Leader in Assured, Standards-Based Mission-Critical Communications Collaborates with Other Emergency Communications Equipment Manufacturers to Test Interoperability Standards
LAS VEGAS, NV/BOSTON, MA, — Harris Corporation (NYSE:HRS), an international communications and information technology company, recently hosted a number of leading emergency communications equipment manufacturers at its Virginia facility to test Project 25 (P25) interoperability and compliance. The summit was held in an effort to further the mission of advanced, interoperable communications solutions for the nation’s first responders.
In May, Harris Corporation’s Compliance Assessment Lab was formally approved to test equipment and technology for P25 compliance according to the U.S. DHS-OIC (Department of Homeland Security’s Office for Interoperability and Compatibility) standards. The laboratory was one of only eight facilities approved to join the P25 CAP (Compliance Assessment Program). The objective of the P25 CAP is to raise the level of interoperability between different brands of public safety-grade radios and provide greater choice for agencies looking to upgrade their wireless communication equipment.
“Assured interoperable communications is a difficult goal, but it’s not an impossible one to achieve. Only by developing radios and radio systems that truly and fully meet P25 standards will the industry finally get the communication capabilities it’s been working toward since the standards were introduced in 1989,” said Paul May, manager, system marketing, Harris Public Safety and Professional Communications. “Beginning with introduction of the P25IP network, we’ve been heavily invested and actively involved in truly open, standards-based interoperable communication. Along with our industry counterparts here in our lab, we expect that the progress we made will bring us closer to solving the interoperability problems that exists in this country.”
The interoperability event involved testing radios from EF Johnson, Motorola, and Tait Radio Communications, among others, for compliance with all the P25 CAP trunked capabilities defined in section 2.1.3 of the February 2009 DHS OIC Project 25 Compliance Assessment Bulleting, P25-CAB-CAI_TEST_REQ. “I’m pleased to announce that subscribers from all the manufacturers that participated in the interoperability event passed the test suite,” May said. “This truly speaks to the level of interoperability within the P25 trunked market, and should encourage us as an industry to continue to develop and demonstrate interoperability across our networks and products.” In its P25 Compliance Assessment Lab, Harris RF Communications tested equipment to ensure interoperability with its P25IP (P25 to the Power of IP) network. The P25IP network provides first responders and mutual aid agencies with advanced, wide area communications and is part of the VIDA® (Voice, Interoperability, Data, Access) network platform.
The VIDA network is a cost-effective, interoperable radio communications technology that supports OpenSky®, P25 and other IP-based communications technologies. The VIDA network provides a full IP management platform, including interoperability without intervention of console operators; IP consoles; networking technology for both the P25 Phase 1 and Phase 2 technology standards; and other benefits inherent in open IP architecture systems.
Harris Public Safety and Professional Communications is a leading supplier of assured communications® systems and equipment for public safety, federal, utility, commercial and transportation markets, with products ranging from the most advanced IP voice and data networks, to industry leading multiband, multimode radios, to public safety-grade broadband video and data solutions. With more than 80 years of experience, Harris supports over 500 systems around the world.
About Harris Corporation
Harris is an international communications and information technology company serving government and commercial markets in more than 150 countries. Headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, the company has approximately $5 billion of annual revenue and 15,000 employees — including nearly 7,000 engineers and scientists. Harris is dedicated to developing best-in-class assured communications® products, systems, and services. Additional information about Harris Corporation is available at www.harris.com.