Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Public Wireless to Overtake Private Wireless?- "New Study of Public-Safety Departments Using MobileCommunications"

From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2003 13:28:19 -0500

Public Wireless to Overtake Private Wireless?- "New Study of Public-Safety
Departments Using MobileCommunications"- 

New market research by iGillottResearch indicates that
police, EMS, and fire departments are making use of public
wireless networks and devices, including PDAs and mobile
handsets, to carry voice and data. Public-safety departments
intend to purchase more wireless devices over the next two
years. "This study shows that public-safety departments
highly value reliable wireless communications," says
iGillottResearch President Iain Gillott. The company's study
looked at 50 IT departments and their use of networks and
devices as well as solution selection factors, purchase
plans, use of location-based applications, and other items.
The greatest perceived benefits that mobile communications
provide to the sector are enhancement of field productivity,
rapid connectivity and response, and rapid access to
information. The study has been used to prepare a ROI model
to predict the benefit of a given application to a
department--the Public Safety Wireless & Mobile Impact
Assessment Tool.

===================================================================================

New Study of Public-Safety Departments Using Mobile
Communications

Report of IT departments supporting police, fire and EMS units shows high
reliance on wireless communications.
By Miriam Jones - October 2003

AUSTIN, Texas -- Police, fire and EMS departments have been using private radio
systems for some time, but are also extensively using public wireless networks
and devices, both voice and data, according to a new market research study.

Today's public-safety officer may use a range of wireless devices from mobile
handsets to PDAs and laptops with Wi-Fi and wide area wireless data connections.
And over the next two years, the public-safety departments plan to purchase many
more such devices using public wireless networks.

"This study shows that public-safety departments highly value reliable wireless
communications," said Iain Gillott, founder and president of iGillottResearch,
which conducted the survey. "Coverage of public networks, both in-building and
in the
wide area, are major concerns however. But the need to provide reliable
connectivity in life-or-death situations is very real."

The company surveyed 50 IT departments of varying sizes supporting police, fire
and EMS units. Questions covered use of wireless networks and devices today,
purchase plans, perceived benefits, vendor selection and approval process, use
of location-based applications, and solution selection factors. The data has
been
used to prepare the Public Safety Wireless & Mobile Impact Assessment Tool, a
detailed ROI model that can be used to predict the benefit of various
applications in
departments.

The main perceived benefits of wireless and mobile communications in the
public-safety sector are to enhance productivity in the field, provide rapid
connectivity and response in life-or-death situations and to provide rapid
access to information.

http://www.govtech.net/magazine/channel_story.phtml?channel=14&id=74056

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