show floor, Catalyst will demonstrate advanced control of this new mobile with its dispatch console. This versatile new radio from L3Harris operates across the VHF, UHF, 700/800 and 900 MHz bands, and comes standard with Wi-Fi(r), Bluetooth (r) and GPS.
ICE™ is receiving strong market acceptance. When Firefighters enter a burning building, they often choose “direct mode,” as in-building coverage may be limited. However, these communications have traditionally not been routed back to the Dispatcher, hampering coordination. ICE™ relays the in-building direct mode communications back to the Dispatcher and provides a number of valuable ancillary capabilities including Incident Command, recorded audio conversations, and on-scene logging of unit IDs and Emergency messages.
Innovations in Hardware Platforms – Catalyst Go Kits
Dispatchers sometimes need to move from their primary Dispatch facilities and continue critical Dispatch operations. Some typical scenarios are:
Introducing Go Kits, a transportable Dispatch solution. A component of the Catalyst Dispatch Solutions family, Go Kits augment your existing Catalyst Dispatch System with a low cost, easily deployed backup for emergencies when Dispatchers need to relocate.
Go Kits include computer hardware, accessories for a fully functional dispatch position, and a hardened enclosure. Propulsion™ Dispatch Software can be optionally added as can Cradlepoint Wireless Wide Area Network technology. Transmitting over LTE, Go Kits can be located anywhere in LTE cellular coverage and can connect to Catalyst Gateways through a variety of backhaul solutions.
Visit Catalyst at APCO 2021 at Booth 1409 to see Go Kits, ICE™, the L3Harris XL-200M, Interloc™ Location Services now with LTE Smartphone tracking, IntelliLink™ Interworking and other innovations from the leader in Dispatch, Interoperability, Interworking and Incident Command for the critical communications marketplace.
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