ACU-1000(TM) System Allows Radio Interoperability at a Lower Cost with
Nextel's Digital Walkie-Talkie Service
RALEIGH, N.C. and RESTON, Va., Nov. 1, 2005 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon
Company's (NYSE: RTN) JPS Communications and Sprint (NYSE: S) today announced
that Argonne National Laboratory, one of the U.S. Department of Energy's
largest research centers, has improved its radio communications and safety
readiness.
With the deployment of Raytheon JPS' ACU-1000 system and the proven
instant communication capability of Nextel Walkie-Talkie to provide an
automatic and permanent connection to the Argonne Labs trunking system,
Argonne Labs personnel, Argonne Labs Area Emergency Supervisors (AES), and
local fire departments can communicate with one another in times of need via
the ACU-1000 from their disparate radio systems.
Argonne safety regulations require AES to be notified whenever there is
any incident at a building on its 1,500-acre campus in DuPage County, Ill.
With more than 100 buildings, there are several hundred AES employees often
with a secondary and tertiary contact for each building. The cost to outfit
each AES with a trunking portable radio was costly, prompting the need for a
cost effective method of communication that provided ease of use for
employees.
"The use of the ACU-1000 paired with the Nextel Walkie-Talkie technology
enabled Argonne National Laboratory to implement an interoperability solution
quickly and affordably that also complemented its existing Land Mobile Radio
network," said Sandy Waters, vice president of sales and marketing for
Raytheon JPS Communications.
With the new technology, different radio systems can be plugged into the
ACU switch, and the Nextel Walkie-Talkie audio stream is translated between
radio systems and enhanced with JPS' digital signal processing technology. The
AES simply dials the Nextel Walkie-Talkie number assigned to the ACU-1000 and
is instantly connected to the emergency talk group on the Argonne Labs
trunking system. In addition to the main fire dispatch center, any firefighter
on the system can communicate with the appropriate AES on their Nextel phones
from Sprint.
"Interoperability is a major concern at the Lab, and the combined
technology gives us the ability to interact with various parties when and
wherever we need to," said Vic Omiecinski, wireless manager for Argonne.
"Sprint partners with Raytheon JPS Communications to enable
interoperability between systems and to give our customers the advantage of
instant communication at an affordable cost in those times of need," said
Susan Nelson, vice president of alliances and partnerships for Sprint. "We
know the value integrated solutions can have in bridging the communications
gap and helping organizations provide critical information on demand."
On the grounds of Argonne Labs, interoperability between all necessary
parties is key in aiding in multiple types of coordinated response efforts,
whether it is among fellow employees or with other members of the first
responder community.
About Raytheon JPS Communications
Raytheon JPS Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Raytheon
Company, designs, manufactures and sells electronic hardware and software
products that enhance the effectiveness of communications systems. The
company's mission is to extend communications capabilities through the use of
advanced digital technology. Headquartered in Raleigh, N.C., the company's
focus is on Radio Interconnect Products. Raytheon JPS offers unsurpassed
local, regional, state, and wide-area interoperability by linking radios (HF,
UHF, & VHF), SATCOM, cellular, WiFi and regular phones directly and over
networks.
Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN), with 2004 sales of $20.2 billion, is an
industry leader in defense and government electronics, space, information
technology, technical services, and business and special mission aircraft.
With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 80,000 people worldwide.
About Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline
communications services to consumer, business and government customers. Sprint
Nextel is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying
innovative technologies, including two robust wireless networks offering
industry leading mobile data services; instant national and international
walkie-talkie capabilities; and an award-winning and global Tier 1 Internet
backbone. For more information, visit http://www.sprint.com.
About Argonne National Laboratory
Argonne National Laboratory, chartered in 1946 as the nation's first
national laboratory, supports upwards of 200 research projects, ranging from
studies of the atomic nucleus to global climate change research with an annual
operating budget of about $475 million. The laboratory has about 2,900
employees, including about 1,000 scientists and engineers, of whom about 600
hold doctorate degrees. Since 1990, Argonne Labs has worked with more than 600
companies and numerous federal agencies and other organizations. Argonne Labs'
site occupies 1,500 wooded acres, is surrounded by forest preserve about 25
miles southwest of Chicago's Loop, and houses the U.S. Department of Energy's
Chicago Operations Office.
Media Contacts:
Katie Willis
Raytheon JPS Communications
919.865.1036
katie.willis@jps.com
Cheryl Hawkins
Sprint
703.433.4276
cheryl.hawkins@sprint.com
Catherine Foster
Argonne National Laboratory
630.252.5580
cfoster@anl.gov
SOURCE Raytheon Company
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Related links:
http://www.raytheon.com
http://www.sprint.com
CONTACT:
Katie Willis of Raytheon JPS Communications,
+1-919-865-1036, katie.willis@jps.com; or Cheryl Hawkins of
Sprint, +1-703-433-4276, cheryl.hawkins@sprint.com; or Catherine
Foster of Argonne National Laboratory, +1-630-252-5580,
cfoster@anl.gov
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