Wichita, KS - Sedgwick County not part of Motorola emergency radio system

[Thunderbolt]

WICHITA, Kan. — Without inviting competitive bids, Kansas officials awarded Motorola a $50 million deal to build a new statewide emergency radio network by crafting it as an amendment to a contract signed 14 years earlier.

Read more here: Sedgwick County not part of Motorola emergency radio system | Wichita Eagle

 

[KAA951]

Interesting the article never mentions that Airbus, Cassidians parent Compant, was found to have received $18 billion in subsidies from the EU. So, we have a foreign government subsidized corporation undercutting an American business.

The article also fails to mention that no other company, but Motorola, has successfully built a wide area public safety P-25 trunking system to cover a state the size of Kansas. The state decided to work with a proven entity that they had a good working relationship with- that's just good business.

Now, as for the proprietary software encryption- I am not a big fan. It is already causing interop headaches as most of the cheapest versions only permit a single key. Even the enhanced version only has 8 slots. Okay for a local agency, but for a state agency trying to provide comms with locals it is a nightmare.

 

[nec911]

KAA951:
Is the last sentence in this paragraph from the article true?
"The problem is that Motorola’s encryption won’t work with other radio brands. Experts say its use could complicate communications in fast-moving investigations of suspected narcotics traffickers or terrorists that involve multiple state and federal agencies. As a result, recipients of U.S. Department of Homeland Security grants for new radio systems are now required to buy the P25 encryption feature for any radio outfitted with a proprietary version."

 

[kayn1n32008]

KAA951:

Is the last sentence in this paragraph from the article true?

"The problem is that Motorola’s encryption won’t work with other radio brands. Experts say its use could complicate communications in fast-moving investigations of suspected narcotics traffickers or terrorists that involve multiple state and federal agencies. As a result, recipients of U.S. Department of Homeland Security grants for new radio systems are now required to buy the P25 encryption feature for any radio outfitted with a proprietary version."

Motorola's ADP 'encryption' is proprietary. They give it away to lock customers into Motorola gear. AES-256 or DES-OFB ect are usable across brands. Although motorola's gear is able to have AES-256 and/or DES-OFB ect in it, and it will work across different brands.


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[KAA951]

KAA951:
Is the last sentence in this paragraph from the article true?
"As a result, recipients of U.S. Department of Homeland Security grants for new radio systems are now required to buy the P25 encryption feature for any radio outfitted with a proprietary version."

I can't find anything to back that up. The document below from DHS recommends AES use, but doesn't mandate it.

http://www.npstc.org/download.jsp?t...s_Encryption_Guidelines_130926.pdf&page=NPSTC

Maybe they are referring to mandating the open P-25 signalling standard, instead of something like EDACS, OpenSky or MotoTrbo- that requirement has been in the grant for a long time. Perhaps the reporter was confused.

 

[nec911]

I can't find anything to back that up. The document below from DHS recommends AES use, but doesn't mandate it.

http://www.npstc.org/download.jsp?t...s_Encryption_Guidelines_130926.pdf&page=NPSTC

Maybe they are referring to mandating the open P-25 signalling standard, instead of something like EDACS, OpenSky or MotoTrbo- that requirement has been in the grant for a long time. Perhaps the reporter was confused.

That answers my question. I was concerned because with the thousands of radios going with DHS monies and interop issues we have already. Thanks KAA951

 

[iamhere300]

Interesting the article never mentions that Airbus, Cassidians parent Compant, was found to have received $18 billion in subsidies from the EU. So, we have a foreign government subsidized corporation undercutting an American business.

So, the many US employees of Cassidian the many US Investors of Cassidian, (IE, OWNERS) and their vendors should be penalized?

What about the many NON-US investors in Motorola, and NON-US facilities that produce the product they sell in the US?

What exactly makes them a US company now a days? The location of their headquarters?

The article also fails to mention that no other company, but Motorola, has successfully built a wide area public safety P-25 trunking system to cover a state the size of Kansas. The state decided to work with a proven entity that they had a good working relationship with- that's just good business.

Absolutely incorrect. Totally wrong. There are other even larger systems out there, P25, trunking. And lots of other digital systems much larger than Kansas. Look towards Tait for one manufacturer.

Now, as for the proprietary software encryption- I am not a big fan. It is already causing interop headaches as most of the cheapest versions only permit a single key. Even the enhanced version only has 8 slots. Okay for a local agency, but for a state agency trying to provide comms with locals it is a nightmare.

ADP is not allowed on Federal grants.

 

[iamhere300]

http://www.fema.gov/txt/government/grant/2010/fy10_hsgp_safecom.txt section 3.6 IV I believe states no use of other encryption than that which adheres to the P25 suite of standards.