Wallingford, Conn. – Mutualink, Inc., the leading technology provider for interoperability, announced today that Chrissie Coon has joined the executive leadership team as the company’s first Chief Customer Experience Officer. Ms. Coon will elevate the customer experience making it a strategic differentiator for Mutualink as it shifts into its next decade of growth.
Mutualink is dedicated to serving the public safety mission and has seen significant growth as first responders turn to technology as a force multiplier in their efforts to save lives and protect communities. Ms. Coon’s addition to the leadership team will help Mutualink continue to innovate in ways to meet the customers’ evolving needs.
With over 20 years of public safety and industry experience, she is uniquely qualified to understand and communicate the voice of the customer. In her previous role with the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet), under the U.S Department of Commerce, she served as a Senior Public Safety Advisor responsible for national strategic communications and stakeholder collaboration and advised on the use of innovative technology to support operational public safety missions.
Ms. Coon previously served as President and Co-Chair of EDGE, formerly known as CES Government, a global event partnered with CES, the largest and most influential technology expo in the world. In her role, she worked to elevate the prestigious event experience and develop relationships with leaders from all levels of government, industry, and academia to identify and incubate emerging technologies that support government missions.
“As we continue our rapid growth and experience increasing customer adoption, investing in customer experience is a key priority,” said President Joe Mazzarella. “As we continue to build a best-in-class management team, I am particularly gratified to welcome Chrissie to the Mutualink team. The depth of her experience and leadership will help accelerate our growth while building long-term trusted relationships and high-value solutions for our customers.”
“It is a privilege to join Mutualink during this time of unprecedented growth. Having been in the public safety technology arena for many years, I commend the work Mutualink has done to advance multi-agency communications for first responders. Their leadership in this space is second to none and I continue to be impressed with their commitment to innovation and investment in delivering Smart City and IoT capabilities,” said Chrissie Coon.
Ms. Coon is 15-year veteran of the North Las Vegas Police Department in Las Vegas, NV where her and her mother served as commissioned law enforcement officers. They are recognized as the first and only mother-daughter succession in the State of Nevada. Chrissie is also a board member of Vispero, a provider of innovative assistive software and hardware solutions for blind and low-vision individuals, and holds an MBA from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.
Mutualink, Inc. is the leading technology provider of a best-in-class intelligent multimedia network that enables public safety community partners to securely share voice, text, video and data for instant communications and real-time data sharing. Certified by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security SAFETY Act for interoperable communications, partners and clients trust Mutualink, Inc. to provide innovative, scalable, secure solutions they rely on every day and in any emergency.
Stafford, VA. – Mutualink, Inc., in partnership with Stafford County and Virginia’s Center for Innovative Technology (CIT), successfully deployed and is powering the state’s first Smart City deployment, the Virginia Smart Community Testbed. Mutualink’s secure, intelligent network is the digital backbone for Smart Cities connecting community partners, smart infrastructure, and sustainable IoT technologies in real-time so community leaders can work together to improve livability, workability and resilience.
The Virginia Smart Community Testbed, the first of its kind in the Commonwealth, was formally announced on May 25, 2021 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony that drew attendance from state and local leaders including Virginia Secretary of Commerce & Trade Brian Ball, Chairman of the Stafford County Board of Supervisors Crystal Vanuch, and U.S. Representative Rob Wittman. This innovative public/private partnership is funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) and aims to foster community-driven innovation that improves emergency response.
This Smart City deployment is being introduced to both deliver innovative services to Stafford County and as an environment to pilot new technologies in a real-world setting. During the ceremony, attendees experienced live drone demonstrations, immersive augmented reality displays, and advanced sensor network deployment to monitor flood potential, air quality, and wastewater. Mutualink was on-hand to demonstrate how intelligently integrating these technologies through a single, secure platform can quickly and seamlessly bridge communications, data visibility, and information sharing gaps across agencies and community services.
This opening of the Virginia Smart Community Testbed helps to ensure Virginia maintains a leading role in the nation by demonstrating the future of Smart City technologies, and how they address local issues, support community growth, and drive economic development.
Mutualink’s intelligent network technology can be applied across municipal government to improve public services leading to:
“Mutualink is a Smart City enablement framework that empowers us to integrate and deliver a wide range of emerging technologies in a real-world setting," said David Ihrie, Chief Technology Officer of the Center for Innovative Technology. "We see it as the foundation for a new digital infrastructure.”
“We are excited to partner on Virginia’s first Smart City deployment where our platform will work to foster the coordinated communication that improves quality of life,” said Mutualink President, Joe Mazzarella. “We’ve seen firsthand the power of connecting community partners, every day and in emergencies. Allowing them to instantly communicate and exchange critical information builds stronger, safer communities.”
State Police, Local Police, Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) and Hospitals Linked for Instant Emergency Communication and Coordination
Wallingford, CT. - Mutualink, Inc. today announced the statewide deployment of its real time multimedia collaboration solution in New Hampshire. The solution will instantly link public safety agencies, public safety answering points, hospitals, colleges and universities, along with critical assets across the state to enhance its real time COVID-19 pandemic response efforts. The project takes the next step in whole community response and is the first of its kind in the nation. “New Hampshire could not be more excited by this unparalleled technology,” said Commissioner Robert Quinn. “The New Hampshire Department of Safety has long recognized the capability of this communications platform and to be able to partner with Mutualink in providing “True Interoperability” for not only our public safety communities statewide, but to the critical infrastructure that has united in response to this pandemic has been an amazing opportunity.”
The new statewide collaboration network has enabled first responder agencies, 9-1-1 centers and hospitals across the state to securely communicate voice and share video and information on-demand. The solution dynamically bridges different agency radio and voice communications systems and also enables real time video from any video source, including from internal surveillance systems, wearable cameras, aviation assets, and cell phones to be securely shared with partners. The solution also includes a next generation, multimedia push-to-talk (MM-PTT) application that operates like a radio over wireless mobile networks along with being able to send and receive real time video. The Mutualink MM-PTT application is also unique in that it can be linked with an agency’s own radios system, but also can be dynamically linked to other partner agencies’ radios when needed.
Designed for critical communications, Mutualink’s multimedia collaboration solution brings capabilities that meet the complex requirements of emergency response coordination. “There is a world of difference between real time critical communications and solutions verses video conferencing applications and consumer message apps. Urgent response environments operate in minutes and seconds, not by calendar appointment. Being able to connect first responder agencies and public and private community partners that use different radio and communications systems, video systems and information systems on a secure, ad-hoc, on-demand basis within dynamic, fast changing environments requires tremendous technological agility. But it does not stop there. It must be wrapped in simplicity at a user level for maximum usability and effectiveness. We do things that no one else in the world does, and that’s why New Hampshire selected Mutualink”, said Mark Hatten, CEO of Mutualink.
Mutualink is the industry innovator and leader in multimedia interoperable communications with nearly 100 US and international patents covering ground-breaking innovations in interactive multimedia interoperability, internet of things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), wearable sensor communications, and blockchain for communications networks. The Mutualink solution integrates radio, video, text, and file sharing for real-time collaboration among its fast-growing network of federal, state and local first responder agencies, emergency operations centers, intelligence centers, utilities, airports, ports, schools and universities, stadiums, and financial institutions. Mutualink is the leader in true “whole community response” collaboration, and is also pioneering “connected life safety” for smart cities with live projects funded by the US Department of Homeland Security Science & Technology’s Smart City Internet of Things Innovation (SCITI) Labs.
"To go forward at all is to go forward together." - Richard Nixon in his inauguration speech, 1969
Inauguration Day isn't always marked by unity.
Inauguration Day 2021 will more likely be remembered as a day of civil unrest.
Civil unrest isn't always meant as a direct challenge to law enforcement. Its target is often political change. But civil unrest can be planned for by law enforcement, hospitals, emergency management and public agencies.
One way to be ready for civil unrest is to engage with an emergency response team (ERT) to boost interoperable communications. This is what the Troy, New York, Police Department did when faced with Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. They brought in the Mutualink Emergency Response Team. The ERT supported their communications efforts, with bridged radio comms and shared drone video (provided by MTI Drones) to surveil the crowd. The ERT also provided a GoKit for interoperable communications in the field. The game-changer was real-time sharing of the feed from the video on the drone to remote locations.
This is a quick guide to consideration for planning for complex communications during these incidents:
Go forward togeter with your team. Together with partner agencies. Together with optimal communications to keep your community safe during the inauguration this year.
(Atlanta, GA) January 5, 2021 – CENTEGIX, an IoT company that innovates technology to save and enrich lives, is partnering with Mutualink, a leader in public safety interoperability solutions, to advance two-way radio and video communications to first responders in the case of an emergency. Both CENTEGIX and Mutualink focus on interoperability for public safety organizations and work diligently to secure communities.
CENTEGIX’s CrisisAlert™ platform is an incident alerting solution that protects people by empowering users to discreetly and immediately request help through a smart badge while providing first responders with actionable information enabling them to respond faster in any situation. Importantly, CrisisAlertTM delivers precise, room-level alert location accuracy within buildings, immediate audio and visual incident notifications (including lighted strobes, screen messages, and two-way radio integration), simple activation via a mobile CrisisAlert badge, and 100% full campus coverage.
Mutualink enables the sharing of telephone, radio, video, and data over one secure interoperability platform. Emergency managers and first responders use the technology to collaborate in real-time. The Mutualink multimedia solution can be accessed via desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones, providing interoperability wherever users need it.
“With a common goal of innovating technology to save lives, Mutualink is the ideal partner for CENTEGIX when it comes to advancing communications and situational awareness for first responders,” said Matthew Stevens, CEO, CENTEGIX. “This partnership continues to achieve our goal of delivering the fastest and most accurate response in an emergency because Every. Second. Matters.”
“Mutualink is currently used by hundreds of public safety agencies and private entities worldwide. Our partnership with CENTEGIX will further expand our network of connected communities,” said Jeff Kelly, National Director K12 Security, Colleges and Universities, Mutualink. “Collaborating with CENTEGIX enables us to deliver greatly improved public safety collaboration by combining best-in-class communications solutions.”
About CENTEGIX
CENTEGIX™ innovates technology to save and enrich lives. CENTEGIX’s CrisisAlert™ solution is an incident alert platform that utilizes mobile and desktop applications along with a mesh network to provide property-wide protection. CrisisAlert is a force multiplier, allowing staff and security professionals to request assistance and implement emergency protocols from anywhere. CrisisAlert goes well beyond the limitations of legacy communications devices and single-dimensional apps, because in a crisis: Every. Second. Matters. To learn more about CENTEGIX, please visit www.centegix.com.
SAN DIEGO (PRWEB) DECEMBER 03, 2020
Time is never more precious than in an emergency. The right communication tool can literally save lives. With the advanced Mutualink @Team multimedia push-to-talk (PTT) application and Kyocera’s ultra-rugged DuraForce PRO 2 Android™ smartphone, first responders can reduce crucial communication time with quick access to individuals and information. The secure multimedia PTT with broadband connectivity provides Incident Command System (ICS) based True Interoperability® between agencies in emergencies, enabling instant real-time sharing of crucial video, text messages and location to pre-determined or ad hoc talkgroups. The @Team app is an easy download from the Google Play™ store on DuraForce PRO 2*.
First responders can find themselves in extreme temperatures and weather - fires, snowstorms, flashfloods, etc. – and they require a mobile device that can withstand the elements. Kyocera’s DuraForce PRO 2 is built rugged from the inside out, without bulk, with cutting-edge technology and features designed to function seamlessly in life’s emergencies. Its built-in certified IP68 dust proof and waterproof and Military Standard 810G protection against drops, shock, dirt, rain, snow, and other harsh conditions ensure the device can withstand even the harshest environments. Robust all-day batteries easily power through shifts and front-facing dual loudspeakers with an advanced echo and noise cancellation system enable clear audio even in the noisiest situations. A dedicated button can be programmed for instant one-touch communication using the @Team PTT app. A wide-angle lens captures images and video in both vertical and horizontal formats, enabling first responders to share more accurate images of their environments, providing a cost-effective body worn camera option. The touchscreen is designed to work when wet or with gloves, ensuring ease-of-use in emergency situations. Android Enterprise Recommended with ongoing security updates, the device utilizes FIPS 140-2 validation module and includes a fingerprint security sensor for biometric authentication, plus it’s covered by a 2-year manufacturer’s warranty that includes water damage.
“Fast, accurate communication is important for every industry, but never as much as when getting crucial information during an emergency since lives can depend on it,” said Vipul Dalal, general manager at Kyocera’s Communications Equipment Group. “Hardware, software and network capabilities must be optimized at all times for first responders to communicate instantly with each other and other agencies. This solution turns the ultra-rugged DuraForce PRO 2 into a mobile Command Center with real-time communication along with highly secure video, location and data sharing to streamline operations when it counts the most.”
"Pairing Mutualink's multimedia interoperability apps with Kyocera's ultra-rugged smartphones creates more competitive choice for the nation's first responders, who require dependable, flexible communications solutions to more quickly resolve emergency incidents," said Joe Mazzarella, president and chief operating officer of Mutualink. "This partnership with Kyocera is our next step in providing extended communications solutions during the coronavirus pandemic, enabling clear, complete and timely sharing of information between and among first responders, hospitals and private security teams."
Kyocera’s rugged devices are used by first responders nationwide and Mutualink has been providing secure, interoperable communications to public safety for years, making the combined offering an especially trusted, reliable solution. The @Team application on DuraForce PRO 2 enables:
Push-to-Talk Plus Video – secure push-to-talk. Beyond traditional voice PTT, emergency teams can share photos, locations, streaming video, even data files with each other.
One-to-Many Sharing – secure one-to-many voice, text, video and data sharing to a group in real time. Each user can also participate in collaboration sessions with outside agencies through their agency’s Interoperable Workstation (IWS) appliance or Edge IWS application.
EoIP & Location Services – secure Everything-over-IP protocol turns push- to-talk to push-to-see + talk. All forms of connectivity are supported. Geolocation maps show where your team is in real time (optional by device/user).
Multiple Talkgroups – multiple talkgroups are possible per device, including managed and ad hoc groups. Broadcast voice, video and text to all group members at once.
Access to the Mutualink Network – users can participate in network incidents to collaborate daily with other agencies for large planned events and during emergency situations. Mutual aid incidents resolve faster with LMR – LTE communications bridged across agencies.
The secure and scalable @Team is HIPAA- and FERPA-compliant, with AES-256 encryption to protect communications from leakage or hacking plus a Virtual Private Network (VPN) for added security.
DuraForce PRO 2 and Mutualink are certified to operate on FirstNet -- built with AT&T -- the first nationwide network dedicated to public safety, and the Verizon network.
**IP68 dust proof and waterproof for water immersion up to 6.5 feet for up to 30 minutes.
Kyocera International Inc.’s Communications Equipment Group (CEG) is the headquarters for Kyocera wireless devices in the Americas. With a history of quality and innovation delivering many “firsts” to the U.S. market, Kyocera is the leader in rugged mobile solutions. Launching more than 100 waterproof and rugged mobile devices globally over the last 10+ years, Kyocera strives to offer rugged, reliable technology as an integral part of a total mobile offering: combining Military Standard 810G-certified ruggedization and enterprise-grade security with a partner ecosystem, industry-specific applications and innovative accessories. Working with leading service providers, Kyocera has created a “Total Solution” offering that helps deliver a significantly lower total cost of ownership to a wide range of industries such as public safety, transportation, and construction. White glove services including overnight advanced replacement, custom provisioning, repair, and more help productivity for business customers. When it comes to blending performance, durability and support, Kyocera’s rugged mobile solutions are in a class of their own. For more information, visit Kyoceramobile.com or follow the company on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Kyocera Corporation (TOKYO: 6971), the parent and global headquarters of the Kyocera Group, was founded in 1959 as a producer of fine ceramics (also known as “advanced ceramics”). By combining these engineered materials with metals and integrating them with other technologies, Kyocera has become a leading supplier of industrial and automotive components, semiconductor packages, electronic devices, smart energy systems, printers, copiers, and mobile phones. During the year ended March 31, 2020, the company’s consolidated sales revenue totaled 1.6 trillion yen (approx. US$14.7 billion). Kyocera is ranked #549 on Forbes magazine’s 2020 “Global 2000” list of the world’s largest publicly traded companies.
Utility grid resilience never seemed more important than during the active hurricane season the nation faces in 2020. These black sky events reach across state lines, challenging federal, state and local emergency response and the communications systems that support it. For critical infrastructure, resilient operational communications systems are essential for restoration and recovery.
Last fall, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) conducted research to evaluate communications systems' ability to provide adequate voice transmission to enable initiation of restoration efforts to the electric grid during a black sky event. In the case of hurricanes, an event can travel over broad swaths of the country, so creating a dispersed, realistic demonstration with control room operators invested in the planning and execution phases ensured application of results to actual field use.
The demonstration tested five commercially available off-the-shelf solutions, including Mutualink, which served as the sole interoperability platform connecting four emergency communications systems: one GEO and two LEO satellites, and HF radio. Electric power industry participants in the research demonstration included PJM, Southern Company and New York Power Authority (NYPA).
Emergency communications and interoperability vendor participant selection was based on viable solutions that met the following criteria: deployability, scalability, survivability, maintainability, and interoperability.
EPRI selected commercially available solutions to test in the research based on responses to an RFI. The RFI required an interoperability solution capable of:
Mutualink's interoperability solution, already installed and used by NYPA at the time of the RFI, met all requirements with a distributed system that was easily deployable to all core test sites.
According to the study abstract, "The results will be used to develop recommendations for a long-term implementation and use of resilient emergency communications systems and strategies that are flexible enough to accommodate varying requirements for restoration and recovery of the electric grid following a widespread grid outage."
EPRI's report details the key findings. Mutualink's interoperability platform fared well, with the evaluation citing that it demonstrated its ability to patch communications systems at all three core test sites. As might be typical for energy and utility sector deployments, each core test site installation included a portable IWS (interoperability workstation), Telephony and Radio Gateways, an ethernet switch and a multi-WAN router to interface external broadband.
Following the October 25, 2019 demonstration, EPRI concluded that Mutualink's interoperability platform "provided the required capability of connecting and bridging communications from multiple different communications systems".
What better way to learn about the EPRI black sky resilient communications demonstration than by watching the video? https://youtu.be/8G9uqXhVD5w
BASKING RIDGE, NJ – Today, Verizon introduces Push-to-Talk Responder, a mission-critical, interoperable-ready solution that delivers a more efficient way for first responders to seamlessly share and receive data, voice, and, in the future, video content to more comprehensively respond to a crisis.
Push-to-talk (PTT) is a means of instantaneous communication in cellular phone services that uses a button to switch a device from voice transmission mode to voice reception mode. Mobile phones used in this way emulate the radios that police and security personnel carry, with added capabilities of data and video transfer.
Verizon Push-to-Talk Responder is built and secured to international standard and complements the capabilities provided by Land Mobile Radio (LMR) networks, and expands those networks to a greater number of users. It’s designed to empower first responders to quickly assess a situation and formulate faster, more effective responses. Users can communicate with each other and across agencies interoperably through text, data and, in the future, critical live video streaming. And because the Verizon Push-to-Talk Responder solution leverages international standards for mission-critical push-to-talk on the nation's most reliable network, it offers advanced LTE features to enable on-demand, instant communications.
“Using Verizon Push-to-Talk Responder, we are able to keep in contact from anywhere,” said Bruce Sandy, IT Director, Pender County, North Carolina EMS & Fire and one of the first to use Verizon Push-to-Talk Responder. “Interoperability across county lines with different radio systems is difficult to manage and maintain. Verizon Push-to-Talk Responder provides real-time communication without the need to carry multiple radios and switch back and forth between systems. It has improved our response time, and increased our ability to accurately provide information to the responders on the ground.”
“During emergencies, first responder communications often extend beyond verbal exchanges, and radio networks currently limit how information can be passed back and forth between agencies,” said Andrés Irlando, senior vice president and president, Public Sector and Verizon Connect at Verizon. “Verizon Push-to-Talk Responder provides LMR-like functionality while enabling officers to text and exchange data, and is also fully interoperable, so it extends communications to users outside of an agency’s LMR network—greatly enhancing the ability for first responders to communicate in crisis situations, regardless of device, network or platform.”
Verizon Push-to-Talk Responder is available today. Visit Verizon's website to learn more.
It's no secret that COVID-19 made this year's back-to-school season a challenge for students, parents, teachers and school administrators. However, school security professionals in Florida know that the safety of their students encompasses more than the threat of pandemic. It takes a panic alert and emergency communications technology. Lessons learned from the Parkland tragedy, and the shortcomings identified in the report from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission (within the Florida Department of Law Enforcement), have inspired some school districts to push through the hurdles posed by the health crisis. In Volusia County, Chief Michelle Newman installed Mutualink's panic button and interoperability solution. She achieved smooth and seamless communications between the schools and the Volusia Sheriff's Office.
Michelle Newman, Chief of Safety and Security for Volusia County Schools said. “It started with a demonstration of the solution during which it became clear that with the panic alert application and Mutualink’s interoperable emergency response platform, officers would arrive on scene knowing exactly what they need to do in order to quickly resolve any incident. But when the Mutualink team installed the solution in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, I knew we had a game-changing partnership.”
Mutualink's emergency communications solution is SAFETY Act certified by the US Department of Homeland Security. The interoperability platform provides real-time coordination between schools and first responder agencies. The panic button application calls 9-1-1, alerting the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). At the same time, school administrators connect to law enforcement. Through the radio bridge, officers receive situational awareness from within the school. They arrive better equipped to quickly resolve the incident.
DeLand, FL / Wallingford, CT (August 27, 2020) - When Volusia County students return to school on August 31, they will come back to schools that comply with Alyssa’s Law. Alyssa’s Law requires each public school, including charter schools, to implement a panic alert system for use in an emergency such as a lockdown or active-shooter situation. When the alarm is triggered, law enforcement is alerted of the emergency via a message or signal. Such a system is also known as “Alyssa’s Alert” and must integrate with local public safety answering points or 9-1-1 centers allowing 911 calls to be made in seconds. But the real challenge is that the principal, security guards and staff who are responsible for responding cannot be competing with hundreds of other inbound 911 calls. They need to be able to instantly connect and share vital information with those who are coming to help.
Recognizing the need to close this major gap, safety-smart school districts like Volusia are enhancing passive panic alerting systems with a real-time emergency communications system such as Mutualink. Mutualink provides communication, coordination, and situational awareness in real time between multiple first responder agencies, school security and selected school personnel responding to the alert. This is interoperable communication: school personnel and first responders can communicate regardless of system - radio, cell phone or any other device. Interoperable response means school personnel and first responders can securely share data files such as floor plans of the school and, in some cases, secure video on demand that provides insight to what is happening and where, speeding response and increasing situational awareness. Text messages replace voice communications for situations where complete quiet is in order.
Mutualink’s ability to integrate a panic altering system, powered by Rave Mobile Safety, brings together a fully integrated solution that provides teachers and staff a direct link to the Volusia Sheriff’s Office and the ability to instantly connect vital information between school personnel and multiple first responder agencies where time is of the essence and lives are at stake.
“It started with a demonstration of the solution during which it became clear that with the panic alert application and Mutualink’s interoperable emergency response platform, officers would arrive on scene knowing exactly what they need to do in order to quickly resolve any incident,” said Michelle Newman, Chief of Safety and Security for Volusia County Schools. “But when the Mutualink team installed the solution in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, I knew we had a game-changing partnership.”
The Volusia Sheriff’s Office had already installed Mutualink for interoperable communications, so the experience and commitment to Mutualink as a law enforcement tool set the tone for its dependability for the school safety use case. Mutualink provides interoperable communications for more than a dozen Florida counties and numerous charter schools. Several Florida colleges and universities also use the technology.
Jeff Kelly, Mutualink’s education specialist for K12 security, said, “Mutualink continually works to solve safety and security challenges for the K12 community. We do not believe in installing technology and walking away, so we form long-term partnerships with the school districts we serve. We stand by them.”
Volusia County Schools and the Volusia Sheriff’s Office share the same commitment as Mutualink and the legislators who passed Alyssa’s Law to establishing trustworthy panic alarm capability in conjunction with an interoperable emergency response platform that addresses a critical gap in school safety - altering and enabling direct emergency communications and information sharing between schools and first responders to improve teacher, student and officer safety.