Apptis, SmartLink Team to Win California Public Safety Radio Contract; $3 Million Award Will Bridge Solano County Emergency Services

Business Wire, Dec 19, 2005

CHANTILLY, Va. & WALLINGFORD, Conn. -- Apptis, Inc. and SmartLink Radio Networks, Inc., announced today that they have teamed to win a $3 million contract from Solano County, Calif. to design and deliver an interoperable radio system platform that will provide public safety agencies within the county the ability to communicate across disparate radio frequencies and networks.

Apptis will lead the project and use the SmartLink I-Network platform to increase the capacity and coverage of the multi-channel VHF band system used by Solano County's Sheriff, Fire and Emergency Management departments. The system will also facilitate countywide interoperability and roaming for the public safety agencies of its constituent cities including Benicia, Dixon, Fairfield, Rio Vista, Suisun, Vacaville and Vallejo which operate on channels throughout a variety of frequency bands. The County's six regional Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP's) dispatch centers will also become participants on the network providing a level of backup and redundancy not otherwise possible.

"We were looking for a creative solution that would maximize our value from limited grant funding. Working with Apptis and SmartLink we achieve enhancements to the current network and interoperable radio communications for public safety agencies within the county as well as regional, state and federal agencies we may call upon in the future," said Ira Rosenthal, Solano County Chief Information Officer.

"We are pleased to team with SmartLink on this important public safety project," said Steve Baldwin, President and CEO of Apptis. "Law enforcement and emergency management have a critical need to communicate quickly and easily with each other."

The system will allow agencies to instantly communicate with each other on emergency calls originating from either dispatch or field personnel using existing communication hardware. Federal, state and regional agencies will also have countywide, real-time communications access through the planned system.

"The ability to leverage existing radio communications resources thereby reducing overall disruption to users and cost of deployment is paramount in achieving interoperable communications today and this system supports that philosophy," said Mark Hatten, President and CEO of SmartLink. "We are pleased to work with Apptis and Solano County on such an important project."

The network will align Solano County with the Greater San Francisco Bay Area Regional objectives as well as those of the State of California and the Department of Homeland Security.

About Apptis, Inc.

For more than two decades, Apptis has been providing IT solutions and services to government and industry. Applying leading technologies to diverse needs, Apptis delivers inspiring solutions that are agile, trusted and business-aligned for optimized performance. The company's robust enterprise-wide capabilities include Managed IT Solutions, Enterprise Support Services, Network Engineering and Convergence, Software Engineering and Development, IT Security, and Business Process Outsourcing. The company values integrity and partnership, encouraging its knowledgeable, ethical and flexible professionals to build strong collaborative relationships with customers. Apptis is privately held with headquarters in Chantilly, Va. 2004 gross revenues exceeded $600 million.

About SmartLink Radio Networks

SmartLink has created an interoperable radio communications platform for use in public safety/service, critical infrastructure and commercial applications. SmartLink's software-defined network breaks down the barriers created by different radio frequencies and protocols, seamlessly integrating with legacy equipment. The result is a cost-effective and flexible networked radio environment that delivers interoperability, while allowing customers to easily adapt and expand to future technologies. For more information, contact us at 866-249-3600 or visit www.smartlink.net.