Padcom today announced a service to help public safety agencies transition from analog cellular-based Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD) networks to digital cellular CDMA and GPRS data networking.
TotalRoam enables roaming by creating a mobile virtual network capable of supporting any combination of RF, CDPD, GRPS, and iDEN networks, as well as CDMA 1xRTT, and 802.11 hotspots.
Beginning November 17, 2003, Padcom will introduce the free static IP offer through Panasonic, the leading provider of ruggedized portable computers.
The software helps users stay connected to departments’ servers and databases, while roaming between dissimilar networks. CDPD networks provide a static IP address for each user but the CDMA1xRTT and GPRS networks use dynamic IP addressing. That renders much of agencies’ software, hardware, and daily processes difficult, or impossible, to operate on the new networks.
Carriers plan to phase-out analog CDPD networks, some of which will take effect June 30, 2004. The majority of customers are public safety agencies that use CDPD to distribute data to officers on patrol.
Panasonic Toughbook will incorporate TotalRoam Connect. The static IP addressing allows agencies to push information to field officers in real time and maintains access to NCIC and federal databases that require a constant, trusted IP address.
“Our free static IP software offer, allows them to preserve capital for mobile infrastructure enhancements like 802.11 build-outs and private RF upgrades”, explains Scott Stone, senior VP of marketing, sales and services, Padcom.
The TotalRoam upgrade provides roaming between multiple active networks. Officers in the field will be able to effortlessly draw on the speed of WLANs with the access of WANs and even make private RF networks a seamless part of their mobile virtual network.
.gif)
