Industry News
Raytheon Awarded Contract Valued Up to US$6.6 Million to Support the Fire Department of New York in Modernizing Incident Command Systems
Raytheon Company has been awarded a contract by iXP Corporation to design and develop the Portable Electronic Command Board System (PECB) program that will overhaul the Fire Department of New York's (FDNY) manual command boards by using wireless technology.
The PECB will enable FDNY commanders to quickly and efficiently manage firefighters, equipment, emergency medical teams, and other emergency personnel during emergency situations. Raytheon's portion of the contract is valued at up to US$6.6 million over the three-year life of the contract.
The FDNY PECB program is intended to electronically replicate the existing Portable Command Board functionality with several added capabilities. These include wirelessly backhauling PECB information to the FDNY Data Center; providing for central storage; forwarding of that information to the FDNY Operation Center at FDNY Headquarters; and packaging the PECB in a rugged, easily deployable, transportable, self-contained unit.
The technical approach is based upon the integration of innovative software for enabling collaborative incident command functionality to create dynamic situation awareness. The PECB is being implemented by Raytheon Information Solutions, in cooperation with the company's Homeland Security Strategic Business Area, and Raytheon's Integrated Defense Systems business.
iXP Corporation is a national system integration and consulting company dedicated to the public safety and emergency response markets.
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Lockheed Martin UK To Acquire INSYS Group Limited
Representatives Lockheed Martin U.K. Holdings Ltd., a subsidiary of the Lockheed Martin Corporation, announced the company has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire INSYS Group Limited, a U.K.-based diversified supplier of military communications systems, weapons systems and advanced analysis services.
Headquartered in Ampthill, Bedfordshire (U.K.), INSYS’ expertise in the development and production of combat and communication systems and advanced concept analysis, modeling and simulation services will complement Lockheed Martin’s capabilities in these areas. INSYS is a respected supplier to the U.K.’s Ministry of Defense, participating in a broad array of programs including advanced weapons and communications systems, missile defense and integrated biological detection systems.
Lockheed Martin U.K. Holdings, Ltd. located in London, England, will manage the INSYS business, in coordination with Lockheed Martin Electronic Systems, based in Bethesda, Md. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Following satisfaction of customary conditions, closing is expected later this year.
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Intel Acquires Sarvega To Bolster Software, Enterprise Platform Strategies
Representatives of Intel Corporation announced the company has acquired Sarvega Inc., a leader in XML solutions. The acquisition combines Intel’s hardware capabilities with Sarvega’s underlying XML software technology and engineering expertise. Sarvega’s networking solutions optimize XML performance and Web services on enterprise networks providing businesses with improved reliability, security and flexibility to better serve and respond to their customers.
XML is an industry standard language used to describe data independent of software or hardware that simplifies business to business transactions and facilitates the seamless exchange of information between individuals or businesses. Demand for XML-based solutions is growing as it promises to address interoperability within the data center and across multiple institutions, including security and network traffic routing needs not currently addressed by IP-based networks. Industry analysts have projected that XML-based Internet and corporate network traffic will grow from 15 percent in 2004 to almost 50 percent in 2008.
Sarvega is a privately held company based in Oakbrook Terrace, Ill. that delivers XML solutions to enterprise IT managers. The company’s offerings accelerate the processing of XML-workloads, increase network and XML firewall security, and reduce system management overhead.
The current Sarvega product line will continue to be available and be fully supported. Sarvega employees will join the Intel Software and Solutions Group. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
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General Dynamics Acquires Tadpole Computer, Inc.
General Dynamics has acquired Tadpole Computer, Inc., a privately held company based in Cupertino, Calif., that provides Unix-based mobile, secure and battlefield-tested computing platforms for mission-critical military, government and commercial operations. The acquisition will be immediately accretive to General Dynamics. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Tadpole Computer, which has approximately 60 employees, will become part of General Dynamics C4 Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics.
Tadpole Computer’s principal military applications involve secure technologies that are incorporated into mobile platforms that deliver critical information to and from the battlefield or mission. Tadpole Computer provides notebooks and servers in support of joint command and control operations for distributed battlefield management, collaborative briefings, reconnaissance and intelligence gathering. The company has a strategic partnership with Sun Microsystems, Inc. ( Santa Clara, Calif.), and supports its SolarisTM operating system for SPARC platforms.
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Alcatel Sets Up a New Research & Development Center in Western China
Representatives of Alcatel announced the company will set up a new Research & Development (R&D) Center in Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan Province in Western China. Located inside the Chengdu High-Tech Park, an area dedicated to advanced IT and telecom technology development, the new Center represents Alcatel's latest effort to step up the company's research endeavors to better serve customers in China and the rest of the world. To be inaugurated before the end of 2005, the Center will be managed by Alcatel Shanghai Bell, Alcatel's Chinese flagship company.
The new Center will become an integrated part of Alcatel's overall R&D effort in China. In close collaboration with the existing Research & Innovation Center at Alcatel Shanghai Bell's headquarters in Shanghai, this R&D center will bring to market promising new technologies coming out of the company's research. Alcatel will later integrate into this Center all activities currently being carried out in Alcatel's Optical Communication R&D Center in Chengdu.
The Center will also undertake the development of world-class technologies and product concepts covering fixed and mobile communication areas. Initially, it will focus on advanced mobile technologies and solutions in the area of mobile Next Generation Networks (mobile NGN) and microwave transmission. Around 300 R&D engineers will be employed in this new facility.
In December 2002, Alcatel launched its first Research & Innovation Center in Asia Pacific in Shanghai and established the Optical Communications R&D Center in Chengdu in February 2003. Globally, Alcatel invests around 13% of its annual revenue on R&D activities.
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Toshiba and Columbus Children’s Hospital Partner to Develop First Cardiac Bi-Plane Flat Panel System
Following years of research and development, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc., in conjunction with Columbus Children’s Hospital, has unveiled the Infinix TM cardiac bi-plane (CB-i) flat panel diagnostic imaging X-ray system, the first of its kind to be installed worldwide. In addition, the system serves as the cornerstone of a newly opened and innovative pediatric unit at Columbus Children’s Hospital, the fifth largest children's hospital in the country.
The development of the Infinix CB-i flat panel system follows a successful, multi-year collaboration between Toshiba and Dr. John Cheatham, director, cardiac catheterization and interventional therapy, the Heart Center, Columbus Children’s Hospital. Cheatham’s vision for a top-notch pediatric lab and the first dedicated hybrid catheterization suite in the world drove the technology’s development.
The new Infinix CB-i flat panel system has many unique features, including the five-axis positioner, which provides fingertip-to-fingertip and head-to-toe coverage for diagnostic and interventional cath procedures.
The Infinix CB-i provides two different views from a single injection, reducing overall contrast dose to patients and thereby ensuring less risk. The system offers easy access to the patient, while still providing the necessary views for imaging the anatomy. A full 180-degree access to the patient can be provided, ensuring that multiple specialists can meet the patient’s needs quickly during the exam.
The specially designed flat-panel detectors deliver high-resolution images with uniform brightness and no distortion. Besides excellent imaging, the Tantalum X-ray beam filtration also minimizes dose to patients and staff. The system’s high frame rate and the short exposure times of bi-plane imaging allow clinicians to freeze the motion of rapidly moving hearts that are typical of pediatric patients.
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Huawei Offers Unified 2G/3G Core Network to Wataniya Telecom
Representatives ofWataniya Telecom Maldives and Huawei Technologies, jointly announced that Huawei Technologies will supply a unified 2G/3G core network, a whole set of mobile service platforms and a UMTS RAN system to Wataniya in August. This is the first contract win for Huawei Technologies in Maldives.
Ahmad Haleem, CEO of Wataniya International and Mr. Wang Jiading, Vice President of Huawei Technologies' Middle East and North Africa region co-hosted the signing ceremony.
Huawei Technologies will provide a unified 2G/3G core network which supports the dual access of the GSM and UMTS radio networks. The solution of Huawei Technologies can help Wataniya save investment cost and deploy services quickly. In addition, Wataniya can provide up to 16 types of services to its customers in Maldives, such as PPC (Pre-Paid Charging), SMS (Short Message Service), MMS (Multimedia Message Service), Video Streaming, VMS (Voice Mail Service) and 171 kbps / 384 kbps high-speed Internet access service leveraging Huawei Technologies' powerful mobile service platform.
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SAMSUNG To Produce More DDR2 than DDR1 Memory
Representatives of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a leader in advanced memory technology, announced this week that it is leading the industry shift from DDR1 (Double Data Rate 1) to DDR2 main memory. As of July, approximately 40 percent of the company’s total DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) output is DDR2 and approximately 30 percent is DDR1. This marks the first month that production of DDR2 has crossed over to take the lead from DDR1 in bits produced.
“The industry has been waiting for a clear indication that DDR2 has become the dominant memory for EDP (electronic data processing) applications including computing and this is it. We are seeing an upsurge in interest in DDR2 from system OEMs as well as system integrators, something that will continue to accelerate into 2006,” said Tom Quinn, senior vice president, memory sales and marketing, Samsung Semiconductor.
After setting the first 10-million (256Mb equivalent) milestone in shipments in July 2004, Samsung has reached an aggregate production volume of 360 million (256Mb equivalent) units by the first half of this year. This is a 30-fold growth in the past 12 months and a direct reflection of the company’s pivotal role in driving the DDR2 market. The company’s strong product portfolio allows it to hold up to 40% of the global DDR2 market.
DDR2 provides faster speeds, better signal integrity, improved thermal characteristics and reduced power consumption more than any other memory available today for the desktop, server, workstation and notebook markets.
The 1.8-volt JEDEC-compliant memory features high-speed data transfer rates of 667 Mbps or 533 Mbps, and will be offered in an 800 Mbps version by early next year. Pricing has dropped to where the cost of DDR2 is essentially on par with DDR1 on a per bit basis.
Samsung is now producing 256, 512 Mb and 1 Gb versions of DDR2 at 533 Mbps, plus 256 and 512 Mb versions of its new DDR2-667 memory. Samsung’s DDR2-667 optimizes performance in both single-core and dual-core processor systems.
Features contained in DDR2 that are not available in other memory include on-die termination, 240-pin count, multiple drive controls, off-chip driver calibration and four-bit pre-fetch.
According to DE DIOS & ASSOCIATES research, DDR2 sales will increase from $1.5B in 2004 to $6.5B this year to $18B in 2006.
