Current Public Safety Application Trends

The following public safety trends are noteworthy :

• Microsoft Windows-based Notebooks Replacing MDT's - Public agencies are now piloting and building additional applications on Windows-based PC notebooks using open hardware platforms with far more power and flexibility. Stand-alone records management applications are being offered on these mobile workstations, as well. Some jurisdictions are experimenting with Electronic Citation (Ticketing) applications with on-the-spot payment by credit card and credit authorization links to banks. Several agencies have developed Accident Data Collection systems for recording collision information at the scene, thereby eliminating extensive paper trails.
• Notebooks in Cruisers but Smaller Handheld Devices For Foot Patrol Duty: Several public safety application vendors (XWave and Aether, in particular) have introduced a subset of the application functionality on handheld devices - Palm, Windows CE, Pocket PC, etc.
• Private and Public Shared Network Infrastructure: Because of economic constraints and the high costs of wireless networks, many agencies are consolidating their network requirements into common infrastructures for public safety applications. Also, they are experimenting with public packet switched networks like RAM, Motient, CDPD, etc. While response time is better with these public networks than on their older 2400 bps radio systems, network coverage is sometimes spotty because police and other public safety vehicles travel in rural areas as much as they do in urban areas. For example, a police agency in Groton, CT, has implemented their MDT application on a CDPD network and pen based computers. Groton police have found that CDPD costs for law enforcement applications are less than those of Motient or RAM Mobile Data.