APD Communications, a global leader in control room, mobile information, resource location and tracking solutions, today announced that its Middle East division has secured record revenues. To date APD has deployed its CORTEX, STORM, POLARIS and INCA solutionsin some of the region’s most respected organisations including the Abu Dhabi Police and the Emirates Group, allowing APD to secure revenues in excess of £8 million.

APD has successfully operated in the region since 2003. To strengthen its position and to ensure customers receive a high level of support, APD opened an office in the region in 2008, staffed by skilled local specialists. As one of the first organisations to offer control room, mobile information, resource location and tracking solutions to organisations in the Middle East, APD is regarded as a trusted specialist.

This heritage and local knowledge will position APD positively in the coming years. While the UK’s public sector suffers budget cuts, IDC predicts a 10% annual growth in ITC spend across the Middle East. 1Springboard Research, a leading innovator in the IT market research industry estimates that public sector IT spending in Saudi Arabia alone is expected to grow from $1.6 billion in 2009 to $2.4 billion in 2013 (a compound annual growth rate of 10.9%).2

APD’s reputation in the region has seen the company chosen to support a programme of modernisation across Abu Dhabiby his Highness Lt. Gen. Sheikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Minister of Interior. APD worked with the Abu Dhabi Police to develop a state of the art contact centre and tracking solution, providing both officers and public with a resilient and flexible communications system.

To ensure officers have access to the very latest technologies, APD deployed a suite of: CORTEX Integrated Communications Control, STORM CAD, mobile data and INCA vehicle location systems. The deployment of the CORTEX and STORM systems ensures seamless communication and incident handling between operators and front line officers. CORTEX removes the need for operators to manage several telephones, various intercoms and a number of radios, as all incoming and outgoing communication can be managed using simple touchscreen monitors. This in turn has reduced noise in the control room meaning it is a better environment in which to work.  

Currently the force has approximately 500 vehicles with INCA installed. The in-vehicle units not only provide real time tracking but also deliver historical data for reporting purposes. Combined with a STORM map client, control room staff can now accurately track and map vehicle movements, while front-line officers can leverage POLARIS to receive incidents from control room staff. This access to in-house information and databases on the move has enabled the force to improve the service offered to the public.

Another major deployment in the region was with one of the world’s major travel organisations Emirates Airline, who chose to deploy APD’s CORTEX system in the heart of two control centres at the Dubai International Airport. The deployment allows control room operators to manage all communication and web services, linking 6,500 ground staff from Dnata (the company responsible for all the ground handling facilities) throughout the airport. This allows staff to better manage over 200,000 aircraft movements, more than 37 million passengers and 1.5 million tonnes of freight for 120 airlines and their customers.

Jon Conway, Divisional Senior Vice President of Airport Operations, Dnata commented: "APD's CORTEX system will become a key part of our communication infrastructure. Working with APD will allow us to further streamline our processes, while offering customers and our airline partners the very best service possible. The flexibility of CORTEX will allow us to cost effectively leverage our existing infrastructure whilst meeting our needs today and in the future. We anticipate that this agreement will be the beginning of a successful long-term relationship between the Emirates Group and APD."

APD Communications has also been selected to work with DDIT, a Saudi Arabian IT, Mapping and specialist in-vehicle video solutions company for a project with the Saudi Highway Patrol. The agreement has seen APD provide an innovative in-vehicle location solution to the emergency services in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The deployment will enable the Saudi Highway Patrol to capture live video, use number plate recognition techniques and view vehicle locations in real-time, enabling staff to better serve the public across the region.

Discussing the expansion in the region, Steve Denison, Managing Director of APD Communications said: “Our 25 years of experience in the public safety and transport sector combined with our local expertise allows us to deliver a service to our customers that perfectly meets their needs. Our innovative technologies are helping to evolve the way policing and airport management is conducted. With many emergency services both in the UK and Middle East under pressure to increase productivity and improve service levels, technologies like our CORTEX, TETRA-enabled Software Integrated Communications Control System (ICCS) are quickly becoming a necessity rather than a luxury.”

About APD Communications

With over 25 years of experience, APD is a global leader in control room, mobile information, resource location and tracking solutions. APD specialises in delivering mission-critical and business-critical solutions to organisations within the public sector, transport, security, logistics and the emergency services. APD’s products are used in over 95 client sites in the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Customers include 80 per cent of police forces in the United Kingdom (including The Metropolitan Police Service, Merseyside Police and Hampshire Police), the Abu Dhabi Police, the Romanian Government and leading organisations such as The Emirates Group and London Underground Limited.  

References:

1 September 22, 2010 - Springboard Research, Public Sector Market Analysis - Saudi Arabia

2 February 17, 2011 – IDC, CIO Middle East Summit

Please click below to read this article in Arabic.