News | November 11, 2008

NetMotion Wireless Releases Snapshot Of Mobile Computing Trends In Public Safety

NetMotion Wireless (IACP Booth # 5753) recently released results of a recent survey of public safety agencies that provides new insights into these agencies' current and future plans for wireless communications and technology. The company also disclosed recently that more than 60 percent of the nation's largest public safety organizations, those with more than 500 sworn officers, now use NetMotion's software to maintain secure and stable wireless data communications for their mobile field deployments.

NetMotion Wireless' mobile Virtual Private Network (VPN) software, Mobility XE, provides secures wireless connections to applications and criminal databases across wireless coverage gaps and across various data networks, while providing centralized management tools for IT administrators.

"Despite the current economic climate, we're seeing rapid adoption of wireless technology and applications across the public safety sector, and our latest survey shows that agencies still plan to invest in this area in the coming years," said Pam Cory, Vice President of Marketing, NetMotion Wireless. "For these officers and their IT managers, connectivity is of critical importance. This industry, in particular has been quick to adopt technology that improves officer productivity in the field, so that they can focus on their primary duties, and not technology."

The customer survey was conducted in October 2008 across NetMotion's installed base of more than 1,200 organizations and government agencies. Among the key findings:

  • Nearly 60% indicated they intend to invest more heavily in wireless technology next year; 23% were still unsure; and 17% said they did not plan to do so.
  • Given the broad geographic regions they cover, approximately 94% of public safety agencies rely on multiple wireless data networks for their deployments.
  • Nearly 20% utilize a combination of Wi-Fi and one cellular carrier (e.g. Sprint, AT&T, Verizon, T-mobile); over 70% utilize Wi-Fi networks in combination with multiple wide-area data networks provided by wireless carriers.
  • More than 97% of their wireless deployments are comprised of laptops, while 35% also utilize tablet PCs, and approximately 55% use some kind of smart phones or other wireless handheld device in their deployments.
  • For 87% of IT personnel that support public safety field forces, the key factor in defining the success of their mobile deployment is whether it saves officers' time and makes officers more productive in the field.
  • Over the next two years, 56% percent plan to deploy streaming video within the field and 29% percent plan to utilize Mobile Voice over IP within their agencies.
  • 91% of respondents reported an improvement in the mobile deployment attributable to NetMotion Wireless. The key benefit cited by 60% of respondents was the ability to maintain applications (application persistence) despite dropped network connections through wireless coverage gaps.

Around the globe, more than 300,000 mobile workers use NetMotion's Mobility XE to mitigate some of the most common challenges in mobile deployments today, including application stability as users move in and out of wireless coverage areas, and seamless roaming between Wi-Fi and wide-area cellular networks. In addition, the company provides advanced security and network management controls that extend corporate security policies to mobile devices, while also allowing customers to utilize their existing mobile investments to reliably deploy real-time applications such as Voice over IP (VoIP) and streaming video. For more information about NetMotion, visit http://www.netmotionwireless.com.

About NetMotion Wireless
Based in Seattle, NetMotion Wireless' software enables businesses and agencies to maintain and optimize connections to applications as their mobile workers move in and out of wireless coverage areas and across various networks. NetMotion's award-winning Mobile VPN, Mobility XE, enhances mobile worker productivity at more than 1,200 of the world's most respected organizations across multiple industries including utilities, healthcare, communications, public safety, local government, transportation and many others. For more information about NetMotion Wireless or its products, please visit http://www.netmotionwireless.com.

SOURCE: NetMotion Wireless